YouTube -- All Saints' Day, transferred (November 3, 2024)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, November 3, 2024.  It observes All Saints' Day, transferred from November 1.

Sermon -- All Saints' Day, transferred (November 3, 2024)

REVELATION 20:4-6

THEY LIVE AND REIGN WITH CHRIST.

In the name + of Jesus.

      One of the principles of Bible interpretation is “Scripture interprets Scripture.”  In other words, the clear, simple words of Scripture clarify the words which are more difficult to understand.  God’s word is true.  No teaching of the Bible will contradict another.  If an interpretation or a teaching contradicts what is clearly stated elsewhere, then we know it is wrong.  So, we let Scripture interpret Scripture.  That principle of interpretation will help us with the Revelation of St. John, particularly this part of Revelation from which many false teachings have spawned.

     Revelation is hard to understand because it is filled with figurative language.  For example, St. John recorded, “Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads” (Revelation 14:1).  These 144,000 are all those “who had been redeemed from the earth” (Revelation 14:3).  If we understand that number literally, eternal life is restricted to precious few across the history of the world.  However, the Bible states clearly, “We have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe” (1 Timothy 4:10).  Jesus has paid the redemptive price for all people.  Those who believe in him are the ones who benefit.  Jesus states, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16).  He does not put a cap on this number.  Therefore, the number 144,000 is symbolic.  12 is the number of the Church (e.g., 12 apostles, 12 tribes of Israel).  12 times 12 (144) is the Old Testament Church times the New Testament Church.  Ten is a number of completeness.  Ten times ten times ten is 1,000—complete, completer, completest.  Therefore, the sum total of those who believe in God’s promises from the Old and New Testament Church is 144 times 1,000, or 144,000.  It is just as Scripture plainly teaches, “everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21).  They live and reign with Christ.

     Now, let’s look at the verses from Revelation 20.  The clearer verses of Scripture will help us understand John’s vision.  St. John wrote, “Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed” (Revelation 20:4).  When we hear “thrones,” we think of one who reigns.  We know that Jesus lives and reigns over all things.  But John uses a plural here, “thrones.”  So, this does not refer to Jesus but to the saints who live and reign with Jesus. 

     John also saw “the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands” (Revelation 20:4).  In John’s day, Christianity was illegal, and the Roman government sought to snuff out the word of God and the testimony about Jesus.  To do that, they killed those who made the good confession.  Some were killed by lions.  Some were crucified like the apostles Peter and Andrew.  Some were beheaded like the apostle Paul.  To the world, these people were losers.  The real power seemed to be with the governments who seized and killed God’s people.  But these saints are not losers.  They are not even dead.  St. John saw them, living and reigning with Christ in the glories of heaven.

     St. John also noted why they forfeited their lives on earth.  He said they “had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands” (Revelation 20:4).  Again, some take this literally, expecting that we will be tattooed or receive some physical marking.  This interpretation has fostered some strange ideas and unnecessary fears.  To understand how to interpret this image, let’s consider another part of Scripture.  Scripture interprets Scripture.

     When the Moses called the Israelites to be faithful to the Lord, he commanded them to hold faithfully to his word.  Moses said, “These words that I command you today shall be on your heart. … You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes” (Deuteronomy 6:6,8).  The Pharisees took this quite literally, tying small boxes to their foreheads and around their wrists.  Unfortunately, the words of Jesus did not take root in their hearts.  So, the literal binding of these words to their heads and hands was useless.  Their heads rejected the Christ and their hands were dedicated to killing him.

     To have the mark of the beast on you is to use your head to adopt worldly ideas and to employ your hands to take up sinful endeavors.  God’s people are to flee from these things.  St. Paul wrote, “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.  On account of these the wrath of God is coming” (Colossians 3:5-6).  Through baptism, you have been marked as God’s people for purity and decency.  Your head, your heart, and your hands have been set apart for godliness.  Jesus Christ has delivered you from the coming wrath by taking away your sins.  The only way you can be condemned now is if you take your sins back.  This requires continual repentance by us.

