All Saints Sunday
A Service of Holy Communion
November 5, 2023

+ GATHERING +

WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

PRELUDE 

Prelude, Fugue and Finale on For All the Saints
by Stanley Saxton 

CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS

Blessed be God, Father, + Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen.

In the presence of God and of one another, let us make our confession.

O God of steadfast love and faithfulness.
Throughout time you have revealed your ways of justice, yet we fail to follow you.  We are overwhelmed by the world’s violence and suffering.  We cling to what we have, afraid to risk it for the sake of others.  For the harm we have caused, known and unknown, forgive us.  For the unjust demands that we place upon others and on your creation, forgive us.  For the ways we turn away from you and from our neighbor, forgive us.  Lead us back to you and set us on the right path for your name’s sake.  In the name of Jesus, our Savior.  Amen.

Beloved in Christ, God’s justice stretches beyond all that we can under-stand.  God’s compassion and mercy is beyond compare.  In Jesus, God shows us a new way and in him, we are forgiven +.  Amen.

GATHERING HYMN

O God Our Help in Ages Past
ELW 632

O God, our help in ages past,\
our hope for years to come,
our shelter from the stormy blast,
and our eternal home:

Under the shadow of your throne
your saints have dwelt secure;
sufficient is your arm alone,
and our defense is sure.

Before the hills in order stood
or earth received its frame,
from everlasting you are God,
to endless years the same.

A thousand ages in your sight
are like an evening gone,
short as the watch that ends the night
before the rising sun,

Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
bears all our years away;
they fly forgotten, as a dream
dies at the op'ning day.

O God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come,
still be our guard while troubles last
and our eternal home.

GREETING
The grace of our Lord esus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you. 

HYMN OF PRAISE    (page 101)

This is the feast of victory for our God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain,
whose blood set us free to be people of God.
Power and riches, wisdom and strength,
and honor and blessing and glory are his.

This is the feast of victory for our God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Sing with all the people of God,
and join in the hymn of all creation:
Blessing and honor, glory and might
be to God and the Lamb forever. Amen.

This is the feast of victory for our God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

For the Lamb who was slain has begun his reign.
Alleluia.

This is the feast of victory for our God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

PRAYER OF THE DAY
Let us pray.
Almighty God, you have knit your people together in one communion in the mystical body of your Son, Jesus 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 Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

+ WORD +  

FIRST READING:    Revelation 7:9-17
The book of Revelation is written to seven churches in western Asia Minor during a time of great oppression. Today’s reading is a response to the question asked in 6:17: “Who is able to stand?” The writer gives the faithful the assurance of God’s protection and a vision of victory.

⁹After 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. ¹⁰They cried out in a loud voice, saying,
 "Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!"
¹¹And 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, ¹²singing,
 "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
 and thanksgiving and honor
 and power and might
 be to our God forever and ever! Amen."
¹³Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?" ¹⁴I 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.
 ¹⁵For 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.
 ¹⁶They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;
 the sun will not strike them,
 nor any scorching heat;
 ¹⁷for 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."

The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

PSALM  34:1-10, 22    (read responively by full verse)

 ¹I will bless the LORD at all times;
 his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
 ²My soul makes its boast in the LORD;
 let the humble hear and be glad.
 ³O magnify the LORD with me,
 and let us exalt his name together.
 ⁴I sought the LORD, and he answered me,
 and delivered me from all my fears.
 ⁵Look to him, and be radiant;
 so your faces shall never be ashamed.
 ⁶This poor soul cried, and was heard by the LORD,
 and was saved from every trouble.
 ⁷The angel of the LORD encamps
 around those who fear him, and delivers them.
 ⁸O taste and see that the LORD is good;
 happy are those who take refuge in him.
 ⁹O fear the LORD, you his holy ones,
 for those who fear him have no want.
 ¹⁰The young lions suffer want and hunger,
 but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
 ²²The LORD redeems the life of his servants;
 none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION   (ELW 102)

Alleluia, Alleluia.
Alleluia, Alleluia.

