All Saints Day
November 1, 2002
Prayer of the Day
Almighty God, whose people are knit together in one holy
Church, the body of Christ our Lord: Grant us grace to follow your blessed
saints in lives of faith and commitment, and to know the inexpressible joys you
have prepared for those who love you; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
"The Gospel depicts ideal qualities of ‘the blessed’
in this world; the Epistle is a glorious passage which gives a vision of them in
the heavenly world; the Collect in superlatively beautiful language unites the
faithful of both worlds in the communion of saints, the church of Christ.... The
Collect is by the English Reformers." [1]
Revelation 7:9-17
{9} After this I looked, and there was a great multitude
that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and
languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with
palm branches in their hands. {10} They cried out in a loud voice,
saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to
the Lamb!" {11} And all the angels stood around the throne and
around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces
before the throne and worshiped God, {12} singing, "Amen! Blessing
and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our
God forever and ever! Amen." {13} Then one of the elders addressed
me, saying, "Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come
from?" {14} I said to him, "Sir, you are the one that
knows." Then he said to me, "These are they who have come out of the
great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of
the Lamb. {15} For this reason they are before the throne of God, and
worship him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the
throne will shelter them. {16} They will hunger no more, and thirst no
more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; {17} for the
Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them
to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their
eyes."
Revelation 7:4 says that 144,000 were sealed "out of
every tribe of the people of Israel." It is possible that this is based on
a first century estimate of the number of Christian Jews in the first part of
the second century.
9. a great multitude that no one could count from every
nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages: Those from among the
non-Israelite peoples who will stand before the Lord clearly outnumber those
sealed from the people of Israel.
Lamb: "The image of Jesus as a Lamb who has
been slaughtered is a surprising contrast to his designation as a lion
(5.5) and suggests the Passover sacrifice (1 Cor 5.7). Revelation uses Lamb as a
designation for the exalted Christ twenty-eight times, highlighting his
sacrificial role…." [2]
robed in white: In verse 14 they are identified as those
"who have come out of the great ordeal," originally a specific,
historical event, now transformed into an eschatological tribulation prior to
God’s triumph.
15-17: Those robed in white will not hunger or thirst any
more (reminiscent of Matthew 25:35).
God will wipe away every tear from their eyes: See Isaiah
25:8 (first lesson for Proper 23): "the Lord God will wipe away the tears
from all faces."
It was dangerous to be a Christian at the end of the first
century of the common era. Both Christian Jews and Gentile Christians were in
jeopardy throughout the empire. In this passage John records his vision of those
who perished in persecution and who are, now, before the throne of God. God will
provide for them and wipe their tears, the Lamb will guide them to the water of
life. The church was strengthened by words like these and survived the hostility
of the pagan Roman empire until it, in turn, became the imperial religion and
could persecute those who sought the consolation of other gods. We need to
realize that God is always on the side of the persecuted, no matter who their
persecutors are!
Psalm 34:1-10, 22
{1} I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall
continually be in my mouth. {2} My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let
the humble hear and be glad. {3} O magnify the LORD with me, and let us
exalt his name together. {4} I sought the LORD, and he answered me, and
delivered me from all my fears. {5} Look to him, and be radiant; so your
faces shall never be ashamed. {6} This poor soul cried, and was heard by
the LORD, and was saved from every trouble. {7} The angel of the LORD
encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. {8} O taste and see
that the LORD is good; happy are those who take refuge in him. {9} O fear
the LORD, you his holy ones, for those who fear him have no want. {10} The
young lions suffer want and hunger, but those who seek the LORD lack no good
thing…. {22} The LORD redeems the life of his servants; none of those
who take refuge in him will be condemned.
Psalm 34 is an acrostic Psalm with each verse beginning with
a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Such Psalms are frequently
disparaged as mechanical and without creative power. "Even if the ‘I’
in the formularies of the songs of thanksgiving and even more in a didactic poem
has a standardized function, still the life experiences of the ‘I’ that is
speaking are vital." [3] The Psalm is a song of thanksgiving of one who
"was heard by the LORD, and was saved from every trouble" (verse 6).
Within the liturgy the Psalm reflects the scene described in verse 15:
"they are before the throne of God, and worship him day and night within
his temple." Those who seek the LORD will lack nothing good, and none who
take refuge in him will be condemned.
1 John 3:1-3
{1} See what love the Father has given us, that we should be
called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not
know us is that it did not know him. {2} Beloved, we are God's children now;
what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is
revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. {3} And all who
have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
"In 3:1-3 the author interprets the sentence taken from
his Source in v 29, in the first instance (3:1), by making his readers aware of
what it means to be begotten of God: it means being a child of God and thus the
gift of God’s love…." [4]
1. The reason the world does not know us: "…is not
consolation for those persecuted by the ...[cosmos]
("world"), but the foil for the statement about the filial relation to
God: that the ‘world’ does not recognize the children of God is precisely a
proof that they really are God’s children and that they no longer belong to
the world." [5]
2. what we will be has not yet been revealed…. when he is
revealed, we will be like him: "He" is Christ who will return. The
children of God will be glorified as he is glorified.
