Remembering Together: All Saints Day

Written by Rev. Adrienne Osborne 

There are people whose absence we feel when we enter the sanctuary or our Sunday School classes. We remember where they sat, how they served, and how we felt just by being in their presence. 

As we prepare for All Saints’ Day on Sunday, November 1, Central Baptist Church will make time to remember the members of our congregation who have died this year. We will speak their names, light a candle in their memory, and give thanks to God for their lives. We will also hold their loved ones in prayer. 

What does “saint” mean?

When we hear the word saint, we may picture a person in a stained-glass window, a famous figure in church history, or someone whose faith seems far beyond our own. However, the New Testament uses the word more broadly. Paul writes to ordinary Christians in Rome as people “called to be saints” (Romans 1:7). These were ordinary people who were learning to follow Jesus together. 

In this biblical sense, saints are God’s holy people called to lives shaped by God’s love. Their holiness begins with God’s grace, not their deeds. We can give thanks for the ways God worked through them while remembering they were human, just as we are. 

All Saints’ Day

For some of you, All Saints’ Day might be a new tradition, one you are unfamiliar with. All Saint’s Day is observed on November 1 in many Christian traditions. It invites the church to remember the people of faith who came before us and to give thanks for the ways their lives continue to shape our own. 

Why light a candle?

For this service, each remembrance candle will be a visible expression of gratitude for a life and of our hope in Christ. A small flame cannot take away our grief. It can give us a moment to pause, remember, and pray together. 

Families will be invited to light a candle in memory of their loved one. If they would rather remain seated or if they are not in attendance, someone from the church will light it on their behalf. There is no expectation of the families to speak publicly. 

There is room for your grief

Faith does not require us to hurry past sorrow. Grief and hope are not opposites. We can miss someone deeply while trusting them to God’s love. We can give thanks for the time we had with them and still ache deeply because they are no longer here. 

Although we will name members who have died this year, we know that grief reaches far beyond a single year. Whether your loss is recent or long ago, we acknowledge your ongoing grief journey and hope you will find this time of remembrance to be meaningful to you, as well. 

Join us on November 1

During worship on Sunday, November 1, at 11:00, we will read the names of the members we are remembering and light a candle for each person. 

Families and friends are warmly invited to attend. Together, we will remember those we love, give thanks for their lives, and entrust them, and ourselves to the enduring love of God.