GOSPEL:       Matthew 5:1-12
In the Beatitudes, Jesus provides a unique description of those who are blessed with God’s favor. His teaching is surprising and shocking to those who seek wealth, fame, and control over others.

The holy gospel according to Matthew.
Glory to you, O Lord. 

¹When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. ²Then 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 ¹²Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

The gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.

SERMON  

HYMN OF THE DAY    

Shall We Gather at the River 
ELW 423

Shall we gather at the river,
where bright angel feet have trod,
with its crystal tide forever
flowing by the throne of God?

Refrain
   Yes, we'll gather at the river,
   the beautiful, the beautiful river;
   gather with the saints at the river
   that flows by the throne of God.

On the margin of the river,
washing up its silver spray,
we will walk and worship ever,
all the happy golden day.    Refrain

Ere we reach the shining river,
lay we ev'ry burden down;
grace our spirits will deliver,
and provide a robe and crown.    Refrain

Soon we'll reach the shining river,
soon our pilgrimage will cease;
soon our happy hearts will quiver
with the melody of peace.    Refrain

RITE OF CONFIRMATION AND THE WELCOMING OF NEW MEMBERS TO THE CONGREGATION

A LITANY FOR ALL SAINTS  

We sing:
For all the saints, who from their labor rest,
Who thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy Name, O Jesus, be forever blessed.
Alleluia, alleluia!

Leader: All powerful and ever-living God, today we rejoice in the holy ones of every time and place. May their prayers and praises glorify you forever, 

Holy ones present at our beginnings:
People: Stand here beside us!

Abraham and Sarah; Isaac and Rebecca; Jacob and Rachel and Leah; covenant receivers, forebears of all God’s people:
Stand here beside us!

Elizabeth and Simeon; Joseph, Eunice and Monica; models of the love and care of children:
Stand here beside us!

John the baptizer, proclaimer of the Lord's coming:
Stand here beside us!

We sing:
Thou wast their rock, their fortress, and their might:
Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well-fought fight;
Thou, in the darkness drear, the one true Light.
Alleluia, alleluia!

Leader:    Holy ones who carried the gospel to other lands:
Stand here beside us!

Thomas the questioner; Paul of Tarsus; Augustine  of Canterbury, apostle to the English; Henry Melchiar Muhlenberg; Justus Falckner; all travelers who carried the Gospel to distant places:
Stand here beside us!

We sing:
O may thy soldiers, faithful, true, and bold,
Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old
And win, with them, the victor's crown of gold.
Alleluia, alleluia! 

Leader: Holy ones who lived their lives caring for others:
Stand here beside us!

Peter, the Rock, one-time denier of the Lord; all faithful shepherds of the Master's flock:
Stand here beside us!

Mary Magdalene, the Tower, anointer of the Lord's feet; Luke the physician; Florence Nightingale; Albert Schweitzer; Saint Teresa of Calcutta; all who brought hands of healing to the sick and suffering:
Stand here beside us!

Nicholas Winton, rescuer of Jewish children from the Holocaust; Fred Rogers, whose neighborhood knew no limits;  Eric Carle and Beverly Cleary, writers for the ears and hearts of children:
Stand here beside us!

We sing:
O blest communion, fellowship divine!
We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
Yet all are one in thee, for all are thine.
Alleluia, alleluia!.

 Leader: Holy ones who made the proclaiming of God's love a work of art:
Stand here beside us!

Johann Sebastian Bach; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Ralph Vaughan Williams; Luciano Pavarotti; Loretta Lynn whose twangs sang truth; all who sang the Creator's praises in the language of the soul:
Stand here beside us!

David and the Psalmists; John Milton, sketcher of Paradise; William Blake, imaginer of Jerusalem; George Herbert, priest and metaphysical poet; all poets of the heavenly vision:
Stand here beside us!

Zaccheus the tree-climber; Benedict of Nursia, founder of western monasticism; Brother Lawrence; Therese of Lisieux, the little flower; all teachers of holy simplicity:
Stand here beside us!