     St. John saw the saints who had departed from this world.  They live and reign with Christ.  St. John wrote, “They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.  …This is the first resurrection.  Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection!  Over such the second death has no power” (Revelation 20:4-6).  St. John is not suggesting that there will be multiple resurrections from the grave.  The rest of Scripture speaks of one resurrection at which time all will be raised from the grave for the final judgment.  So, what is this first resurrection?

     Scripture interprets Scripture.  Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live” (John 5:25).  Who are these dead?  St. Paul answers that.  He wrote, “You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:1-2).  You and I are by nature sinful.  We were dead in sin, unable to change our condition, powerless to reconcile ourselves to God.  Even the best we have to offer to God is corrupted by sin and unclean. 

     Therefore, God had to act.  St. Paul wrote: “God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ” (Ephesians 2:4-5).  So, you are no longer dead in sin.  You have been given a living and active faith which trusts God’s word and strives to do God’s will.  This is the first resurrection—those who were dead in sin are now alive with Christ.  Since you are alive in Christ, the second death has no power over you.  The grave cannot keep you.  Hell will not touch you.  Jesus Christ has delivered you from all of this.  And God’s people who have departed from this world still live.  They live and reign with Christ.

     Now we come to St. John’s words which have spawned commonly held false beliefs.  St. John observed the saints in heaven and said, “[The saints] came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.  The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended” (Revelation 20:4-5).  All numbers in Revelation are symbolic, but many conclude that it is no longer symbolism once we get here.  Many teach that Jesus will return to set up an earthly reign that will endure for a literal 1,000 years.  Jesus, however, said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:26).  He will not change his mind for 1,000 years.  Recall that the number 10 is used throughout the whole book to express completeness.  10 times 10 times 10 is 1,000—complete, completer, completest.  So, what is this complete time?  It refers to the time in which Jesus Christ will live and reign over all things.  When will that be?

     Scripture interprets Scripture.  “[The Father] raised [Jesus] from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.  And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church” (Ephesians 1:20-22).  As we pray every week, Jesus Christ lives and reigns over all things.  Not “he will,” but he does!  He is seated at the right hand of God the Father from his glorious ascension until he returns to judge the living and the dead.  That is the entire New Testament era.  That is the 1,000 years. 

     Therefore, right now, God’s saints live and reign with Jesus Christ.  Many live and reign with the Lord Jesus in glory.  They dwell in the Church Triumphant, forever victorious over sin, death, and the devil.  Nothing can harm them any longer, as they await the resurrection of all flesh.  But at the resurrection, not all will rise to have eternal life.  As St. John noted, “The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended” (Revelation 20:5).  Unbelievers remain dead in sin.  The do not come to life in this world.  Unbelievers will be raised from their graves, but it is not to live.  Rather, they will be cast into the second death—forever cut off from the Lord of Life whom they rejected. 

     But you are God’s redeemed.  You are marked with baptism for a glorious future.  And while it does not seem like it, you live and reign with Jesus Christ now.  Although you see and feel your sins, they are all forgiven.  Although your body is frail and failing, you are children of the resurrection.  Although you appear weak and you struggle against temptations, you are the children of God.  Jesus Christ has marked you and continues to assure you of this so that you do not lose hope.  Right now, your life is hidden in Christ, and the glory to come will not be revealed until the Last Day.  Do not be deceived by your weakness.  You are the saints of God.  The goal and prayer of every Christian is to be God’s saints in glory—whether we live a long life or die young.  Either way, life in the kingdom of God does not end.  Together with all the saints and angels, we rejoice in Jesus’ endless reign and boundless love.  For Jesus Christ lives and reigns for us; and all God’s saints live and reign with him.

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Prayer for All Saints' Day -- 2023

 All Saints’ Day

            Lutheran worship is liturgical.  While that often refers to an order of worship, it can also refer to the calendar of the Church Year.  The Church Year includes major festivals, such as Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Pentecost, etc...  Today we observe a minor festival, All Saints’ Day, transferred from November 1.

