WORSHIP RESOURCES
All Saints’ Day
Ephesians 1:11-23
Remember Our Inheritance in Christ
Additional Scriptures
Daniel 7:1-3. 15-18; Psalm 149; Luke 6:20-31; Doctrine and Covenants 162:8c
Preparation
In preparation for All Saints’ Day, ask members of the congregation or group to bring photos of someone special to them that has passed. As worshipers arrive, let them place their photos in a special place on the rostrum or a table. For the Reflection Moment prepare a list of those in your congregation or group who have passed in the last twelve months.
You will need a jar, rocks, sand, and a pan for the Disciples’ Generous Response.
Prelude
Welcome
November 1st in the Christian calendar is All Saints’ Day. We include focused remembrance of family, friends, and colleagues who, in the past year, now rest from their labors in God’s loving embrace. We do not simply remember people who have passed but acknowledge those who walk with us on our journey toward the peaceable kingdom.
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 1:11-23
Call to Worship
On this day, we remember and claim our inheritance in Christ. Through
this act of worship may we experience the power of that inheritance and be filled with gratitude for the life and ministry of Jesus and all those disciples who have followed The Way.
Hymn to Celebrate Community
“There’s an Old, Old Path” CCS 244
OR “Draw the Circle Wide” CCS 273
Opening Prayer for Peace
Light the peace candle.
Responsive Peace Prayer
Leader: O God of Peace,
People: Bless your people with peace.
Leader: Blessed are you who are poor,
People: for yours is the kingdom of God.
Leader: Blessed are you who are hungry now,
People: for you will be filled.
Leader: Blessed are you who weep now,
People: for you will laugh.
Leader: Blessed are you when people hate you and when they
exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man.
People: Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven,
Leader: O God of Peace,
All: Bless your people with peace. Amen.
—Based on Luke 6:20-23
Sung Response
“Weave” CCS 327
Reflection Moment
In every time and place, imperfect people have been called to open their eyes and hearts to the call to build God’s peaceable kingdom. Today we pause to remember those who have gone before us, thanking God for the love and grace bestowed on us as we journey together.
Remembering those who have gone before us means letting their spirits inspire us in our daily lives and allowing them to continue to be a part of our ongoing journey together in Community of Christ. While there may be some we have forgotten to include on this list, God knows them by name and joins us in honoring their lives and ministry.
Slowly read the list you have compiled.
Ministry of Music or Congregational Hymn
“We Are Children of Creation” CCS 340
OR “In Christ We Live” CCS 326
Message
Based on Ephesians 1:11-23
Disciples’ Generous Response
Statement
We must understand, organize, and manage our financial or material lives to free capacity to give generously to Christ’s mission. Faithful financial planning helps us use our money or other commodities, so our choices express in tangible, significant ways our love of God, neighbor, creation, and self.
· Place jar, rocks, sand, and pan on a table.
· State the sand is like the little things that fill our lives every day and the rocks are the big important things in our lives.
· Begin by putting the sand in the jar so it is about half full. Then, try adding all the rocks; note that they will not all fit.
· Now dump everything into the pan.
· This time put the rocks in the jar, and then pour the sand in, shaking the jar to move the sand around until it all fits.
· State that when we put the priorities in the jar first, the little things will fit in around them.
Note: test ahead of time by putting the rocks in the jar and then the sand to make sure you have the correct number of rocks and sand to fit in the jar together.
If you have participants joining the worship online, remind them that they can give through www.CofChrist.org/give or through eTithing at www.eTithing.org (consider displaying these URLs).
Blessing and Receiving of Local and Worldwide Mission Tithes
Hymn of Celebration
“For All the Saints” CCS 331
OR “The God of Abraham Praise” CCS 94
Benediction
Sending Forth: Doctrine and Covenants 162:8c
Postlude
SERMON AND CLASS HELPS
Year C—Letters
All Saints’ Day
Ephesians 1:11–23
Exploring the Scripture
Christians recognize November 1 as All Saints Day, Some traditions designate certain people who have given a special ministry in the past as saints. All Saints Day is a time to pray and give thanks for all past saints, known or unknown.
In Community of Christ, we recognize all those who have lived as disciples and set examples for us to follow. We believe disciples are “sanctified” or made holy through their faith in Christ. The focus is on helping members feel unified across divisions and united with those who have died.