Matthew 5:1-12
{1} When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and
after he sat down, his disciples came to him. {2} Then he began to speak, and
taught them, saying: {3} "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven. {4} "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be
comforted. {5} "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. {6}
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will
be filled. {7} "Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. {8}
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. {9} "Blessed
are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. {10} "Blessed
are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom
of heaven. {11} "Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you
and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. {12} Rejoice and
be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted
the prophets who were before you.
The Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount have already been
used on Epiphany 4 this year. The comments are, for the most part, repeated
from the text study for that Sunday. Parallels: Mark 3:13; Luke 6:17, 20-23;
John 6:3.
"The name beatitude is derived from the Latin beatitudo,
which corresponds to the Greek ... [makarismos]
("macarism"), a label that may have been used perhaps even in the New
Testament itself [Galatians 4:15, "what has become of your praise (pou oun ho makarismos
hymon?)." [6] The Old Testament
and post biblical literature contain a large number of beatitudes, presenting
them in a wide variety of forms and functions and making it thereby difficult to
see their primary characteristics. Comparing all these materials leads to the
following conclusions:
1. Their original function (Sitz im Leben) is in the
ritual.
2. Their nature is that of declarative statements.
3. Their future orientation is eschatological as well as
this-worldly.
4. They are connected with ethics and morality." [7]
"Strictly speaking, they should be pronounced by the
divine judge in the afterlife, as verdicts at the eschatological judgment.
Spoken in the present they reveal a message that belongs to the future of
persons for whose eternal salvation this message is decisive." [8] "By
revealing a new way of life, the beatitude affects moral behavior and demands an
ethical awareness." [9]
3… Blessed…: "Within an honor-shame setting,
perhaps the best translation for ‘blessed is/are’ would be "how
honorable…,’ ‘How full of honor…,’ ‘How honor bringing…,’ and
the like. The counter to ‘beatitudes’ are the ‘woes’ or reproaches in
Matt. 23:13-35; there the formula: ‘Woe to you scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites…’ out be translated: ‘How shameless you are…’" [10] "The language used here, that is, ‘blessed,’ is honorific language.
Contrary to the dominant social values, these ‘blessed are…’ statements
ascribe honor to those unable to defend their positions or those who refuse to
take advantage of or trespass on the position of another. Obviously then the
honor granted comes from God, not from the usual social sources." [11]
poor: "being ‘poor’ was to be unable to defend
what was yours. It meant falling below the status at which one was born. It was
to be defenseless, without recourse….In a society in which power brought
wealth (in our society it is the opposite: wealth ‘buys’ power), being
powerless meant being vulnerable to the greedy who prey on the weak. The terms
‘rich’ and ‘poor,’ therefore, are better translated ‘greedy’ and ‘socially
unfortunate.’….By contrast, being merciful, pure in heart, or a peacemaker
points to moral qualities a person must strive to acquire….‘Mercy’ is the
obligation one has to repay debts of interpersonal obligation….To be pure of
heart is to have one’s thinking and feeling faculties attuned to what pleases
God, something close to our word ‘conscience.’….‘peacemakers’ are
those who work toward [the end of meaningful human existence]." [12]
"As the church fathers recognized, and I believe they
were right, the first beatitude in the SM (as well as in the SP) is basic.
Thereafter, all others are climactic developments of some sort. In the SM the
climax is reached in SM/Matt. 5:12. Moreover, vs 3b and vs 10b ("for theirs
is the kingdom of heaven") repeat the same statement is in the present
tense and provide an inclusio around 5:4-9. The second lines of the
beatitudes in 5:4-9 state eschatological promises in the future tense. This
series in 5:4-9 contains beatitudes that correspond to consecutive scenes
describing the destiny of the righteous in paradise. Thus one may see in these
verses a greatly abbreviated apocalyptic vision of the world to come…." [13]
9. they will be called children of God: Luther’s
translation seems to have been the first to use "children" here for
the Greek "sons."
Reflection
The idea of faithfulness in persecution runs through the
lessons for All Saints Day. Although for the most part we are protected against
persecution, others in the world today are not so fortunate. And even in our own
country one may be killed for declaring their belief in Christ. In the faith of
such danger we are assured that we are safe because God will protect us, if not
from physical suffering and death, then from spiritual abuse. While we are
grateful for God’s protection and sing his praises with the psalmist,
Christians need to be careful that they do not become abusers of others in their
zeal for Christ.
