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Lectionary Research: All Saints Sunday

November 2, 2025 (Year C)

Liturgical Context

Date: November 2, 2025 (Sunday)
Lectionary Year: Year C (Gospel readings primarily from Luke)
Observance: All Saints Sunday
Liturgical Color: White
Season: Ordinary Time (immediately following Reformation Sunday)

All Saints Day (November 1) falls on Saturday this year, so most churches will observe All Saints Sunday on November 2. This festival takes precedence over the Proper 26 readings from the ordinary Sunday cycle. The feast celebrates all the baptized who have died in Christ and now rest in God’s presence, as well as the living communion of saints united in the one body of Christ.

From a confessional Lutheran perspective, the Augsburg Confession (Article XXI) teaches that saints may be remembered to imitate their faith and good works, but Scripture does not teach calling on the saints or pleading help from them, for it sets before us Christ alone as mediator, atoning sacrifice, high priest, and intercessor. The Apology to the Augsburg Confession mentions three particular ways to remember the saints: Thanksgiving, Examples of Mercy, and Examples of Faithfulness.

It is an especially Lutheran accent that this feast honors not only those who lived exemplary lives, but all who have been baptized into Christ’s death, remembering that it is God’s grace, apart from our works, that makes us saints. For Lutherans, All Saints resonates with the conviction that in Christ every saint is a sinner and every sinner a saint (simul justus et peccator).

Old Testament: Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18

Text Overview

This reading comes from Daniel’s apocalyptic vision of four beasts rising from the sea, representing earthly kingdoms in rebellion against God. The verses selected for this lectionary reading frame the vision (verses 1-3) and then jump to Daniel’s distress at the vision and the interpretation given by an angelic figure (verses 15-18). The key verse for All Saints is verse 18: “But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.”

Historical and Textual Context

Daniel 7 marks a shift in the book from narrative (chapters 1-6) to apocalyptic vision (chapters 7-12). Written during or after the Babylonian exile (6th century BC), the vision addresses the question of God’s sovereignty when earthly empires seem to hold ultimate power. The four beasts represent successive pagan empires (traditionally understood as Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome, though interpretations vary).

The phrase “saints of the Most High” (Aramaic: qaddishin ‘elyonin) literally means “holy ones of the Most High” and can refer to either heavenly beings (angels) or the faithful people of God. In the context of Daniel 7, most interpreters understand this as referring to God’s covenant people—those who remain faithful despite persecution from beastly kingdoms.

Lutheran Confessional Interpretation

Daniel 7 is cited in the Book of Concord itself and in the Catalogue of Testimonies appendix, appearing in Article VIII of the Solid Declaration of the Formula of Concord on the person of Christ. The confessional Lutheran tradition emphasizes that the saints receive “kingship and dominion” in a collective and subsidiary way by delegation from the King of Kings whom they still serve and obey, having kingship “beneath the heavens” as vice-regents of the Son of Man.

Luther states in the Large Catechism: “We will come forth gloriously and arise in a new, eternal life of entire and perfect holiness.” The Confessions affirm the persistence of personal identity beyond death, with the Smalcald Articles referring to the saints “in their graves and in heaven.” The Scriptures affirm the continued existence of all people with personal identity intact between death and resurrection, teaching that believers are in God’s hands and with Christ.

The Son of Man Connection

Though not included in the lectionary selection, Daniel 7:13-14 contains the famous vision of “one like a son of man” coming with the clouds of heaven to receive dominion and an everlasting kingdom. The church fathers believed this figure refers exclusively to Jesus Christ. Jesus often applied this title from Daniel 7 to Himself—most dramatically when the high priest asked if He were the Messiah, Jesus answered: “I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven” (Mark 14:62).

The high priest’s accusation of blasphemy proves that Jesus was claiming divinity, since in the Old Testament, only YHWH is said to be coming in or with the clouds of heaven. Even Rashi, the most authoritative Jewish commentator, identified the “one like a son of man” as “King Messiah,” and the Talmud (Sanhedrin 98a) also cited this passage when speaking about the Messiah.

