Opening Song
“There’s a Spirit of Love In This Place”
Words & Music: Mark A. Miller, OneLicense #A-729109
There’s a spirit of love in this place,
There’s a spirit of love in this place.
You can’t see it, but it’s there,
Just as precious as the air.
There’s a spirit of love in this place.
There’s the presence of peace in this room,
There’s the presence of peace in this room.
In God’s tenderness is found
Peace that passes human bounds.
There’s the presence of peace in this room.
O alleluia, sing alleluia!
We bless your holy name.
O alleluia, sing alleluia!
There’s a spirit of love in this place.
There’s a space for grace in our hearts,
there’s a space for grace in our hearts.
It’s in learning to forgive that our spirits truly live.
There’s a space for grace in our hearts.
O alleluia, sing alleluia!
We bless your holy name,
O alleluia, sing alleluia!
There’s a space for grace,
there’s the presence of peace,
there’s a spirit of love in this place.
An Introduction to All Saints Day
Rev. Dr. J. Terry Todd
At the Font
Leader: Blessed are the pure in heart
People: For they shall see God
Leader: Let us pray: Almighty God, your Holy Spirit has made us one with your saints in heaven and on earth: during our earthly pilgrimage may we always be supported by this fellowship of love and prayer, and know ourselves to be surrounded by their witness to your power and mercy. We ask this for the sake of Jesus Christ, who receives all of our prayers and intercessions through the Holy Spirit, and who lives and loves for ever and ever. Amen.
Processional Hymn
“For All The Saints”
Words: William W. How, Music: Ralph Vaughn Williams, OneLicense #A-729109
- For all the saints who from their labors rest,
who to the world their steadfast faith confessed,
your name, O Jesus, be forever blest.
Alleluia! Alleluia! - You were their rock, their refuge, and their might;
You, Christ, the hope that put their fears to flight;
‘mid gloom and doubt, you were their one true light
Alleluia! Alleluia! - Still may your people, faithful, true, and bold
live as the saints who nobly fought of old
and share with them a glorious crown of gold.
Alleluia! Alleluia! - Ringed by this cloud of witnesses divine!
We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
yet in your love our faithful lives entwine.
Alleluia! Alleluia! - And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long,
steals on the ear the distant triumph song,
then hearts are brave again and faith grows strong.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
A Prayer: Psalm 34:1-3
Hyunjun Jung, Vit Kim, Rutendo Makarau
1 I will give thanks to the Lord at all times:
God’s praise will always be on my lips.
2 My soul will glory in the Lord:
the humble will hear and be glad.
3 O praise the Lord with me:
let us exalt God’s name together.
Readings
Daesun Jang
A Reading from the Apocalypse of John, the Book of the Great Revelation 7:10-12, First Nations Version:
They lifted their voices and shouted, “The power to set us free and make us whole belongs to the Great Spirit who sits upon the seat of honor, and to the Lamb!” All the spirit-messengers who encircled the seat of honor, along with the elders and the four living spirit animals, humbled themselves and fell face down on the ground before the Great Spirit to give him the honor that he deserves. “Aho! It is so!” they said with one voice. “Praise and honor and wisdom and respect and power and strength belong to the Great Spirit to the time beyond the end of all days! Aho! It is so!”
Rae Guthrie
“Remember,” a Contemporary Reading from the former Poet laureate of the United States, Joy Harjo, a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation.
Remember the sky that you were born under,
know each of the star’s stories.
Remember the moon, know who she is.
Remember the sun’s birth at dawn, that is the
strongest point of time. Remember sundown
and the giving away to night.
Remember your birth, how your mother struggled
to give you form and breath. You are evidence of
her life, and her mother’s, and hers.
Remember your father. He is your life, also.
Remember the earth whose skin you are:
red earth, black earth, yellow earth, white earth
brown earth, we are earth.
Remember the plants, trees, animal life who all have their
tribes, their families, their histories, too. Talk to them,
listen to them. They are alive poems.
Remember the wind. Remember her voice. She knows the
origin of this universe.
Remember you are all people and all people
are you.
Remember you are this universe and this
universe is you.
Remember all is in motion, is growing, is you.
Remember language comes from this.
Remember the dance language is, that life is.
Remember.
Special Music
“Remember Me” – Words/Music: Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
Yireh Ha, Prof. Mark Miller, and Dr. Beth Quick
Gospel Reading
Hayoung Kim
A Reading from the Gospel of St. Matthew 5:1-12, the First Nations Version.
Creator’s blessing rests on the poor, the ones with broken spirits. The good road from above is theirs to walk.
Creator’s blessing rests on the ones who walk a Trail of Tears, for God will wipe the tears from their eyes and comfort them.
