All Saints Day

All Saints Day is traditionally the day we take time to remember those who have died in the past year. It’s not something we often do as a culture. Mourning is most culturally acceptable when it is brief and private. So often we feel uncomfortable around those who are so shaped and formed by grief and tragedy. What are we supposed to say? What are we supposed to do?

All Saints Day by Rebekah Krevens

But as the Church, things are different. As followers of Christ and people of the resurrection, we do not shy away from talking about death and grief. In the midst of community we comfort one another and share stories of those saints who supported and nurtured us during their time among us, however extensive or brief. In our times of sorrow, confusion, and despair, we remind one another that we have a God who knows sorrow and despair, a God whose own Son, a God whose own self experienced death on the cross. What a powerful gift this is in the midst of a world torn by so much grief and brokenness. 

Our remembrances this year will take on a different weight, I think, as our communal mourning has been affected by pandemic safety precautions. Many, many people this year died alone in hospitals or care facilities, separated from their loved ones. Our usual grief rituals of crowded visitation times, full worship services, and shared meals were also canceled or adapted for smaller numbers.

While we are still unable to grieve in the ways we are accustomed to, we can carve out new rituals of remembrance. As you prepare for worship this Sunday, I encourage you to gather candles, a bowl of water, and photos of those you are naming and remembering, whether they died this past year or joined the Church triumphant many years ago. Say their name, along with the liturgy. Light candles to remember the persistence of God's presence even in the most desolate places. Dip your fingers in the water and mark the sign of the cross to remember your baptism, and to remember that in baptism we are united with God and with one another as the Body of Christ. 

As we remember the saints, this week and always, we find comfort in God's promises: that we belong to God, that nothing can separate us from God's love, that God is near to the brokenhearted, and that there will be a day when death, mourning, crying, and pain will be no more. 

Bonus resources: 

• Jan Richardson's poetry and artwork speak beautifully to many themes, but she has especially poignant work about grief. See her blog and this book, called "The Cure for Sorrow: A Book of Blessings for Times of Grief."
• From Living Lutheran, Five ways to celebrate All Saints Day at home
• This Sunday, the National Lutheran Choir is offering an All Saints Concert at 5pm. Watch it here.