Saints Through The Ages
Worship
Services For Special Days
Hymn Services And Readings For Special Times Of The Year
A Service Of Hymns And Readings For Reformation/All Saints Day
Reformation Day (October 31) and All Saints Day (November 1) are really two separate celebrations. I have linked them together in part because they are side by side on the calendar. They became connected by the action of Martin Luther in the early sixteenth century.
On the Eve of All Saints Day, Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the Castle Church door at Wittenberg where all who attended the Day of Celebration for the Saints were sure to see them. While Martin Luther had no intention of pulling away from the church, he did intend to stir enough interest to bring about some reforms.
As in many of our holy days, we look upon All Saints Day as a celebration of the Catholic church, but the Apostle Paul spoke of all Christians as saints (1 Corinthians 1:2). As Christians, we're all set apart to live in the world and yet not be of the world.
Therefore, as saints seeking reform to make the world a better place, we celebrate both Reformation Day and All Saints Day.
Scriptures that are quoted are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. Responsive readings are paraphrased.
This service of hymns and readings was written originally for Laity Sunday. It can be done with or without the pastor's participation and can use up to ten participants.
Bulletin
Saints Through The Ages
A Service Of Hymns And Readings For Reformation/All Saints Day
Prelude
Service Of Acolytes
Call To Worship (Responsively)
Hebrews 12:1-2
Leader:
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
People:
Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which clings so closely.
Leader:
Let us run with perseverance the race before us.
People:
Looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.
Prayer (In Unison)
God of all saints, today and yesterday, we have not struggled as our foreparents struggled to the point of death. We have too often forgotten their works and your exhortations to us. Make us aware of their faithfulness. May we live as they lived, that we may die as they died; assured of your grace and truth in us. Amen.
Hymn
"A Mighty Fortress Is Our God"
Welcome, Greeting, And Announcements
Readers One, Two, Three
Interview With The Luthers
Hymn
"O God, Our Help In Ages Past"
Scripture (Reader Four)
Deuteronomy 32:48--33:2
Reader Five
A Voice From The Past
Hymn
"And Are We Yet Alive?"
Call To Stewardship (Pastor)
Offertory
Giving Of Tithes And Offerings
Doxology (In Unison)
Prayer Of Dedication (Liturgist)
Reader Six
A Swedish Saint
Hymn
"How Great Thou Art" (vv. 1, 4)
Prayer (In Unison)
"Father Of Mercies, In Thy Word"13
Father of mercies, in Thy Word
What endless glory shines!
Forever be Thy Name adored
For these celestial lines.
Here springs of consolation rise
To cheer the fainting mind,
And thirsty souls receive supplies,
And sweet refreshment find.
Oh, may these hallowed pages be
Our joy by day and night,
And still new beauties may we see,
And still increasing light.
Divine Instructor, gracious Lord,
Grant our fervent prayer,
Teach us to love Thy sacred Word,
And view the Savior there.
Amen.
(Anne Steele, 1716-1778)
Reader Seven
Our Heritage
Hymn
"Hark, The Herald Angels Sing" (v. 1)
Hymn
"O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing" (vv. 1, 2)
Reader Eight
Saints Of The Black Tradition
Hymn
"I Am Bound For The Promised Land"
Reader Nine
Saints Of Today
Hymn
"God Of Our Fathers"
Reader Ten
A Look To The Future
Time Of Silent Reflection
Hymn
"For All The Saints"
Benediction (Pastor)
Postlude
Service
Saints Through The Ages
A Service Of Hymns And Readings For Reformation/All Saints Day
Prelude
Service Of Acolytes
Call To Worship (Responsively)
Hebrews 12:1-2
Leader:
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
People:
Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which clings so closely.
Leader:
Let us run with perseverance the race before us.
People:
Looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.
Prayer (In Unison)
God of all saints, today and yesterday, we have not struggled as our foreparents struggled to the point of death. We have too often forgotten their works and your exhortations to us. Make us aware of their faithfulness. May we live as they lived, that we may die as they died; assured of your grace and truth in us. Amen.
Hymn
"A Mighty Fortress Is Our God"
Welcome, Greeting, And Announcements
Readers One, Two, Three
Interview With The Luthers
Reader One: The year is 1483. A son is born into the Hans Luther family. Tell me, sir, are you pleased to have a son in your family?
