Gathering Music
Call to Worship
One: + In the name of God: Creator, Christ, and Holy Spirit.
Many: Amen
One: Grace to you and peace
from God, our Creator,
the love at our beginning
and without end,
in our midst and with us
Many: God is with us, here we find new life
One: Let us give thanks for the coming of God’s reign of justice and love.
Many: Jesus Christ is good news for the poor,
release for the captives,
recovery of sight for the blind
and liberty for those who are oppressed.
One: Let us also give thanks for this festival in honor of all the saints
One: Almighty God,
your saints are one with you
in the mystical body of Christ:
give us grace to follow them
in all virtue and holiness
until we come to those joys
which you have prepared for us;
through Jesus Christ,
who is alive with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God now and forever. Amen.
Hymn
“For All the Saints” (Sine Nomine, tune by Ralph Vaughn Williams)
Confession
One: Happy are those whose sins are forgiven,
whose wrongs are pardoned.
I will confess my sins to God,
I will not conceal my wrongdoings.
[Silence]
One: God forgives us and heals us.
Many: We need your healing, merciful God:
give us true repentance.
some sins are plain to us;
some escape us,
Some we cannot face.
Forgive us;
set us free to hear your word to us;
set us free to serve.
One: God the Creator brings us new life,
forgives us and redeems us.
Let us take hold of this forgiveness
and live our lives
in the Spirit of Jesus.
Many: Amen.
New Testament Reading
Younghak Lee
Revelation 7:9-17 (CEB)
9 After this I looked, and there was a great crowd that no one could number. They were from every nation, tribe, people, and language. They were standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They wore white robes and held palm branches in their hands. 10 They cried out with a loud voice:
“Victory belongs to our God
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.”
11 All the angels stood in a circle around the throne, and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell facedown before the throne and worshipped God,12 saying,
“Amen! Blessing and glory
and wisdom and thanksgiving
and honor and power and might
be to our God forever and always. Amen.”
13 Then one of the elders said to me, “Who are these people wearing white robes, and where did they come from?”
14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” Then he said to me, “These people have come out of great hardship. They have washed their robes and made them white in the Lamb’s blood. 15 This is the reason they are before God’s throne. They worship God day and night in the temple, and the one seated on the throne will shelter them. 16 They won’t hunger or thirst anymore. No sun or scorching heat will beat down on them, 17 because the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them. The Lamb will lead them to the springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Gospel Reading
Bonita Hunter-Byerson
Matthew 5:1-12 (CEB)
1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up a mountain. He sat down and his disciples came to him. 2 He taught them, saying:
3 “Happy are people who are hopeless, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
4 “Happy are people who grieve, because they will be made glad.
5 “Happy are people who are humble, because they will inherit the earth.
6 “Happy are people who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness, because they will be fed until they are full.
7 “Happy are people who show mercy, because they will receive mercy.
8 “Happy are people who have pure hearts, because they will see God.
9 “Happy are people who make peace, because they will be called God’s children.
10 “Happy are people whose lives are harassed because they are righteous, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
11 “Happy are you when people insult you and harass you and speak all kinds of bad and false things about you, all because of me. 12 Be full of joy and be glad, because you have a great reward in heaven. In the same way, people harassed the prophets who came before you.
Homily
The Rev. Dr. J. Terry Todd
“In the Dark Shadows, There We’ll Find the Saints”
Choir Anthem
“I Believe”
The Preparation of the Gifts
One:
God of all creation, you bring forth
bread from the earth
and fruit from the vine.
By your Holy Spirit this bread and wine
will be for us
the body and blood of Christ
All you have made is good,
your love endures forever.
The Great Thanksgiving
One: The Spirit of God be with you.
Many: And also with you.
One: Lift your hearts to heaven
Many: where the saints make their home with God.
One: Let us give thanks to God.
Many: It is right to offer thanks and praise.
One: It is right indeed to give you thanks most loving God,
through Jesus Christ, our Redeemer,
the first born from the dead,
the pioneer of our salvation,
who is with us always,
one of us, yet from the heart of God.
For with your whole created universe,
we praise you for your unfailing gift of life.
We thank you that you make us human
and stay with us
even when we turn from you to sin.
God’s love is shown to us:
while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us.
In that love, dear God,
righteous and strong to save,
you came among us in Jesus Christ,
our crucified and living Lord.
You make all things new.
In Christ’s suffering and cross
you reveal your glory
and reconcile all peoples to yourself,
their true and living God.
We give you thanks for all your saints
who heard your call to holiness
and obeyed your heavenly vision.
[Name the saints here]
One: We rejoice in their fellowship with us in our pilgrimage.
In your mercy you are now our God.
Through Christ you gather us,
new-born in your Spirit,
a people after your own heart.
We entrust ourselves to you,
for you alone do justice
to all people, living and departed.
Many: Now is the acceptable time, now is the day of salvation.
One: Therefore with saints and martyrs,
apostles and prophets,
with all the redeemed,
joyfully we praise your name and say:
“Sanctus”
Holy holy holy Lord
God of power and might
Heaven and earth are full of your glory!
Hosanna in the highest!
Blest is the one who comes
In the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest!
One: All glory to you, Giver of life
sufficient and full for all creation.
Accept our praises,
living God, for Jesus Christ,
the one perfect offering for the world,
who in the night that he was betrayed,
took bread,
and when he had given thanks,
broke it, gave it to his disciples, and said:
take, eat, this is my body
which is given for you;
do this to remember me.
After supper he took the cup;
and when he had given thanks,
he gave it to them and said:
drink this, all of you.
this is my blood of the new covenant
which is shed for you, and for many,
to forgive sin.
Do this as often as you drink it
to remember me.
Therefore, God of all creation,
in the suffering and death
of Jesus our redeemer,
we meet you in your glory.
We lift up the cup of salvation
And call upon your name.
Here and now, with this bread and wine,
we celebrate your great acts of liberation,
ever present and living in Jesus Christ,
crucified and risen,
who was and is and is to come.
Many: Amen! Come Lord Jesus.
One: May Christ ascended in majesty
be our new and living way,
our access to you, O Creator,
and source of all new life.
In Christ we offer ourselves
to do your will.
Empower our celebration with your Holy Spirit,
feed us with your life,
fire us with your love,
confront us with your justice,
and make us one in the body of Christ
And with all who share your gifts of love.
Through Christ,
in the power of the Holy Spirit,
with all who stand before you
in earth and heaven,
We give you thanks, Creator God. Amen.
Music During Communion
“Swing Low Sweet Chariot”
Blessing
The Rev. Dr. J. Terry Todd
Drew Theo Chapel 