The connection to All Saints is profound: the saints receive the kingdom because the Son of Man receives the kingdom. Their victory is entirely derivative of and dependent upon Christ’s victory. This guards against any notion of saintly merit or achievement—the saints conquer not by their own power but by being united to the conquering Son of Man.

Law and Gospel

Law: The terrifying beasts represent the reality of persecution, suffering, and the apparent triumph of evil in this present age. The saints face opposition from powers that seek to “wear out the saints of the Most High” (Daniel 7:25, not in this reading but part of the broader context).

Gospel: The kingdom is given to the saints as pure gift. They “shall receive” and “possess” the kingdom—passive verbs indicating God’s gracious action on their behalf. The victory belongs to God and is shared with His people through grace. The promise is emphatic: “forever, forever and ever”—eternal security in God’s kingdom.

Key Themes for All Saints

1. Eschatological Hope: The saints’ possession of the kingdom is future-oriented, giving hope in the midst of present suffering.
2. Corporate Identity: The “saints” are a collective body, emphasizing communion rather than individual achievement.
3. Divine Gift: The kingdom is received, not earned—pure gospel.
4. Eternal Duration: The promise stretches into everlasting ages, comforting those who mourn the dead.

Psalm 149

Text and Structure

Psalm 149 is one of the final “Hallelujah” psalms that conclude the Book of Psalms with exuberant praise. It was chosen as the lectionary psalm for All Saints Day because the word “saints” (Hebrew: hasidim, meaning “faithful ones” or “covenant-loyal ones”) appears three times in this short psalm.

The psalm has two distinct movements:

• Verses 1-5: Joyful worship and praise to the Lord
• Verses 6-9: The saints engaged in executing divine judgment with “two-edged swords”

This juxtaposition of praise and warfare creates interpretive tension, especially for the New Testament church.

Historical Context

The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, and Anglican liturgies. According to the Rule of St. Benedict (530 AD), Psalm 149 (along with Psalms 148 and 150) was recited or sung daily during the solemn service of matins. Matthäus Apelles von Löwenstern published the hymn “Singt dem Herrn ein neues Lied” (Sing to the Lord a New Song), a paraphrase of this psalm, in 1644. Johann Sebastian Bach later provided a four-part setting of this hymn tune (BWV 411).

Worship and Warfare

The first five verses are a cheerful admonition to the people of God to praise Him for the Lord’s pleasure in His people and His salvation of the humble. The call to praise includes physical expressions: singing, dancing, making music with tambourine and lyre. This is embodied worship, not merely intellectual assent.

The psalm makes a “hard-left turn in verse 6” where the people praising God suddenly have two-edged swords in their hands and are executing vengeance on the nations and punishment on peoples. This jarring shift requires careful theological interpretation, especially for a gospel-centered, Lutheran reading.

Christian and Lutheran Interpretation

For believers under the New Covenant, we don’t battle flesh and blood enemies (Ephesians 6:12), yet we have the responsibility to be not only worshippers but warriors in a spiritual warfare that will at times be difficult and costly. The “two-edged sword” finds its New Testament counterpart in Hebrews 4:12 (“the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword”) and Ephesians 6:17 (“the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”).

The saints’ warfare is the proclamation of God’s word—Law that condemns sin and unbelief, and Gospel that creates faith and saves sinners. This “sword” brings down strongholds, demolishes arguments, and takes every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).

On All Saints Sunday, this psalm reminds us that the church militant (on earth) and the church triumphant (in heaven) are united in praising God and bearing witness to His reign. The “judgment written” that the saints execute is ultimately Christ’s judgment, pronounced through the faithful preaching and confession of His church.

Connection to All Saints

Verse 9 declares: “This honor is for all his saints. Praise the Lord!” The “honor” (hadar) is both the privilege of praise and the authority to proclaim God’s word. Every baptized believer—not just the heroic martyrs or super-spiritual elite—receives this honor. This democratization of sainthood is profoundly Lutheran: all who are in Christ are simultaneously saints and sinners, called to worship and witness.