Reader Two: Oh, yes. Yes! It is good to have sons. Sons bring comfort and joy to us in our old age. My son, Martin, will be a great lawyer. I see it in the eyes. I hear it in the lusty cry.
Reader One: Years pass. Martin chose not the field of law, but the church. Tell me, Martin, was your father pleased with your choice?
Reader Three: Oh, no, not at all. But then, neither was the church. It seems that I was always getting into trouble, somehow. But they needed to change! They needed to stop some of their practices. And I told them so.
Reader One: Was it easy?
Reader Three: No. Change is never easy. But I knew God was my refuge and a very present help in time of trouble. With that in mind, I could hurl defiance at all my foes. I even penned the words which you sang this morning as a reminder: "A mighty fortress is our God; a bulwark never failing...."
Reader One: Thank you, Martin, for your contribution to our faith. Down through the centuries, many saints have left their mark on our developing faith.
Hymn
"O God, Our Help In Ages Past"
Scripture (Reader Four)
Deuteronomy 32:48--33:2
Reader Five
A Voice From The Past
Moses -- one of the great saints of old, and yet, he was not without sin. Because he "broke faith with God among the Israelites at the waters of Meribath-kadesh in the wilderness of Zin" (Deuteronomy 32:51), he was not allowed to cross over to the promised land. Instead, he went to the top of Mount Nebo in the land of Moab and viewed Canaan from there. Being a saint does not mean being perfect. It does mean being repentant when we are sinful.
Hymn
"And Are We Yet Alive?"
Call To Stewardship (Pastor)
"All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your faithful saints shall bless you. They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom, and tell of your power, to make known to all people your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and your dominion endures throughout all generations" (Psalm 145:10-13 paraphrased).
Let us bring our tithes and offerings for God's kingdom.
Offertory
Giving Of Tithes And Offerings
Doxology (In Unison)
Prayer Of Dedication (Liturgist)
O Lord of all creations, your saints on earth join your saints in heaven in giving you praise. We give you our tithes and offerings and ourselves to be used for your service. Bless us as sinners who are becoming saints. Amen.
Reader Six
A Swedish Saint
It is amazing how God works through the lives of the saints of his church. In the year of 1886, Carl Boberg of Sweden, wrote a poem titled, "O Mighty God." In 1925, Professor E. Gustav Johnson translated it into English. It was easily identified with an old Swedish folk song and the words and music just sort of fit together like a hand in a glove. Before he died, Mr. Boberg had the privilege of knowing his poem had become not only a well-known poem, but a contribution to Swedish music. It was soon translated into Russian, Polish, German, and many other languages. In the meantime, an English missionary found the song and assumed it to be written by a Russian prisoner. He translated it in 1948 to what we know today as "How Great Thou Art." It is interesting to note that although going through three translations thirty years apart the might and the grandeur is still there. Because of these saints we can now sing "How Great Thou Art."
Hymn
"How Great Thou Art" (vv. 1, 4)
Prayer (In Unison)
"Father Of Mercies, In Thy Word"13
Father of mercies, in Thy Word
What endless glory shines!
Forever be Thy Name adored
For these celestial lines.
Here springs of consolation rise
To cheer the fainting mind,
And thirsty souls receive supplies,
And sweet refreshment find.
Oh, may these hallowed pages be
Our joy by day and night,
And still new beauties may we see,
And still increasing light.
Divine Instructor, gracious Lord,
Grant our fervent prayer,
Teach us to love Thy sacred Word,
And view the Savior there.
Amen.
(Anne Steele, 1716-1778)
Reader Seven
Our Heritage
Probably one of the most prolific hymn writers and a saint of the Methodist heritage, was Charles Wesley who wrote thousands of hymns including: "Love Divine, All Love's Excelling," "Hark, The Herald Angels Sing," "Christ The Lord Is Risen Today," and "O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing." Charles Wesley was a saint of the church who, like most saints, was not appreciated in his own day and in his own church. Only one of his thousands of hymns appeared in the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer -- and then only by mistake.
It seems that an eighteenth-century printer didn't know that the Church of England frowned on Wesley and his works. Needing something to fill in an empty space, he took it upon himself to insert a poem, "Hark, How All The Welkins Ring!" By the time the error was discovered, it was too late. People liked it. It was later retitled, "Hark, The Herald Angels Sing" by Tenor William Haymen Cummings, who discovered that it was a perfect fit for a Mendelssohn tune. Thanks to saints like Charles Wesley, we have beautiful hymns for the entire year.