            It is on this day that we recall all those in faith who have gone before us – most notably those who have died in the last year.  But rather than focusing on people, what they did, and how faithful they were, our focus remains on Christ, what he did, and how faithful he was to them.  No matter how much fondness we may have for one of the saints triumphant, they (and we) are only saints through Jesus Christ.

          Almighty God, today we recall with thanksgiving those saints who were taken from us in the Church Militant and carried by the angels to you and the Church Triumphant.  Especially, we give you praise for our departed family and friends who have gone before us in faith and all those who are in our hearts and minds this day:

          Earl Edwin Schroeder, father of Pastor Schroeder (April 18, 1936 - November 23, 2022)

          David Wanek, friend of Dan Rauchholz (died January 31, 2023)

          Robert LeFevre, father of Dan LeFevre (September 21, 1936 - February 9, 2023

          Joyce Rauchholz, aunt of Jean Nabozny and Dan Rauchholz (March 12, 1934 - March 13, 2023)

          Roland "Rolly" Edward Schneider, father of Dan Schneider (April 18, 1931 - May 17, 2023)

          Alex Bommarito, friend of Dan Rauchholz (died May 23, 2023)

          Arlene Helle, mother of Beverly Onder (April 16, 1937 - August 23, 2023)

          Sylvia Jeanette Campbell (January 18, 1934 – September 10, 2023)

          Ann Riegle, sister of Dan LeFevre (April 8, 1963 - April 3, 2023)

          To these, you have granted eternal rest this past year.  We thank you for giving them new life in Christ while on this earth and for sustaining them in true and saving faith throughout their life.  We praise you for finally giving them the fulfillment of your promises of salvation and eternal life.  Strengthen and sustain us in this saving faith so that we may also join with the angels and archangels and all the company of heaven in joyful praise, peace, and rest forever; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Cong: Amen.

Prayer for Saints Triumphant 2022

 

          Every year, we remember the names of loved ones who have died in the Christian faith, praising God for the mercy he has had upon them and thanking God for preserving them in that saving faith throughout their life.  Normally, the names of these departed souls are recalled in a prayer on All Saints' Day, which is November 1.  Since Good Shepherd does not have a specific All Saints' Day service, we transfer this prayer and these remembrances to the 3rd Sunday of End Times which focuses on Saints Triumphant.

          Members of Good Shepherd who have been called to eternal rest this past year are automatically included.  Members of Good Shepherd were also welcomed to submit the names of loved ones who died in the Christian faith between November 14, 2021 and November 13, 2022.  

PRAYER FOR SAINTS TRIUMPHANT

            Almighty God, today we recall with thanksgiving those saints who were taken from us in the Church Militant and carried by the angels to you and the Church Triumphant.  Especially, we give you praise for our departed family and friends who have gone before us in faith and all those who are in our hearts and minds this day:

Carol Kirvan, sister of David Kirvan (December 21, 1956, - December 7, 2021)

Margaretha Lester, member of Good Shepherd (March 4, 1935 – January 11, 2022)

Pam Weaver, wife of David Kirvan’s cousin, (September 28, 1953 – January 20, 2022)

Gentry Yearout, brother-in-law of Mark & Carol Casmer (March 11, 1940 – April 17, 2022)

Mackenzie Schmidt, niece of Pastor & Laura Schroeder (February 27, 1999 – October 23, 2022)

            To these, you have granted eternal rest this past year.  We thank you for giving them new life in Christ while on this earth and for sustaining them in true and saving faith throughout their life.  We praise you for finally giving them the fulfillment of your promises of salvation and eternal life.  Strengthen and sustain us in this saving faith so that we may also join with the angels and archangels and all the company of heaven in joyful praise, peace, and rest forever; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Cong:  Amen.

Saints Triumphant -- Call for Names of Remembrance

CALL FOR NAMES -- 

SAINTS TRIUMPHANT

               Every year, we remember the names of loved ones who have died in the Christian faith, praising God for the mercy he has had upon them and thanking God for preserving them in that saving faith throughout their life.  Normally, the names of these departed souls are recalled in a prayer on All Saints' Day, which is November 1.  Since Good Shepherd does not have a specific All Saints' Day service, we transfer this prayer and these remembrances to the 3rd Sunday of End Times which focuses on Saints Triumphant.