Epistle: Ephesians 1:11-23

Text Overview

This magnificent passage from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians contains some of the densest Christological and ecclesiological theology in the New Testament. The reading encompasses:

• Verses 11-12: The saints’ inheritance and predestination for God’s glory
• Verses 13-14: The sealing of the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of inheritance
• Verses 15-23: Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians to comprehend the hope of their calling, the riches of Christ’s inheritance in the saints, and the immeasurable power of God displayed in Christ’s resurrection and exaltation

Historical Context

Ephesians was likely written during Paul’s imprisonment (Ephesians 3:1; 4:1), probably in Rome around AD 60-62. The letter addresses the cosmic significance of Christ’s work and the church’s identity as His body. The passage we’re examining comes from the letter’s opening thanksgiving and prayer section, establishing the theological foundation for the practical exhortations that follow in chapters 4-6.

Key Themes and Theological Depth

Predestination and Election (verses 11-12)

“In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to his purpose who works all things after the counsel of his will.”

From a Lutheran Seminary commentary: “Believers have been chosen and adopted in the Elect (1:4-5) and now share in privileges and responsibilities by being spiritually positioned in the heavenly places in Christ.” A Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary resource emphasizes that “predestination takes believers into the eternal counsels of God, and specifically into God’s good news eternal counsels, that he has chosen people to be his children.”

The Lutheran confessional approach to predestination emphasizes that:

1. Election is always in Christ—there is no hidden decree of reprobation
2. Election is for salvation and good works, not to damnation
3. Election comforts believers by grounding their salvation in God’s unchanging purpose rather than their fluctuating faith or works
4. We should not speculate about who is or isn’t elect; we proclaim the Gospel to all

The Believers’ Inheritance (verses 11-14)

The believer’s inheritance is two-fold:

1. Becoming a child of God (which gives the right to expect an inheritance)
2. Gaining eternity with the Lord, dwelling in His righteousness for all time

Through Christ, the saints enjoy the inheritance they are adopted to in predestination, which is the effect of an unfrustrable purpose, and a wise counsel and will. The Holy Spirit serves as both the seal (authenticating mark of ownership) and the guarantee (arrabon—a down payment or first installment) of this inheritance.

This inheritance language connects directly to the Daniel 7 reading: the saints inherit the kingdom as a gift from God through union with Christ.

Christ’s Exaltation and the Church (verses 19-23)

The passage climaxes with Paul’s description of God’s power “that he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion.” This cosmic Christology undergirds the All Saints celebration—our hope for resurrection and eternal life rests entirely on Christ’s resurrection and exaltation.

Verse 22-23 contains the stunning paradox: Christ “has been appointed head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” The church is Christ’s fullness (pleroma)—not that Christ is incomplete without the church, but that the church is the arena where Christ’s fullness is displayed and experienced. The church as the body of Christ comes to participate in His position and power.

Law and Gospel

Law: The text implicitly condemns any notion of salvation by human effort or merit. Our inheritance comes “according to his purpose,” not our performance. We were dead in trespasses (implied by the need for resurrection power), unable to save ourselves.

Gospel: Every verb of salvation is in the passive voice or attributed to God’s action:

• “We were chosen” (verse 11)
• “Having been predestined” (verse 11)
• “You were sealed” (verse 13)
• God “raised Christ” (verse 20)
• God “seated him” (verse 20)

Salvation from beginning to end is God’s work. The saints are saints not because of their achievements but because God chose, predestined, sealed, and guaranteed their inheritance through Christ.

Connection to All Saints

This passage is perhaps the most theologically rich of the day’s readings for an All Saints celebration. It answers the fundamental question: On what basis do we remember and celebrate the saints? The answer: Not their merit, but God’s gracious election in Christ, sealed by the Holy Spirit, guaranteed by Christ’s resurrection, and secured by His cosmic lordship.

For mourning believers who have lost loved ones in Christ, this passage offers profound comfort: the same power that raised Jesus from the dead and exalted Him above all cosmic powers is at work in those who believe (verse 19). Death is not the final word; resurrection is.

