The Take Home
November 1 , 2015
PAGE 1
SETTLE MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH / PREPARED BY DARREN BRANDON
All Saints Sunday
Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that
clings so closely,* and let us run with perseverance the race
that is set before us, 2looking to Jesus the pioneer and
perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of* the joy that was
set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame,
and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of
God.
All Saints Day is an opportunity for us to remember the faithful departed and to
give thanks for those who have gone before us in faith. We rejoice in the fact that
they have attained the promise of eternal life with God. In the Apostle’s Creed we
profess to believe in the Communion of the Saints which includes Christ followers
living and dead. In our tradition all Christians are saints.
Our scripture above speaks of a “great cloud of witnesses” who surround us
encouraging and cheering us on toward the life God has called us to live.
Today, let’s include all those who have encouraged us in our faith: a grandmother
who prayed for us, a faithful Sunday School teacher who taught us or a pastor.
We remember those in our journey who came alongside us to encourage us in
some way. Maybe it was with a prayer at the hospital, or fixing our leaky roof,
buying us church clothes on our birthday, sending a card to say “I am thinking of
you” or taking us to lunch. It all was done as an expression of God’s care. These
we recall stand alongside the saints of old like the Apostle Paul, Martin Luther,
Mother Teresa, Suzanna Wesley and her sons John and Charles.
SCRIPTURES
Paul wrote, “Ever since I heard
about your faith in the Lord
Jesus and your love for all the
saints, I have not stopped giving
thanks for you.”
- Ephesians 1:15-16 (NIV)
"I commend to you our sister
Phoebe, a deacon of the church
at Cenchreae, so that you may
welcome her in the Lord as is
fitting for the saints, and help
her in whatever she may require
from you.”
Excerpt from Romans 16:1-16
“The saints are the sinners who
keep on going.”
– Robert Louis Stevenson
As we remember their stories, may it inspire us today and teach us that God has
provided grace in and through them. I invite you us to stop and reflect for a
moment on your own lives. How will those who are coming after us be
influenced by our Christian witness and generosity? Are we making a positive
impact on the lives of believers around us? When I pause to remember all I have
received, I want to do better in following Christ. Like the old song, “When the
saints go marching in I want to be in that number.”
A Prayer
~ Darren
Dearest heavenly Father, help us
to remember that others may be
looking to us as models of faith.
Guide us to be ever mindful of
our actions that we may be
examples of what is good.
Amen.
"All-Saints" 15th century. Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
Settle Memorial United Methodist Church
The Take Home
November 1, 2015
PAGE 2
Thoughts on Saints
A Prayer Meditation for
All Saints Day
by Safiyah Fosua
LEGACY
We give thanks for the faithful
ones who taught us to pray.
Photo by Joyce Carrasco (from
Sight Psalms a ministry of the
UMC)
Do United Methodists believe in saints?
Like
United Methodists believe in saints, but not in the same manner as the Catholic
Church.
We recognize Matthew, Paul, John, Luke and other early followers of Jesus as
saints, and countless numbers of United Methodist churches are named after
these saints.
We also recognize and celebrate All Saints' Day (Nov. 1) and "all the saints who
from their labors rest." All Saints' Day is a time to remember Christians of
every time and place, honoring those who lived faithfully and shared their faith
with us. On All Saints' Day, many churches read the names of their members
who died in the past year.
However, our denomination does not have any system whereby people are
elected to sainthood. We do not pray to saints, nor do we believe they serve as
mediators to God. United Methodist believe "... there is one God; there is also
one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human who
gave himself a ransom for all" (1 Timothy 2:5-6a).
United Methodists call people "saints" because they exemplified the Christian
life. In this sense, every Christian can be considered a saint.
John Wesley believed we have much to learn from the saints, but he did not
encourage anyone to worship them. He expressed concern about the Church of
England's focus on saints' days and said that "most of the holy days were at
present answering no valuable end.”
Wesley's focus was entirely on the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
To learn more please visit www.umc.org where you will find resources about
this and other beliefs of the United Methodist Church.
We give you thanks, O
God, for all the saints who
ever worshiped you
Whether in brush arbors
or cathedrals,
Weathered wooden
churches or crumbling
cement meeting houses
Where your name was
lifted and adored.
We give you thanks, O
God, for hands lifted in
praise:
Manicured hands and
hands stained with grease
or soil,
Strong hands and those
gnarled with age
Holy hands
Used as wave offerings
across the land.
We thank you, God, for
hardworking saints;
Whether hard-hatted or
steel-booted,
Head ragged or aproned,
Blue-collared or threepiece-suited
They left their mark on
the earth for you, for us,
for our children to come.
Thank you, God, for the
tremendous sacrifices
made by those who have
gone before us.
Bless the memories of
your saints, God.
May we learn how to walk
wisely from their examples
of faith, dedication,
worship, and love.
Settle Memorial United Methodist Church
Amen