Remembering Celebrating Trusting

11.1.2026 All Saints Sunday

[Texts]

Revelation 7:9-17 ◾ Psalm 34:1-10, 22 ◾ 1 John 3:1-3 ◾ Matthew 5:1-12

Grace and peace to you all.

As we gather on this All Saints Sunday,

we remember with gratitude those who have gone before us,

celebrate the saints among us,

and trust the love of God that has carried us through every joy and struggle

and will continue to lead us forward as the body of Christ.

As I was reflecting on this day,

I found myself thinking about the promises that shape our lives.

Promises made

in baptism, in friendship, in families,

in vocations, and sometimes in marriage.

Promises that call us beyond ourselves

and invite us to trust in a future we cannot yet see.

What is it

that moves people

to make such promises to one another?

Why do we feel

the need to speak these commitments aloud?

We make promises because we know that life will not always be easy.

There will be moments of joy and moments of struggle,

times of certainty and times of doubt.

The meaning of those promises is not found only

in the public words spoken on a particular day.

Their true value is revealed in the ordinary days that follow,

as those promises are lived out again and again

through faithfulness, sacrifice, and love.

So that these promises can be

remembered when life is difficult,

celebrated with both joy and longing for those no longer with us,

and trusted when the future is uncertain.

And as I listened to today's readings, I noticed a common thread running through them all: an invitation to remember, to celebrate, and to trust.

Remembering in Revelation.

In Revelation, we are given a glimpse of a great multitude gathered around the throne of God. It is a vision that reminds us that we do not remember the saints alone. God remembers them too. They are not lost. They are gathered into God's presence, where every tear is wiped away.

Celebrating in the Psalm.

In the psalm, we hear a song of celebration: "I will bless the Lord at all times." The goodness of God is proclaimed and celebrated again and again through every season of life.

Trusting in 1 John.

In 1 John, we hear a promise we are invited to trust: "See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God." Not someday. Not after we have everything figured out. Right now. We are God's beloved children.

More trusting in the Beatitudes.

Jesus calls blessed ... the very people the world often overlooks: the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the merciful, and the peacemakers. Here we are invited to trust that God's kingdom is already at work among us, often through people the world may fail to notice and in ways we do not expect.

Remembering, celebrating, and trusting are how we embody God's promises in our lives, again and again, as God's people.

In a little while, each of you will have the opportunity to light a candle during our prayers of intercession. As each candle shines, we will remember the relationships that have shaped us, whether from long ago or more recently.

Then we will share the Peace that Christ has given us, celebrating the lives that are sustained by the Holy Spirit.

And, following the Spirit's leading, we will come to the Lord's table, where we give thanks for God's promises and find the courage to trust them once again.

Promises that welcome imperfect people carrying grief and gratitude, joy and uncertainty. People who sometimes feel whole and sometimes feel broken. Yet at the Lord's table, we discover once again that brokenness is not the end of the story.

The Beatitudes teach us that blessing begins with honesty.

We come not pretending to have everything together,

but recognizing our need for God.

We come hungry for grace, thirsty for hope, and longing for God's presence.

We remember that every good gift comes from God.

We celebrate the blessings that fill the emptiness nothing else can fill.

And we find the courage to trust what God is doing now, even when we cannot yet see the whole picture.

For these are the practices of the saints.

Saints remember God's faithfulness.

Saints celebrate God's blessings.

Saints trust God's promises.

May we do the same, holding fast to this truth: we are God's people, we are God's beloved, and we belong to God.

Let us pray.

Gracious God,

Thank you for the saints who have shown us the way of faith

and for the saints who still walk beside us.

Teach us to remember with gratitude,

celebrate with joy,

and trust with courage.

When we look back, remind us of your faithfulness.

When we look around, open our eyes to your blessings.

When we look ahead, fill us with hope in your promises.

Keep us in your love until that day

when all your saints are gathered together

in your presence.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.