Gospel: Luke 6:20-31

Text Overview

This reading presents Luke’s version of the Beatitudes (verses 20-23) immediately followed by corresponding woes (verses 24-26) and then Jesus’ radical ethical teaching about loving enemies (verses 27-31), culminating in the Golden Rule. This is part of what scholars call the “Sermon on the Plain” (Luke 6:17-49), Luke’s parallel to Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount.

Literary Context

Luke 6:12-16 recounts Jesus choosing the twelve apostles after a night of prayer. He then comes down to “a level place” (verse 17) where a great crowd gathers, including disciples and people from all over Judea, Jerusalem, and the coastal regions. After healing many, Jesus looks directly at his disciples (verse 20) and delivers this teaching.

The immediate audience is the disciples, but the wider crowd also hears. This teaching defines what it means to follow Jesus in the kingdom of God—it’s discipleship instruction, not general moral advice for society at large.

Luke’s Beatitudes vs. Matthew’s

Luke’s beatitudes differ significantly from Matthew’s:

• Luke has four beatitudes and four woes; Matthew has eight (or nine) beatitudes with no woes
• Luke uses second person (“Blessed are you”); Matthew uses third person (“Blessed are they”)
• Luke’s language is more socio-economically concrete: “you who are poor” rather than Matthew’s “poor in spirit”; “you who are hungry now” rather than “hunger and thirst for righteousness”
• Luke emphasizes present reversal: “now” appears frequently, stressing the already-breaking-in kingdom

The Beatitudes (verses 20-23)

“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man.”

The word “blessed” (makarioi) means more than “happy”—it means to be in a state of divine favor, to possess the kingdom, to be genuinely well-off in God’s economy regardless of present circumstances.

Jesus reverses the world’s value system. Heaven’s economy is far different from earth’s economy. Those who appear disadvantaged—the poor, the hungry, the weeping, the ostracized—are actually privileged citizens of God’s kingdom. This is not a romanticization of poverty or suffering, but a declaration that God’s kingdom is breaking into the world precisely among those whom the world deems unimportant.

The fourth beatitude makes explicit what is implicit in the first three: the blessing comes “on account of the Son of Man.” This is not a general statement about poverty being virtuous; it’s about suffering for Jesus’ sake. The connection to All Saints is clear—we remember those who have suffered and died in faithfulness to Christ.

The Woes (verses 24-26)

“But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.”

According to Lutheran Seminary commentary, “woe” doesn’t mean “cursed” or “damned” but functions more as an attention-getter, like the English word “yikes.” It’s a warning, an expression of grief over the tragedy of misplaced trust.

The woes address those who are rich, satisfied, carefree, and popular—not as a condemnation of wealth or success per se, but as a warning against finding ultimate security and identity in these things. If you’ve already received your consolation in this age, what consolation remains for the age to come? If you’re satisfied now with what the world offers, you won’t hunger for God’s kingdom.

Luther’s theology of the cross is operative here: God works through weakness, suffering, and what appears foolish to the world. Those who cling to present security and comfort may miss the kingdom that comes disguised in suffering.

Love Your Enemies (verses 27-31)

After the beatitudes and woes, Jesus gives seven startling commands that culminate in the Golden Rule: “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

“But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again.”

These commands are hyperbolic and provocative, designed to jolt hearers into reassessing their lives in light of God’s unfolding reign. They call for radical non-retaliation, generosity beyond reason, and enemy-love that defies natural human inclination.

Law and Gospel Interpretation

This passage is notoriously difficult to preach because it can easily become all Law with no Gospel. Here’s a Lutheran approach:

Law: These commands expose our self-centeredness and our natural inclination toward self-protection and retaliation. We don’t love our enemies; we love those who love us back. We don’t bless those who curse us; we curse them back. We don’t give to everyone who begs; we calculate worthiness and manage our resources carefully. This passage crushes any pretense of self-righteousness.

