All Saints' Day / All Souls' Day

		ALL SAINTS' | ALL SOULS' November 1, 2021 A LITURGY FOR WORSHIP Use As Much Or As Little As You Choose The true home of God is among humans. In the realm of God, all that is broken will be healed, and all will live in peace, joy, and eternal life.
		Centering In Preparation We join the praise of your saints from every age in their heavenly chorus, praying that, with them, we might be counted among your faithful people in this place and in our daily walk with you. —Birch, John. The Act of Prayer: Praying through the Lectionary. Call To Worship—Adapted from Psalm 149 Praise God! Sing to God a new song, let the assembly of the faithful sing praises to the Holy One. Let Israel be glad in its Creator; let the children of Zion rejoice in their Sovereign. Let them praise God’s name with dancing, making melody with tambourine and lyre. For the Holy One takes pleasure in the people’s praises; God Most High adorns the humble with victory. Let the faithful ones exult in glory forever; let them sing for joy from heaven! —Hall, Nancy E.. The New Manual of Worship. (edited) Opening Prayer Faithful Redeemer, you are the beginning and end of all things. You promise to wipe away every tear, that death and mourning will be no more. You make your home among us, and abide with us as our God. Teach us to live like the saints you call us to be, that we may truly be your people, living and doing your will, all to the honor and glory of your Most Holy Name. Amen. —Scifres, Mary; Beu, B. J.. The Abingdon Worship Annual 2021. Prayer For Illumination Almighty God, your word is life and your promise is trustworthy and true. By the power of your Holy Spirit write your word upon our hearts so that we may be your new creation; to your honor and glory. Amen. —Long, Kim. Feasting on the Word Worship Companion. (edited) Reading From the Hebrew Scriptures—Isaiah 25.6-9 On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-matured wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-matured wines strained clear. And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations; he will swallow up death for ever. Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces,   and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Holy One has spoken. It will be said on that day,"Lo, this is our God; for whom we have waited, so that salvation would be ours. This is the God Most High for whom we have waited; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation." Psalmody From the Book of Psalms—Psalm 24.1-6 The earth is God’s and all that fills it, the compass of the world and all who dwell therein. For the Holy One has founded it upon the seas and set it firm upon the rivers of the deep. ‘Who shall ascend the hill of God Most High, or who can rise up in the God of hosts holy place?’ ‘Those who have clean hands and a pure heart, who have not lifted up their soul to an idol, nor sworn an oath to a lie; ‘They shall receive a blessing from God, a just reward from the God of their salvation.’ Such is the company of those who seek God, of those who seek your face, O God of Leah, Bilhah, Zilpah, Rachel and Jacob. Reading From the Book Of Revelation—Revelation 21.1-6a Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,‘See, the home of God is among mortals. God will dwell with them; they will be God's peoples, and God will be with them; The Holy One of all compassion and mercy will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.’ And the One who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. Reading From the Gospels—John 11.17-45 When Jesus arrived in Bethany, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Since Bethany was only about two miles from Jerusalem, many people had come out to console Martha and Mary about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him, while Mary stayed at home with the mourners. When she got to Jesus, Martha said, “If you had been here, my brother would never have died! Yet even now, I am sure that God will give you whatever you ask.” “Your brother will rise again!” Jesus assured her. Martha replied, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus told her, “I am the Resurrection, and I am Life: those who believe in me will live, even if they die; and those who are alive and believe in me will never die. “Do you believe this?” “Yes!” Martha replied. “I have come to believe that you are the Anointed One, the Messiah, God’s Only Begotten, the One who is coming into the world.” When she had said this, Martha went back and called her sister Mary. “The Teacher is here, asking for you,” she whispered. As soon as Mary heard this, she got up and went to him. Jesus hadn’t gotten to the village yet. He was at the place where Martha had met him. Those who were there consoling her saw her get up quickly and followed Mary, thinking she was going to the tomb to mourn. When Mary got to Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “If you had been here, Lazarus never would have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the other mourners as well, he was troubled in spirit, moved by the deepest emotions. “Where have you laid him?” Jesus asked. “Come and see,” they said. And Jesus wept. The people in the crowd began to remark, “See how much he loved him!” Others said, “He made the blind person see; why couldn’t he have done something to prevent Lazarus’ death?” Jesus was again deeply moved. They approached the tomb, which was a cave with a stone in front of it. “Take away the stone,” Jesus directed. Martha said, “Rabbi, it has been four days now. By this time there will be a stench.” Jesus replied, “Didn’t I assure you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took the stone away. Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said, “Abba, thank you for having heard me. I know that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd, that they might believe that you sent me!” Then Jesus called out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” And Lazarus came out of the tomb, still bound hand and foot with linen strips, his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus told the crowd, “Untie him and let him go free.” Many of those who had come to console Martha and Mary, and saw what Jesus did, put their faith in him. —Priests for Equality. The Inclusive Bible. Prayer Of Response There are times, O God, when we feel like anything but your saints, and our thoughts, words and actions don’t bring honor to your name. There are times, O Holy One, when our faith struggles to survive, and our minds start to wonder if we’re travelling alone. Forgive those times, O Merciful and Compassionate One, when we’re stumbling on the road, and, by your grace, ignite that spark of faith to draw us back to you. —Birch, John. The Act of Prayer: Praying through the Lectionary. Prayer Of Intercession Watching for a new heaven, waiting for a new earth, we pray to God, saying, "O Loving God, have mercy, and wipe away our tears. We pray for the church. Transform this broken body into a communion of saints, a company of the faithful, working for good in your world. R O Loving God, have mercy, and wipe away our tears. We pray for the world. Destroy the shroud of death that is spread over the nations. Replace the rule of wealth and war with your realm of justice and peace. R O Loving God, have mercy, and wipe away our tears. We pray for this community. Make your home among us; dwell with us in this place. Let it be a city of heavenly peace, a place of refuge for all. R O Loving God, have mercy, and wipe away our tears. We pray for loved ones. Soothe those who are suffering; comfort those who mourn. Let us be glad and rejoice in the gift of your salvation. R O Loving God, have mercy, and wipe away our tears. As you have sustained your saints through centuries of service, keep us faithful, here and now, until your will is done on earth as it is in heaven. R O Loving God, have mercy, and wipe away our tears. —Long, Kim. Feasting on the Word Worship Companion. (edited) Prayer Of Thanksgiving Your word promises a new heaven and a new earth, where you will once again walk within your garden, as at Eden. Your word promises no more tears and no more pain, as the old passes away and welcomes in the new with you as king. For the promise in your word and the revelation of that which is to come for your children who walk this earth, we give our grateful thanks. —Birch, John. The Act of Prayer: Praying through the Lectionary. Prayer Of Thanksgiving and Dedication The earth belongs to you, O God, the world and all its people. For the blessings of this life and the gift of your salvation we give you thanks and praise. As you have sought us out to save us help us to seek your face among our neighbors so that all may know the wonder of your love. Blessed are You, abd blessed is your Kin-Dom, world without end. Amen. —Long, Kim. Feasting on the Word Worship Companion. (edited) Sending Forth Go into the world as the living body of Christ, bringing eternal life to all who seek God’s face. Amen. —Scifres, Mary; Beu, B. J.. The Abingdon Worship Annual 2021. Dismissal with Blessing May our God—the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end— be with you this day and forevermore. Alleluia! —Long, Kim. Feasting on the Word Worship Companion.