Hymn
"Hark, The Herald Angels Sing" (v. 1)
Hymn
"O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing" (vv. 1, 2)
Reader Eight
Saints Of The Black Tradition
In the early days of our country, slavery was a fact of life which kept our brothers and sisters many times as animals rather than people. But from the suffering came the saints --�saints who stood firm and held to their faith regardless of the persecution. They met in invisible churches to worship -- invisible in the sense that they were secret. They didn't have a building in which to meet, but met wherever they could -- from place to place, from plantation to plantation and even in the forest bush.
One slave -- we could name many more -- but one slave by the name of Harriet Tubman decided to do something about the plight of her people. She managed to escape and flee to Maryland where it was safe. Not satisfied with her own freedom, Harriet ran the Underground Railroad back and forth, until she had been responsible for freeing 800 slaves without a single injury to her soldiers.
When the war was over, the slaves of the South were free. In the process of running the Railroad, many of the Negro Spirituals were sung to signal black folks as to what was happening -- spirituals like: "The Chariots Are Coming," "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," "Go Down, Moses," and "I Am Bound For The Promised Land."
Hymn
"I Am Bound For The Promised Land"
Reader Nine
Saints Of Today
We are bound for the promised land when we follow the way that Christ is leading us. We are sinners on the way to becoming saints. Throughout the scriptures we read of the faith of the saints who led the children of Israel to the promised land. We read of those saints who led the infant church into being the church in the world. In more recent history, we read of the saints who brought the church and our country into being. But, in all history, it is the God of our fathers and mothers who did the leading. Saints throughout history have brought us to knowledge of the "God of our fathers, whose almighty hand leads forth in splendor in our lives."
Hymn
"God Of Our Fathers"
Reader Ten
A Look To The Future
Throughout the lives of individual churches, saints have worked and sacrificed to leave us the heritage. In a moment of silence, let us remember those who have died in recent years; let us remember those in times past who have died. Let us remember all the saints who have given us the heritage of faith.
Time Of Silent Reflection
Hymn
"For All The Saints"
Benediction (Pastor)
Go now in the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, remembering the saints of old and the saints in process as together we spread the Word of God. Amen.
Postlude
Reformation Day (October 31) and All Saints Day (November 1) are really two separate celebrations. I have linked them together in part because they are side by side on the calendar. They became connected by the action of Martin Luther in the early sixteenth century.
On the Eve of All Saints Day, Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the Castle Church door at Wittenberg where all who attended the Day of Celebration for the Saints were sure to see them. While Martin Luther had no intention of pulling away from the church, he did intend to stir enough interest to bring about some reforms.
As in many of our holy days, we look upon All Saints Day as a celebration of the Catholic church, but the Apostle Paul spoke of all Christians as saints (1 Corinthians 1:2). As Christians, we're all set apart to live in the world and yet not be of the world.
Therefore, as saints seeking reform to make the world a better place, we celebrate both Reformation Day and All Saints Day.
Scriptures that are quoted are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. Responsive readings are paraphrased.
This service of hymns and readings was written originally for Laity Sunday. It can be done with or without the pastor's participation and can use up to ten participants.
Bulletin
Saints Through The Ages
A Service Of Hymns And Readings For Reformation/All Saints Day
Prelude
Service Of Acolytes
Call To Worship (Responsively)
Hebrews 12:1-2
Leader:
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
People:
Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which clings so closely.
Leader:
Let us run with perseverance the race before us.
People:
Looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.
Prayer (In Unison)
God of all saints, today and yesterday, we have not struggled as our foreparents struggled to the point of death. We have too often forgotten their works and your exhortations to us. Make us aware of their faithfulness. May we live as they lived, that we may die as they died; assured of your grace and truth in us. Amen.
Hymn
"A Mighty Fortress Is Our God"
Welcome, Greeting, And Announcements
Readers One, Two, Three
Interview With The Luthers
Hymn
"O God, Our Help In Ages Past"
Scripture (Reader Four)
Deuteronomy 32:48--33:2
Reader Five
A Voice From The Past
Hymn
"And Are We Yet Alive?"