Gospel: The beatitudes themselves contain the Gospel—the kingdom belongs to the poor, the hungry are filled, mourners will laugh, the persecuted receive great reward. But the deeper Gospel requires recognizing who is speaking. This is not just moral instruction; it’s the self-description of Jesus Himself.

Jesus is the poor One who possessed the kingdom. Jesus is the hungry One who was filled with resurrection life. Jesus is the mourning One who will laugh. Jesus is the rejected One on whom God’s favor rests. Jesus loved His enemies, blessed those who cursed Him, prayed for those who abused Him (“Father, forgive them”), turned the other cheek, gave His cloak and His tunic (they cast lots for His garments), gave everything to those who asked, and never demanded back what was taken from Him.

The Sermon on the Plain is Jesus’ self-portrait. Our call to discipleship is a call to participate in His life—not as self-generated moral effort, but as those who have been united to Christ by faith and who are being transformed by the Spirit into His image.

The saints we celebrate on All Saints Day are those who, by grace through faith, have participated in Christ’s pattern of humble service, enemy-love, and willing suffering. They didn’t achieve sainthood by perfectly keeping these commands; they were made saints by being united to the One who perfectly embodied them.

Connection to All Saints

This Gospel reading challenges any notion of sainthood based on worldly success, comfort, or popularity. The saints are those who have been blessed in their poverty, filled in their hunger, given joy in their mourning, and vindicated in their persecution—all because they are united to Jesus, the ultimate Blessed and Persecuted One.

The saints remembered on All Saints Day often include martyrs and those who suffered for the faith. This passage explains why: they shared in Christ’s pattern of self-giving love, and therefore they share in His resurrection and eternal joy.

Thematic Connections Across the Readings

1. The Kingdom as Gift, Not Achievement

All four readings emphasize that the saints’ status and inheritance are pure gift:

• Daniel 7: The saints “receive” and “possess” the kingdom (passive verbs)
• Psalm 149: “This honor is for all his saints” (bestowed, not earned)
• Ephesians 1: “Chosen,” “predestined,” “sealed” (all divine actions)
• Luke 6: “Blessed are you… yours is the kingdom” (present reality given by Jesus)

This is profoundly Lutheran: sola gratia, grace alone. The saints are not super-Christians who achieved spiritual heights through moral effort. They are beggars who received the kingdom as a gift and continued as beggars all their lives—simul justus et peccator.

2. Reversal of Worldly Values

Each reading presents a dramatic reversal of human expectations:

• Daniel 7: The beastly empires appear powerful, but the saints inherit the eternal kingdom
• Psalm 149: The humble worshippers become wielders of divine authority
• Ephesians 1: Those who were dead in trespasses are seated with Christ in heavenly places
• Luke 6: The poor, hungry, and mourning are blessed; the rich and satisfied receive woes

God’s economy operates on entirely different principles than the world’s economy. This is Luther’s theology of the cross: God works through what appears weak, foolish, and defeated to accomplish His saving purposes.

3. Corporate Identity: Communion of Saints

None of the readings focus on individual saintly achievement; all emphasize the corporate, communal nature of sainthood:

• Daniel 7: “The saints” (plural) receive the kingdom as a people
• Psalm 149: “All his saints” praise and bear witness together
• Ephesians 1: “We were chosen,” “our inheritance,” “the church” as Christ’s body
• Luke 6: Jesus addresses “you” (plural) as disciples in community

The Lutheran doctrine of the communion of saints emphasizes our union with Christ and therefore with one another. All Saints Day celebrates not isolated spiritual heroes but the whole company of believers—the church militant on earth and the church triumphant in heaven, united in Christ.

4. Christ as the Center and Source

Each reading finds its meaning and coherence in Jesus Christ:

• Daniel 7: The Son of Man receives the kingdom and shares it with the saints
• Psalm 149: The two-edged sword finds its fulfillment in Christ, the Living Word
• Ephesians 1: All election, inheritance, and power flow from union with Christ
• Luke 6: Jesus is the ultimate Blessed One who embodies and bestows beatitude

A Lutheran approach to All Saints must be relentlessly Christological. We don’t celebrate the saints for their own sake, as if they were independent sources of inspiration or aid. We celebrate them as trophies of grace, living demonstrations of Christ’s saving work. They point beyond themselves to Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of faith.