Hymns [14]
With One Voice (e.g. 762v), Hymnal Supplement 1991
(e.g. 725s) and LBW (e.g. 32).
E=Entrance; D=Hymn of the Day; I=First Lesson, P=Psalm;
II=Second Lesson; G=Gospel
176 --E--For All Your
174 --D--For All the
755s --I--Blessed Feast of
643v --I--Once in Royal (730s)
690v --I--Shall We Gather
516 --P--Arise, My Soul,
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706v --P--Eat this Bread
351 --II--Oh, Happy Day
764v --G--Blest Are They (794s)
689v --G--Rejoice in God
764s, 838s, 17, 177 (v. 4), 337,
742v, 691v, 718v/778s, 746v
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Prayers of the People
[15]
P or A: Within the communion of saints we call on the eternal
Trinity and offer our prayers saying, "We bless you, O God," and
responding, "We praise your holy name."
A: With angels and archangels, the families of your chosen
people, prophets and apostles, the martyrs and witnesses of Christ, we your
people join in reverent worship. We bless you, O God. We praise your holy name.
A: We give thanks for the communion of saints on earth and
for the community that is developing among Christians of differing backgrounds.
We thank you for the growing sense of communion between Lutherans and Anglicans
in Canada. May that be a sign of greater reunion of Christians ahead. We bless
you, O God. We praise your holy name.
A: Many of your saints have been rulers and governors, social
workers and reformers. We ask that examples of faith and love like Francis of
Assisi, Elizabeth of Hungary, Martin Luther King, Jr. Mother Theresa of Calcutta
and the Lutheran Deaconess movement may continue to inspire others to take up
God's cause. We offer ourselves in your service and we bless you, O God. We
praise your holy name.
A: We as that the needs of the poor, the mourners, the meek
and the hungry will be met. Show them the blessing you provide for each in her
or his need. We remember those who have asked for our prayers, _______. We
commend them to your compassion. We bless you, O God. We praise your holy name.
P: All our needs are known to you, O God. Receive our prayers
and grant them as you see best for us and for all people. Blessing, glory,
wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power and might be to our God forever and ever!
Amen.
Or [16]
Presider or deacon
As we recall the blessed ones who have gone before us, let us offer prayers to
God
who adorns the poor with victory.
Deacon or other leader
With the angels and archangels and the spirits of the blessed. With the Virgin
Mary, other of our Savior. With the holy patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and
martyrs.
With all the saints, witnesses to the gospel. For N our bishop and N
our presbyter, for this holy gathering, and for the people of God in every
place.
For all nations, tribes, peoples, and languages.
For the sick and the
suffering the hungry and the thirsty, the poor and the meek, and all who are
persecuted.
For the dead and those who mourn.
For our city and those who live in
it, and for our families, companions, and all those we love.
For our ancestors
and all who have gone before us in faith.
Lifting our voices with all creation,
with the blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints, let us offer ourselves and one
another to the living God through Christ.
To you, O Lord.
Presider
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, for the triumph of Christ in the lives of your
saints. Receive the prayers we offer this day and help us to run our course with
faith, that we may swiftly come to your eternal kingdom. Glory to you forever
and ever.
The Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New
Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian
Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U. S. A. Used
by permission. All rights reserved.
Notes
[1] Luther D. Reed, The Lutheran
Liturgy. Philadelphia: Muhlenberg Press, 1947, p. 571.
[2] The HaperCollins Study Bible.
HarperCollins Publishers, 1993, note to verse 6, page 2316.
[3] Hans-Joachim Kraus, Psalms 1-59: A Commentary. Minneapolis:
Augsburg Publishing House, 1988, p. 383.
[4] Rudolf Bultmann, The Johannine Epistles: A Commentary on the
Johannine Epistles. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1973, p. 47.
[5] Ibid., p. 48.
[6] Hans Dieter Betz, The Sermon on the Mount: A Commentary on the
Sermon on the Mount, including the Sermon on the Plain (Matthew 5:3-7:27 and
Luke 6:20-49). Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1995, p. 92. On Galatians 4:15
see Betz, Galatians: A Commentary on
Paul’s Letter to the Churches in Galatia. Philadelphia: Fortress Press,
1979, pp. 226 ff., and especially on 3:26-28, “which we have shown to be
related to the literary form of the macarism.”
[7] Ibid.,
p. 93.
[8] Ibid.,
p. 96
[9] Ibid.,
p. 97.
[10] Loc. cit.
[11] Bruce Malina and Richard L.
Rohrbaugh, Social Science Commentary on
the Synoptic Gospels. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1989, p. 47.
[12] Loc. cit
[13] Hans Dieter Betz, Ibid., pp. 109 f.
[14]
http://www.worship.ca/text/wpch0102.txt
[15]
http://www.worship.ca/text/int_a2.txt
[16]
http://members.cox.net/oplater/prayer.htm
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