Call To Stewardship (Pastor)
Offertory
Giving Of Tithes And Offerings
Doxology (In Unison)
Prayer Of Dedication (Liturgist)
Reader Six
A Swedish Saint
Hymn
"How Great Thou Art" (vv. 1, 4)
Prayer (In Unison)
"Father Of Mercies, In Thy Word"13
Father of mercies, in Thy Word
What endless glory shines!
Forever be Thy Name adored
For these celestial lines.
Here springs of consolation rise
To cheer the fainting mind,
And thirsty souls receive supplies,
And sweet refreshment find.
Oh, may these hallowed pages be
Our joy by day and night,
And still new beauties may we see,
And still increasing light.
Divine Instructor, gracious Lord,
Grant our fervent prayer,
Teach us to love Thy sacred Word,
And view the Savior there.
Amen.
(Anne Steele, 1716-1778)
Reader Seven
Our Heritage
Hymn
"Hark, The Herald Angels Sing" (v. 1)
Hymn
"O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing" (vv. 1, 2)
Reader Eight
Saints Of The Black Tradition
Hymn
"I Am Bound For The Promised Land"
Reader Nine
Saints Of Today
Hymn
"God Of Our Fathers"
Reader Ten
A Look To The Future
Time Of Silent Reflection
Hymn
"For All The Saints"
Benediction (Pastor)
Postlude
Service
Saints Through The Ages
A Service Of Hymns And Readings For Reformation/All Saints Day
Prelude
Service Of Acolytes
Call To Worship (Responsively)
Hebrews 12:1-2
Leader:
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
People:
Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which clings so closely.
Leader:
Let us run with perseverance the race before us.
People:
Looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.
Prayer (In Unison)
God of all saints, today and yesterday, we have not struggled as our foreparents struggled to the point of death. We have too often forgotten their works and your exhortations to us. Make us aware of their faithfulness. May we live as they lived, that we may die as they died; assured of your grace and truth in us. Amen.
Hymn
"A Mighty Fortress Is Our God"
Welcome, Greeting, And Announcements
Readers One, Two, Three
Interview With The Luthers
Reader One: The year is 1483. A son is born into the Hans Luther family. Tell me, sir, are you pleased to have a son in your family?
Reader Two: Oh, yes. Yes! It is good to have sons. Sons bring comfort and joy to us in our old age. My son, Martin, will be a great lawyer. I see it in the eyes. I hear it in the lusty cry.
Reader One: Years pass. Martin chose not the field of law, but the church. Tell me, Martin, was your father pleased with your choice?
Reader Three: Oh, no, not at all. But then, neither was the church. It seems that I was always getting into trouble, somehow. But they needed to change! They needed to stop some of their practices. And I told them so.
Reader One: Was it easy?
Reader Three: No. Change is never easy. But I knew God was my refuge and a very present help in time of trouble. With that in mind, I could hurl defiance at all my foes. I even penned the words which you sang this morning as a reminder: "A mighty fortress is our God; a bulwark never failing...."
Reader One: Thank you, Martin, for your contribution to our faith. Down through the centuries, many saints have left their mark on our developing faith.
Hymn
"O God, Our Help In Ages Past"
Scripture (Reader Four)
Deuteronomy 32:48--33:2
Reader Five
A Voice From The Past
Moses -- one of the great saints of old, and yet, he was not without sin. Because he "broke faith with God among the Israelites at the waters of Meribath-kadesh in the wilderness of Zin" (Deuteronomy 32:51), he was not allowed to cross over to the promised land. Instead, he went to the top of Mount Nebo in the land of Moab and viewed Canaan from there. Being a saint does not mean being perfect. It does mean being repentant when we are sinful.
Hymn
"And Are We Yet Alive?"
Call To Stewardship (Pastor)
"All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your faithful saints shall bless you. They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom, and tell of your power, to make known to all people your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and your dominion endures throughout all generations" (Psalm 145:10-13 paraphrased).
Let us bring our tithes and offerings for God's kingdom.
Offertory
Giving Of Tithes And Offerings
Doxology (In Unison)
Prayer Of Dedication (Liturgist)
O Lord of all creations, your saints on earth join your saints in heaven in giving you praise. We give you our tithes and offerings and ourselves to be used for your service. Bless us as sinners who are becoming saints. Amen.
