Two of my favorite services of the year are All Saints and Ash Wednesday. You can't get through either of these services without coming face to face with the reality of death. It's not that I have a morbid fascination with death or anything. It is just that life cannot be fully lived in the way it ought without a reminder that at some point we will all die. In fact life is a series of "deaths" if you think about it. Often one thing must be sacrificed in order to experience another. And of course we, as Christians, understand that even to enter the Kingdom of God, we must put to death our old self in order to experience new life. That is why we practice the sacrament of baptism.
As we prepare for our Sunday celebration of All Saints Day, take a look at this video by Francis Chan. He makes a good point with this simple illustration. Although I would not agree with Chan's assertion that eternity will be spent in some other spiritual place (heaven) but rather here in the new heavens AND earth that we see portrayed at the end of Revelation, his overall point is good.
What Are You Living For? (Video Link)
Finally, All Saints Sunday is one of my favorite because it provides a clear picture of how we are still so close with our loved ones who have died in the faith. When we worship here on earth, we are joining with those who have gone before and are doing the same thing in such a more vivid way (in high definition if you will). I would encourage you to keep those dear "saints" close in your mind and hearts as we worship, and especially as we come to the table this Sunday. As we experience the presence of Christ, we will also experience their presence with us as we are, together, the communion of Saints!