We sing:
And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long,
Steals on the ear the distant triumph song,
And hearts are brave again, and arms are strong.
Alleluia, alleluia!

Leader: Holy ones driven by the justice and mercy of God:
Stand here beside us!

Amos the prophet, who held up the plumbline; John Wycliffe, who brought the Scripture to the common folk; Jan Huss, the first reformer;  Martin Luther, who could do no other than to stand; John XXIII, visionary pope; Pope Francis who loves the marginalized; all who kept the Church ever-reforming:
Stand here beside us!

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin; Augustine of Hippo; Thomas Aquinas and John Calvin; Paul Tillich; Frederick Buechner; all who saw God at work and wrote down what they saw:
Stand here beside us!

John, the seer of Patmos; Anthony of the desert; Julian, the anchoress of Norwich; Hildegarde, the sybil of the Rhine; Meister Eckardt; Bernadette of Lourdes; all who were called to see the Master's face:
Stand here beside us!

Johnny Appleseed, the mad planter of Eden; Sojourner Truth, pilgrim of justice; Benedict Joseph Labre, priest and panhandler; Nicholas, bishop of Myra and giver of secret gifts; all whose love for God was beyond containment:
Stand here beside us!

We sing:
The golden evening brightens in the west;
Soon, soon to faithful warriors cometh rest;
Sweet is the calm of paradise the blest.
Alleluia, alleluia 

Leader: Holy ones in modern times who strove tirelessly for peace:
Stand here beside us!

Elijah Cummings, John Lewis, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, workers for justice;
Stand here beside us!

Queen Elizabeth II, royal head of the Church of England who sought God’s guidance throughout her reign; Madeline Albright, ambassador to the United Nations; Desmond Tutu, bishop and theologian: 
Stand here beside us!

Nelson Mandela and F. W. de Kirk who worked together to end apartheid and awarded the Nobel Peace Prize; Mikhail Gorbachev, destroyer of walls and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize; all for whom peace was a noble endeavor:
Stand here beside us!

Leader: Holy ones who died in witness to the Christ, martyrs all:
Stand here beside us!

Stephen, the first martyr, stoned in Jerusalem; Justin, Ignatius and Polycarp, who refused to worship Caesar; Perpetua and Felicity, torn by beasts in the arena; Maximilian Kolbe and Edith Stein, put to death at Auschwitz; Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Lutheran pastor who dared to challenge the Third Reich, executed at Flossenburg:
Stand here beside us!

James Reeb, Jonathan Daniels, Michael Schwerner, Medgar Evers, Viola Liuzzo, martyrs for civil rights; Martin Luther King, Jr., shot in Memphis; Oscar Romero, shot in San Salvador;
Stand here beside us!

George Floyd, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Walter Scott, Philando Castile, Breonna Taylor; shot and killed:
Stand here beside us!

Martyrs of Rome, of Leone, of Japan, of Eastern Equatorial Africa, of Uganda, of Melanesia; martyrs everywhere:
Stand here beside us!

Law enforcement officers killed in the defense of their communities
Stand here beside us!

All the innocents victims of terrorism and war -- those in Israel, those in Gaza, those in Ukraine
Stand here beside us!

All the children of Abraham, those of Isaac and Ishmael; all of their descendants; all adopted as heirs of the promise:
Stand here beside us!

We sing:

But lo! there breaks a yet more glorious day;
The saints triumphant rise in bright array;
The King of Glory passes on his way.
Alleluia, alleluia!

Leader: Holy ones of every time and place:
Stand here beside us!

Glorious company of heaven:
Stand here beside us!

All runners of the holy race:
Stand here beside us!

Those from our community of faith:
Immie Beck
John Shaw
John LeMond
John Fico
. . . . and those we name in our hearts or we now name aloud:

(The people call out names of saints from other times and places.)

Leader: Great cloud of witnesses:
Stand here beside us!