Our passage begins in the middle of a tribute that praises God for adopting the faithful as children and providing redemption. Such eulogies to God were common in worship and letter-writing. Verse 11 moves to direct praise of Jesus Christ and the affirmation the faithful have inherited Christ’s salvation and resurrection as gifts. Followers were “destined” (v. 11) because of their faith to receive oneness in Christ so their lives could bring glory to God. Through baptism, both Gentile and Jewish believers received the Holy Spirit as a “mark” or “pledge” (v. 14) of salvation.
The author continues with a prayer of thanksgiving for the recipients whose faith and love have become well-known. He prays that God will grant them wisdom and revelation for three purposes: 1) to know the hope of their calling; 2) to enjoy their inheritance; and 3) to understand God’s power. They were called to live with God in Christ, but that calling is being fulfilled because God is always with them. The calling to live exemplary lives as disciples moves Christ’s followers toward a future hope: to live fully in the presence of God.
The second petition is that the church members will enjoy their inheritance as children of God. They will inherit God’s promises found in the old covenants of the Hebrew Bible and those in Christ’s New Covenant. Like Christ, they can expect resurrection and everlasting life as part of that inheritance.
The third petition is that the church members will recognize and witness God’s power. Power is hard for humans to give up. We want to be in control, often for the best of reasons. But power belongs to God, and its uses are set in God’s purposes. God’s power is obvious in Christ’s resurrection and in establishing Christ at God’s right hand. Christ is above all authorities, systems, organizations, and powers in this age and all ages.
God made Christ the head of the church, Christ’s body. Neither apostles, pastors, nor inspired leaders can claim to be the head of the church. Humility and reliance on God’s power are the hallmarks of successful Christian leaders.
The blessings and petitions help believers tap into the inspiration and spiritual power God provides to strengthen them on their faith journey. Through Christ, we receive the promises of the past and assurance of hope for the future. In Christ is our calling, our inheritance of salvation, and the power to face difficulties in life. We live in Christ in unity with other saints today and will live again.
Central Ideas
- All Saints Day highlights the unity of believers across time and barriers.
- Today’s text highlights the unity of believers with Christ as God’s adopted children, inheriting God’s promises.
- Power belongs to God; its uses are for God’s purposes, not ours.
- God provides blessings and spiritual power to unify the saints and strengthen us on our faith journey.
Questions for the Speaker
- How connected is your congregation to the global church? How can you strengthen that unity?
- What does it mean to be “adopted by God?” How helpful is that image in today’s world?
- How can you make real the power of the resurrection in your life? In the life of the congregation?
- What gifts have you inherited from previous generations of saints to strengthen you on your faith journey?
SACRED SPACE: A RESOURCE FOR SMALL-GROUP MINISTRY
Year C—Letters
All Saints’ Day
Ephesians 1:11–23
Communion
Gathering
Welcome
All Saints’ Day is observed as a day to remember disciples of old, people who contributed to Christian community, and church members who lived in faithfulness and service. It also is a time to remember friends, family, and community members who have died during the year. In this way we honor those who have gone before us and reaffirm our belief in eternal life.
Prayer for Peace
Ring a bell or chime three times slowly.
Light the peace candle.
Ringer of the first bell, today we give thanks for all the saints who have come before us and who have now gone ahead. We are in awe of those who followed your example of servant leadership, working tirelessly for peace in places as far away as the other side of the globe and as close as their own homes. We remember the saints who came before and their sacrifices. And, as always, we remember you and your sacrifices made in the name of peace. May we have the strength to pick up the candle of peace to share its warmth with those in need so the pursuit of peace might continue into the next generation. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
Spiritual Practice
Giving Thanks
We will spend several minutes in the spiritual discipline of gratitude. There are many aspects of our lives, communities, and Earth for which we are grateful.
As I say each one aloud, we will spend a few moments in silent gratitude. Then I will move on to another area of gratitude. After the last one I will close our practice of gratitude by saying “Amen” aloud. Find a comfortable position. You may close your eyes if you wish. We will begin:
God of the past, the present, and all that is to come, we offer gratitude for:
Disciples of old who shared the story of Jesus. (Pause for silent reflection.)
People who have worked for peace. (Pause for silent reflection.)
Those who shared food and fellowship around their table. (Pause for silent reflection.)