5. Eschatological Hope: Already and Not Yet

All the readings balance present reality with future hope:

• Daniel 7: The saints will receive and will possess the kingdom forever
• Psalm 149: The saints praise God now while awaiting final judgment
• Ephesians 1: Believers are already sealed but await the full redemption
• Luke 6: The kingdom is yours, but you will be filled, will laugh

The Christian life is lived in the tension of the “already and not yet.” The saints who have died have entered their rest, but even they await the resurrection of the body and the new creation. We who remain live by faith, not by sight, holding fast to the promise of what is yet to be revealed.

This eschatological tension is important pastorally. All Saints Day offers comfort to the grieving, but it doesn’t offer false triumphalism. We still live in a world of suffering, persecution, and death. The difference is that we now live with hope—confident that death is not the final word, that Christ has conquered, and that we will share in His victory.

Suggested Sermon/Blog Post Themes

Theme 1: “Beggars All: The Democracy of Grace”

Central Idea: All Saints Day celebrates not the spiritual elite but all the baptized—because sainthood is a matter of grace, not achievement.

Biblical Focus: Emphasize Ephesians 1:11-14 and Luke 6:20

Approach:

• Begin with the question: “What makes a saint?” Let people voice common assumptions (heroic virtue, miracles, official canonization, extraordinary holiness)
• Overturn those assumptions by showing that biblical “saints” (hagioi, hasidim) are simply “holy ones”—those set apart by God for His purposes
• Emphasize the passivity of the verbs: chosen, predestined, sealed, blessed
• Luther’s famous line: “We are all beggars—this is true”
• Application: Remember baptized loved ones who have died—not perfect people, but forgiven people; not spiritual giants, but recipients of grace
• Comfort for mourners: Your loved one’s eternal security doesn’t rest on their moral resume but on Christ’s finished work
• Challenge for the living: Stop trying to achieve sainthood through spiritual performance; receive it as a gift

Tone: Warm, pastoral, comforting, with gentle humor about our pretensions to holiness

Theme 2: “The Great Reversal: Blessed Are You”

Central Idea: In God’s kingdom, everything is upside-down from worldly expectations—and that’s good news for strugglers, sufferers, and sinners.

Biblical Focus: Luke 6:20-26 with connections to Daniel 7

Approach:

• Open with concrete examples of the world’s value system: wealth = security, comfort = success, popularity = significance
• Contrast with Jesus’ beatitudes and woes: the poor inherit the kingdom, the hungry are filled, the mourning will laugh
• This isn’t romanticizing poverty or suffering—it’s declaring that God’s kingdom breaks in precisely among those the world dismisses
• Connect to Daniel 7: The beastly empires look powerful, but the saints receive the eternal kingdom
• Luther’s theology of the cross: God works through weakness, suffering, and what appears foolish
• Application: If you’re struggling financially, emotionally, physically—you’re positioned to receive the kingdom (not because of your suffering, but because you know your need for God)
• Warning: If you’re rich, comfortable, satisfied with what this world offers—be careful not to miss the kingdom that comes disguised in weakness
• Remembering the saints: Many we celebrate today were poor, persecuted, marginalized—yet they inherited everything

Tone: Prophetic but pastoral, challenging comfortable assumptions while offering comfort to the hurting

Theme 3: “The Already and the Not Yet: Living as Saints in a Suffering World”

Central Idea: We are already saints by baptism and God’s declaration, yet we still live in a world of sin, suffering, and death—and so we hope in the resurrection.

