While we will fully observe the day tomorrow in worship, today is All Saints Day. On this day, the Church remembers all of the Saints from generations past, present, and future. While many saints have their own day (for example, St. Andrew on November 30th), this day gives recognition to every saint. While history will not remember the vast majority of saints, every saint means something to Christ and leaves an impression on someone. Therefore, we observe this day to remember the stories of those who left an impression on us.
One of the ways of marking this day is to recall the saints of the congregation who have died within the past year. The congregation I serve will remember four members and three friends of the congregation who died since November 1, 2013. At tomorrow's worship service, we will light a candle for each person as a visual reminder of their passing from life in Christ to death in Christ.
We also remember God's actions to adopt us as God's children and extend to us the promise of resurrection. These things are encapsulated in this verse:
"Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is." (1 John 3:2 NRSV)
Whom do you remember? How will you remember them?
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