People who shared their story of faith. (Pause for silent reflection.)
Close by saying, “Amen,” aloud.
Invite group members to share how they experienced this practice of gratitude. Thank everyone for participating.
Sharing Around the Table
Ephesians 1:11–23 NRSVue
In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.
I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may perceive what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Our passage begins in the middle of a tribute that praises a loving God for adopting the faithful as children, Jew and Gentile, and providing blessings of redemption and grace. This is part of God’s foreordained plan of salvation to believers in Jesus, who become united in the body of the Risen Christ.
God has showered us with God’s kindness, wisdom, and understanding. We no longer are burdened by our past and can begin a new life. The Jews who possessed an inheritance, a historical role as a chosen people, now are part of a broader community that includes all nations. These verses inspired Gentile readers with confidence, hearing that they are part of a new people with the heirs to old covenant.
The author thankfully recognizes the faith and love shown by the Ephesian saints (believers, Christians) and then offers a prayer of intercession, asking God to grant them wisdom and insight so they deeply appreciate and understand the immense and incomprehensible richness of God’s love for God’s people and greatness of God’s power. These are things very difficult for humans to conceive. Through Christ, God manifests God’s power and has made the Messiah the head of the church, thus giving the church, the body of Christ, a crucial role in God’s plan of salvation.
The blessings and petitions described by Paul help believers connect with a God who offers love, support, and strength on their faith journey. We are inspired by the lives of past saints from New Testament communities and present saints who show us ways to live in Christ. Many Christians honor fellow believers on All Saints’ Day, a time when we sense unity with believers across time and place. In Christ is our calling, our inheritance of salvation, and the power to face difficulties in life. We live in Christ in unity with other saints.
Questions
1. What does it mean to be “adopted” by God? How helpful is that image in today’s world?
2. How can you make real the power of the resurrection in your life? In the life of the congregation?
3. How do you sense a Divine-human partnership in these verses that is used to fulfill the purposes of God?
4. What gifts have you inherited from previous generations of saints to strengthen you on your faith journey?
Sending
Generosity Statement
Faithful disciples respond to an increasing awareness of the abundant generosity of God by sharing according to the desires of their hearts; not by commandment or constraint.
—Doctrine and Covenants 163:9
The offering basket is available if you would like to support ongoing, small-group ministries as part of your generous response. You also may give at CofChrist.org/give.
This offering prayer is adapted from A Disciple’s Generous Response:
God, you have blessed generations before us and will bless generations yet to come. May we be a generous people in response to your boundless grace and unending love. Bless and magnify our offerings and our service to others. Let generosity become part of our nature, we pray. Amen.
Invitation to Next Meeting
Closing Hymn
Community of Christ Sings 331, “For All the Saints”
Closing Prayer
Optional Additions Depending on Group
· Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper
· Thoughts for Children
Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper
Communion Scripture
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
—1 Corinthians 11:23–26 NRSVue
Communion Statement
All are welcome at Christ’s table. The Lord’s Supper, or Communion, is a sacrament in which we remember the life, death, resurrection, and continuing presence of Jesus Christ. In Community of Christ, we also experience Communion as an opportunity to renew our baptismal covenant and to be formed as disciples who live Christ’s mission. Others may have different or added understandings within their faith traditions. We invite all who participate in the Lord’s Supper to do so in the love and peace of Jesus Christ.
We share in Communion as an expression of blessing, healing, peace, and community. In preparation let’s sing from Community of Christ Sings (choose from below options):
· 516, “Coming Together for Wine and for Bread”
· 521, “Let Us Break Bread Together”
· 523, “As We Gather at Your Table”
· 526, “Is There One Who Feels Unworthy?”
· 528, “Eat This Bread”
· 532, “We Meet as Friends at Table”
Thoughts for Children
Materials:
· paper
· crayons
Today we celebrate All Saints Day. All Saints comes right after Halloween. On All Saints Sunday we think about people in the past who were followers of Jesus.
Ask children to think of people who have been good followers of Jesus.
Who did you think about? Is it someone from your family, a friend, someone from the Bible, or someone from history?
Give each child a paper and crayons. Ask them to draw the person they named.
Invite each child to tell why they think their person is a follower of Jesus.
Offer a prayer for those who have followed Jesus throughout the ages and for those present today.