Biblical Focus: Ephesians 1:11-23, especially verses 13-14 (the Spirit as seal and guarantee)

Approach:

• Name the tension many feel on All Saints Day: We celebrate the victory of the saints, but we still grieve losses, still struggle with sin, still face death
• Explain the “already and not yet”: Christ has already conquered; the kingdom is already inaugurated; we are already sealed by the Spirit—BUT we still await the full revelation, the resurrection of the body, the new creation
• The Holy Spirit as arrabon (down payment, guarantee): We’ve received the first installment of our inheritance, assuring us that the full payment is coming
• Connect to All Saints: Those who have died in Christ have entered their rest, but even they await the resurrection of the body
• We who remain live by faith, not by sight—but it’s confident faith, grounded in God’s unbreakable promise
• Application: It’s okay to grieve—even as those who have hope; it’s okay to struggle—even as saints; it’s okay to long for the fullness that hasn’t yet come—that longing is the Spirit within us groaning for redemption
• The promise: What God has begun, He will complete; the One who raised Christ from the dead will raise us too

Tone: Honest about suffering, realistic about the Christian life, but ultimately hopeful and confident in God’s promises

Liturgical Considerations

Colors and Vestments

White is the traditional color for All Saints, symbolizing the purity and joy of the resurrection. This contrasts with the somber black or purple that might be associated with funerals, emphasizing that All Saints is a celebration of victory, not a memorial service of defeat.

Hymns and Music

Traditional hymns appropriate for All Saints Sunday:

• “For All the Saints” (LSB 677) — The quintessential All Saints hymn, with its refrain “Alleluia, Alleluia!”
• “Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones” (LSB 670) — Celebrates the communion of saints in heaven and on earth
• “Jerusalem the Golden” (LSB 672) — Focuses on the heavenly Jerusalem and eternal rest
• “Oh, What Their Joy” (LSB 675) — Medieval hymn celebrating the joy of heaven
• “The Church’s One Foundation” (LSB 644) — Emphasizes the church as Christ’s body, both militant and triumphant

Remembering the Departed

Many Lutheran congregations include a litany of remembrance, reading the names of congregation members who have died in the past year. This should be done with both solemnity (we genuinely mourn) and hope (we trust in the resurrection).

Liturgical formula: “We remember before God our loved ones who have died in the faith of Christ. Though we grieve their absence from among us, we rejoice that they now rest from their labors and are with the Lord. We commend them to God’s merciful keeping and trust in His promise of resurrection and eternal life.”

After reading each name, the congregation may respond: “Give them rest, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them.”

Conclude with: “All these, and all the faithful departed, now rest in peace and rise in glory. Thanks be to God.”

Holy Communion

All Saints Sunday is an especially appropriate time to emphasize the communion of saints in the Lord’s Supper. The preface for All Saints might include:

“It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God. In the blessedness of Your saints You have given us a glorious pledge of the hope of our calling; that, moved by their witness and supported by their fellowship, we may run with perseverance the race that is set before us and with them receive the unfading crown of glory. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name…”

This connects the earthly celebration of the Supper with the heavenly banquet, reminding us that when we commune, we join the entire church—past, present, and future—around Christ’s table.

Special Liturgical Elements

Consider incorporating Psalm 149 as a responsive reading or as a metrical psalm sung by the congregation. The juxtaposition of praise and spiritual warfare makes it particularly fitting for remembering the saints who fought the good fight of faith.

The Apostles’ Creed, with its affirmation “I believe in… the communion of saints, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting,” is especially poignant on All Saints Day.

Pastoral Sensitivity

Be aware that All Saints Sunday can be emotionally difficult for those who have recently lost loved ones. The first All Saints after a death is often particularly hard. Provide opportunities for people to light candles, place flowers, or otherwise physically participate in remembrance.

At the same time, maintain the festival’s joyful, confident tone. This is not a funeral; it’s a celebration of resurrection hope. The dominant note should be “Alleluia,” not lament.

For Further Study:

• Book of Concord, Article XXI of the Augsburg Confession and its Apology (on the invocation of saints)
• Luther’s Large Catechism, explanation of the Third Article of the Creed (on the communion of saints)
• All Saints: Daily Reflections on Saints, Prophets, and Witnesses for Our Time by Robert Ellsberg
• The Communion of Saints by Michael Root (Lutheran-Catholic dialogue)

This research prepared for Word in Climax, November 2, 2025