We sing:
From earth’s wide bounds, from ocean’s farthest coast,
Through gates of pearl streams in the countless host,
Singing to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost:
Alleluia, alleluia!

Leader: Jesus our Savior creator of all:
Stand here beside us!

Jesus our Savior, redeemer of all:
Stand here beside us!

Jesus our Savior, sanctifier of all:
Stand here beside us!

Jesus our Savior, the alpha and the omega, 
The beginning and the end:
Stand here beside us!

Leader: Almighty God, by the power of your Holy Spirit, you have raised up saints who have gone before us. We give you thanks for the witness of their lives of faith through the ages. And now as they rejoice around your heavenly throne, we join our praise and worship with theirs in one eternal song. May we follow their example of faithful living that our daily lives may be a testimony to your abundant and eternal grace; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting.
Amen.

We sing:
For all the saints, who from their labor rest,
Who thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy Name, O Jesus, be forever blessed.
Alleluia, alleluia!

EXCHANGE OF PEACE

Peace of Christ be with you all.
And also with you.

  + MEAL +  

OFFERING
You may place your offerings in the offering plate as it is passed during the service.  Alternatively, some are using Tithe.ly for online giving or are using their bank’s online banking option.  Whichever way you choose to give, we are grateful for your stewardship and generosity.

MUSICAL OFFERING

For All the Saints
          by Jennifer Klein & David Angerman
Grace Choir

OFFERING SONG  

Let The VIneyards Be Fruitful
ELW 182

Let the vineyards be fruitful, Lord,
and fill to the brim our cup of blessing.
Gather a harvest from the seeds that were sown,
that be  may be fed with the bread of life.
Gather the hopes and the dreams of all;
unite them with the prayers we offer now.
Grace our table with your presence,
and give us a foretaste of the feast to come.

OFFERING PRAYER
Let us pray.
God of power, God of plenty, God of abundance, all things are yours.  We bring to you that which you have entrusted to us.  Use them so that all may be fed.  Shape us into the very body of Christ and use us for the sake of the world.  In the name of Jesus.
Amen.

    HOLY COMMUNION

THE GREAT THANKSGIVING

DIALOGUE
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

PREFACE    

It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God, through our Savior Jesus Christ. By the witness of your saints you show us the hope of our calling and strengthen us to run the race set before us, that we may delight in your mercy and rejoice with them in glory. And so, with all the saints, the Church on earth, the Cherubim and Seraphim, and all the angels, and all the host of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

SANCTUS     (page 130)

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heav’n and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest,
hosanna in the highest.   

THANKSGIVING AT THE TABLE 

You are indeed holy, almighty and merciful God. You are most holy, and great is the majesty of your glory.

You so loved the world that you gave your only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish
but have eternal life.

We give you thanks for his coming into the world to fulfill for us your holy will and to accomplish all things for our salvation.

In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.
 
Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.

For as often as we eat of this bread and drink from this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Christ has died.
Christ is risen,
Christ will come again. 

Remembering, therefore, his salutary command, his life-giving passion and death, his glorious resurrection and ascension, and the promise of his coming again, we give thanks to you, O Lord God Almighty, not as we ought but as we are able; we ask you mercifully to accept our praise and thanksgiving and with your Word and Holy Spirit to bless us, your servants, and these your own gifts of bread and wine, so that we and all who share in the body and blood of Christ may be filled with heavenly blessing and grace, and, receiving the forgiveness of sin, may be formed to live as your holy people and be given our inheritance with all your saints.

To you, O God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be all honor and glory in your holy church, now and forever.                      Amen.           

LORD'S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven,
       hallowed be thy name,
               thy kingdom come,
               thy will be done,
                    on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
     and forgive us our trespasses,
     as we forgive those
        who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
    and the power, and the glory,
    forever and ever.  Amen.