Reader Six
A Swedish Saint
It is amazing how God works through the lives of the saints of his church. In the year of 1886, Carl Boberg of Sweden, wrote a poem titled, "O Mighty God." In 1925, Professor E. Gustav Johnson translated it into English. It was easily identified with an old Swedish folk song and the words and music just sort of fit together like a hand in a glove. Before he died, Mr. Boberg had the privilege of knowing his poem had become not only a well-known poem, but a contribution to Swedish music. It was soon translated into Russian, Polish, German, and many other languages. In the meantime, an English missionary found the song and assumed it to be written by a Russian prisoner. He translated it in 1948 to what we know today as "How Great Thou Art." It is interesting to note that although going through three translations thirty years apart the might and the grandeur is still there. Because of these saints we can now sing "How Great Thou Art."
Hymn
"How Great Thou Art" (vv. 1, 4)
Prayer (In Unison)
"Father Of Mercies, In Thy Word"13
Father of mercies, in Thy Word
What endless glory shines!
Forever be Thy Name adored
For these celestial lines.
Here springs of consolation rise
To cheer the fainting mind,
And thirsty souls receive supplies,
And sweet refreshment find.
Oh, may these hallowed pages be
Our joy by day and night,
And still new beauties may we see,
And still increasing light.
Divine Instructor, gracious Lord,
Grant our fervent prayer,
Teach us to love Thy sacred Word,
And view the Savior there.
Amen.
(Anne Steele, 1716-1778)
Reader Seven
Our Heritage
Probably one of the most prolific hymn writers and a saint of the Methodist heritage, was Charles Wesley who wrote thousands of hymns including: "Love Divine, All Love's Excelling," "Hark, The Herald Angels Sing," "Christ The Lord Is Risen Today," and "O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing." Charles Wesley was a saint of the church who, like most saints, was not appreciated in his own day and in his own church. Only one of his thousands of hymns appeared in the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer -- and then only by mistake.
It seems that an eighteenth-century printer didn't know that the Church of England frowned on Wesley and his works. Needing something to fill in an empty space, he took it upon himself to insert a poem, "Hark, How All The Welkins Ring!" By the time the error was discovered, it was too late. People liked it. It was later retitled, "Hark, The Herald Angels Sing" by Tenor William Haymen Cummings, who discovered that it was a perfect fit for a Mendelssohn tune. Thanks to saints like Charles Wesley, we have beautiful hymns for the entire year.
Hymn
"Hark, The Herald Angels Sing" (v. 1)
Hymn
"O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing" (vv. 1, 2)
Reader Eight
Saints Of The Black Tradition
In the early days of our country, slavery was a fact of life which kept our brothers and sisters many times as animals rather than people. But from the suffering came the saints --�saints who stood firm and held to their faith regardless of the persecution. They met in invisible churches to worship -- invisible in the sense that they were secret. They didn't have a building in which to meet, but met wherever they could -- from place to place, from plantation to plantation and even in the forest bush.
One slave -- we could name many more -- but one slave by the name of Harriet Tubman decided to do something about the plight of her people. She managed to escape and flee to Maryland where it was safe. Not satisfied with her own freedom, Harriet ran the Underground Railroad back and forth, until she had been responsible for freeing 800 slaves without a single injury to her soldiers.
When the war was over, the slaves of the South were free. In the process of running the Railroad, many of the Negro Spirituals were sung to signal black folks as to what was happening -- spirituals like: "The Chariots Are Coming," "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," "Go Down, Moses," and "I Am Bound For The Promised Land."
Hymn
"I Am Bound For The Promised Land"
Reader Nine
Saints Of Today
We are bound for the promised land when we follow the way that Christ is leading us. We are sinners on the way to becoming saints. Throughout the scriptures we read of the faith of the saints who led the children of Israel to the promised land. We read of those saints who led the infant church into being the church in the world. In more recent history, we read of the saints who brought the church and our country into being. But, in all history, it is the God of our fathers and mothers who did the leading. Saints throughout history have brought us to knowledge of the "God of our fathers, whose almighty hand leads forth in splendor in our lives."
Hymn
"God Of Our Fathers"
Reader Ten
A Look To The Future
Throughout the lives of individual churches, saints have worked and sacrificed to leave us the heritage. In a moment of silence, let us remember those who have died in recent years; let us remember those in times past who have died. Let us remember all the saints who have given us the heritage of faith.
Time Of Silent Reflection
Hymn
"For All The Saints"
Benediction (Pastor)
Go now in the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, remembering the saints of old and the saints in process as together we spread the Word of God. Amen.
Postlude
