Love Increasing

Call to Worship

On this All Saints Sunday, we gather to remember teachers and storytellers who made God’s stories come alive for us.

We give thanks!

We remember choir members, praise bands, organists, and all the musicians who sang and played your praises.

We give thanks!

We remember preachers and lay leaders who led our worship through the years.

We give thanks!

We remember parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and siblings who showed us how to hold fast to the faith.

We give thanks!

We remember our church families – this one and others we have loved. We remember all those who have been a part of this faith family with whom we grew our faith and our love for God and neighbor.

We give thanks!

We remember our ancestors in the faith whose courage enables us to be here today.

We give thanks for the saints who came before us, are present here with us, and will continue after us. Thanks be to God!

Adapted from Rev. Susannah DeBenedetto and posted on LiturgyLink, https://www.liturgylink.net/2014/10/29/all-saints-litany/. Re-posted on the re:Worship blog at https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2016/10/all-saints-litany.html.

Opening Prayer

Sovereign of Creation,
all that we have comes from you.
We gather in your presence,
surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
people from every tribe and nation,
every kindred and tongue,
to lift our voices in praise,
to be transformed into your saints,
to be sent out to gather others to share the eternal banquet.
Receive the praise we offer,
work in us and through us.
You alone are holy,
you alone are the Most High,
you alone are worthy of our praise.
Glory to you, O God,
and to the Lamb, our Shepherd,
and to the Spirit that unites us all,
today and ever more.
Amen.

Adapted from Rev. Dr. Bob Gross on the Worship Ways website, https://www.ucc.org/worship-way/all_saints_day_november_1_2020/.

Prayer of Confession

Our lives are full of mistakes and errors – places where we follow self-generated idols instead of the One True God. We are not alone in these mistakes – all of those who have come before us also experienced temptation and sin. Let us come before God, just as generations of believers have done, and pray for God’s forgiveness and grace.

Beloved God,
who was known to our mothers and fathers,
and even to our spiritual forebears,
have mercy on us.
We do not always love as you would have us love.
We do not always do as you would have us do.
In our stubbornness,
we turn from you when we should turn toward you.
Hold us, dear One –
comfort us when we mourn the passing of friends and family,
and help us to know that they are rejoicing in your presence.
We praise you for the grace you shower on us,
constantly forgiving our errors,
especially the ones that we don’t share with any but you.
Hear now the silent fears and worries of our hearts.

A time of silence

Friends, receive this good news! Jesus taught through his words and deeds that God has already forgiven us. Thus, we and all who have come before us are rightly known as saints – the holy ones of God! Thanks be to God for God’s mercy, grace, and love! Amen!

Adapted from Rev. Lucus Keppel, Ancho Community & Corona United Presbyterian Churches, New Mexico. Posted on LiturgyLink, https://www.liturgylink.net/2013/11/11/awareness-and-reconciliation-for-all-saints-day/. Re-posted on the re:Worship blog at https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2017/10/all-saints-prayer-of-confession.html.

Benediction

Beloved, now we are the saints of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be. But we know when we let Jesus reign in our hearts, we will appear to others as a reflection of God’s Son. We leave this place determined to imitate Christ.

Written by Sherry Dobbs Johnson, The Africana Worship Book, Year C (Nashville: Discipleship Resources, 2008), 227.