DISTRIBUTION 
The baptized children of God are invited by the Lord to the Lord’s Table where we receive Jesus’ very body and blood in, with, and under the bread and wine. We commune at the head of the aisle where we receive the host. Then to Pastor’s side  is first, a chalice for intinction and second, a common cup for drinking, and a third chalice of juice. Gluten free bread is available. If you wish to commune, but cannot come forward, let an usher know and Pastor will come to you. If you do not wish to commune, you are welcome to come forward to receive a blessing. You may wish to remain at the rail for a time of personal prayer following which you may return to your pew down the side aisle.

AGNUS DEI     (page 135)

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
grant us peace.

HYMN DURING COMMUNION

Eat This Bread, Drink This Cup 
ELW 492

Refrain
   Eat this bread, drink this cup.
   Taste and see the goodness of God.
   Bread of life, cup of love,
   we rejoice in your presence.

I will bless the Lord at all times,
praise with heart and voice;
in my God I glory forever:
listen and rejoice!    Refrain

Look upon the Lord, be radiant,
never turn away.
God will save in ev'ry affliction,
hear us when we pray.    Refrain

Angels fold their wings around us,
guard through good and ill.
Those who seek the Lord will lack nothing;
taste, and have your fill.    Refrain

Saints of God, bow down and worship,
bless the holy name.
Rise to tell God's greatness forever,
wondrous deeds proclaim!    Refrain

BLESSING AFTER COMMUNION

And now may the Body and Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ preserve us on to life everlasting.  
Amen.

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
O God, we give you thanks that you have set before us this feast, the body and blood of your Son. By your Spirit strengthen us to serve all in need and to give ourselves away as bread for the hungry, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

+ SENDING +  

SENDING HYMN

Thine the Amen
ELW 826

Thine the amen thine the praise
alleluias angels raise
thine the everlasting head
thine the breaking of the bread
thine the glory thine the story
thine the harvest then the cup
thine the vineyard then the cup
is lifted up lifted up.

Thine the life eternally
thine the promise let there be
thine the vision thine the tree
all the earth on bended knee
gone the nailing gone the railing
gone the pleading gone the cry
gone the sighing gone the dying
what was loss lifted high.

Thine the truly thine the yes
thine the table we the guest
thine the mercy all from thee
thine the glory yet to be
then the ringing and the singing
then the end of all the war
thine the living thine the loving
evermore evermore.

Thine the kingdom thine the prize
thine the wonder full surprise
thine the banquet then the praise
then the justice of thy ways
thine the glory thine the story
then the welcome to the least

then the wonder all increasing
at thy feast at thy feast.

Thine the glory in the night
no more dying only light
thine the river thine the tree
then the Lamb eternally
then the holy holy holy
celebration jubilee
thine the splendor thine the brightness
only thee only thee.

CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

DISMISSAL
Go in peace.  Serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

POSTLUDE

O God, Our Help in Ages Past
arr. H. Alexander Matthews

Liturgical Text and Music from Evangelical Lutheran Worship, © 2006, 2020, 2022 Augsburg Fortress.  Reprinted and/or streamed with permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies License #SAS016761.  All rights reserved.

O God, Our Help in Ages Past ,Text: Isaac Watts, 1674-1748, alt.  Music: William Croft, 1678-1727. Public domain.

Shall We Gather at the River,Text and music: Robert Lowry, 1826-1899.  Public domain.

Let the Vineyards Be Fruitful, Music: Richard W. Hillert, 1923-2010.  Text and music © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship, admin Augsburg Fortress.  Reprinted and/or streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274.  All rights reserved.

Eat This Bread, Drink This Cup, Text:and music Jeremy Young, b. 1948, refrain; With One Voice, stanzas, based on Ps. 34, Text and music © 1995 Augsburg Fortress. Text and music reprinted and/or streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274.  All rights reserved.

Thine the Amen, Text: Herbert F. Brokering, 1926-2009, Music: Carl Schalk, 1929-2021. Text and music © 1983 Augsburg Publishing House, admin. Augsburg Fortress. Reprinted and/or streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274.  All rights reserved.