Creator’s blessing rests on the ones who walk softly and in a humble manner. The earth, land, and sky will welcome them and always be their home.
Creator’s blessing rests on the ones who hunger and thirst for wrongs to be made right again. They will eat and drink until they are full.
Creator’s blessing rests on the ones who are merciful and kind to others. Their kindness will find its way back to them — full circle.
Creator’s blessing rests on the pure of heart. They are the ones who will see the Great Spirit.
Creator’s blessing rests on the ones who make peace. It will be said of them, they are the children of the Great Spirit.
Creator’s blessing rests on the ones who are hunted down and mistreated for doing what is right, for they are walking the good road from above.
Others will lie about you, speak against you, and look down on you with scorn and contempt, all because you walk the road with me. This is a sign that Creator’s blessing is resting on you. So let your hearts be glad and jump for joy, for you will be honored in the spirit world above. You are like the prophets of old, who were treated in the same way by your ancestors.
Proclamation and Witness
Rin McLaughlin, Cassie Montelongo, Daesun Jang
Anthem
“The Cloud of Witnesses” – Words: Laurie Zelman, Music: Mark A. Miller
Seminary Choir
Liturgy of the Table
Youngeun Kim, Rev. Dr. J. Terry Todd, Ashley Nyachoto, Hayoung Kim, Yireh Ha, Hyunjun Jung
INVITATION
The invitation is simple: come and eat of the feast.
A meal to feed the soul.
We receive the bread and wine that has connected us through time:
to the saint of old who felt unworthy,
to the seeker eager to know God,
to anyone who wonders what it’s all about,
to the child who eats with unburdened faith.
Woven into this time, the hopes and tears of generations.
There is great joy here.
No one is turned away for God is the host.
Call: God is in this place.
Response: And in our hearts.
Call: Open yourself to the nudging, inviting, welcoming God.
Response: We feel the breath of the Spirit.
Call: Remember God became one of us.
Response: Jesus, who taught us a new way.
Tender, transforming God, you have invited us to gather at this table,
To taste the feast,
the same abundant life offered to our ancestors in faith.
Time and time again your grace has flowed,
Even as we have stepped away,
You continue to call us to be your people.
You have never left us.
We praise you for second, third, and fourth chances.
You are ever-patient, always faithful.
We give thanks for this time of celebration.
For the One this meal remembers.
For the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
With those who have gone before us,
Whose hands touched the bread,
Whose lips embraced the cup,
We wonder at your glory.
REMEMBERING
We remember those who have died
We celebrate their lives, even as we continue to grieve their absence
We remember together
all those who have gone before us.
All those who wait for us upon another shore, and in a greater light.
[Naming]
And we remember
This is the mystery of our faith:
Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.
BREAKING BREAD AND POURING WINE
Gathered with his friends, Jesus took bread, broke it and said:
“This is my body, broken for you. Take and eat.”
And pouring the wine:
“This is my blood, spilled out for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
PRAYER FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT
God of all, send your Spirit to this place
And on us gathered here, in this sacred moment.
May we know your presence.
As we eat the bread and drink of the cup,
make us one with the saints,
and with our sisters, brothers and beloveds in faith around the world.
Be with us God, not only here but in every moment of our lives.
Help us
To know you,
To be guided by the Holy Spirit,
And to live in Christ.
Now and forever.
Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
In the words most familiar to you, let us say together the Lord’s Prayer
CALL TO THE FEAST
This is the feast prepared for you.
Come and share for all is ready.
SHARING THE BREAD AND CUP
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Jesus Christ, lamb and shepherd,
we remember you here,
as we remember all your saints.
Help us to remember you
not just in this sanctuary
but in our homes and schools
In our cars and offices
To remember that every part of our life is infused with your grace
and that we are never alone
but surrounded by a cloud of witnesses
united by your love. Amen.
Blessing
Elizabeth Monkemeier, Praise Mapanda, Taehyun Kim, Anthony Bourget-Plagg, Yireh Ha
May God, who kindled the fire of love in the hearts of the saints, pour upon us the riches of grace. Amen.
May God give us joy in their fellowship and a share in their praises. Amen.
May God strengthen us to follow them in the way of holiness and to come to the full radiance of glory. Amen.
And may the blessing of God: Creator, Christ and Holy Spirit, be among us and remain with us always. Amen.
Following God’s saints in the ways of holiness and truth, go in the peace of Christ! Thanks be to God. Amen.
Recessional Song
“When the Saints Go Marchin’ In” – Negro Spiritual
Worship Notes:
This liturgy was adapted from Celebrating their Lives: Holy Communion for All Saints’ Day, written by the Rev. Scott A. Ressman, Pastor of the United Church of Rockville Centre (UCC) Rockville Center, New York.