               Members of Good Shepherd who have been called to eternal rest this past year are automatically included.  Members of Good Shepherd, you may also submit the names of your own loved ones who have died in the Christian faith between November 14, 2021 and November 13, 2022.  When submitting these names, please include:

          1. the name of the deceased
          2. your name
          3. how he/she was related to you
          4. the dates of his/her birth and death, if known

               All names submitted by Thursday, November 10 will be listed in the bulletin.  Names may still be submitted as late as Sunday morning but will not be printed in the bulletin.

Names can be submitted to: welsnovi@aol.com 

               The prayer which will be spoken on the Sunday of Saints Triumphant is here:

PRAYER FOR ALL SAINTS’ DAY

M:          Almighty God, today we recall with thanksgiving those saints who were taken from us in the Church Militant and carried by the angels to you and the Church Triumphant.  Especially, we give you praise for our departed family and friends who have gone before us in faith and all those who are in our hearts and minds this day:

               (The names of those who are to be remembered are read).

               To these, you have granted eternal rest this past year.  We thank you for giving them new life in Christ while on this earth and for sustaining them in true and saving faith throughout their life.  We praise you for finally giving them the fulfillment of your promises of salvation and eternal life.  Strengthen and sustain us in this saving faith so that we may also join with the angels and archangels and all the company of heaven in joyful praise, peace, and rest forever; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Cong:    Amen.

Prayer for Saints Triumphant

Every year, we remember the names of loved ones who have died in the Christian faith, praising God for the mercy he has had upon them and thanking God for preserving them in that saving faith throughout their life.  Normally, the names of these departed souls are recalled in a prayer on All Saints' Day, which is November 1.  Good Shepherd will transfer this prayer and these remembrances to the 3rd Sunday of End Times which focuses on Saints Triumphant.  This year that falls on November 15.

  In addition to members of Good Shepherd who have been called to eternal rest, names have been submitted of loved ones who have died in the Christian faith between November 19, 2019 and November 15, 2020. 

PRAYER FOR SAINTS TRIUMPHANT

M: Almighty God, today we recall with thanksgiving those saints who were taken from us in the Church Militant and carried by the angels to you and the Church Triumphant.  Especially, we give you praise for our departed family and friends who have gone before us in faith and all those who are in our hearts and minds this day: 

(The names of those who are to be remembered are read.)

Samir Zayed, uncle of Norma Kirvan (October 17, 1937 – February 1, 2020)

Barbara Ann Sullivan (November 7, 1934 – February 29, 2020)

Paul Eugene Sullivan (January 22, 1938 – April 8, 2020)

Jerome Eugene Spaude, father of Cathy Mowers (September 1, 1928 – April 19, 2020)

Janet Lee Papson (September 13, 1952 – May 15, 2020)

Crystal Reisig, mother of Ken Reisig, (August 30, 1943 – August 8 2020)

Adolfine Janecke (November 11, 1924 – September 10, 2020)

Victor V. Voigt, father of Colleen Fadool (April 20, 1927 – October 3, 2020)

Ken Reisig, father of Ken Reisig, (September 15, 1940 – October 9, 2020)

Irvin Haase, grandfather of Paul Haase (March 2, 1922 – October 26, 2020) 

To these, you have granted eternal rest this past year.  We thank you for giving them new life in Christ while on this earth and for sustaining them in true and saving faith throughout their life.  We praise you for finally giving them the fulfillment of your promises of salvation and eternal life.  Strengthen and sustain us in this saving faith so that we may also join with the angels and archangels and all the company of heaven in joyful praise, peace, and rest forever; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Cong: Amen.

All Saints' Day -- Call for names for remembrance

Every year, we remember the names of loved ones who have died in the Christian faith, praising God for the mercy he has had upon them and thanking God for preserving them in that saving faith throughout their life.  Normally, the names of these departed souls are recalled in a prayer on All Saints' Day, which is November 1.  Good Shepherd will transfer this prayer and these remembrances to the 3rd Sunday of End Times which focuses on Saints Triumphant.

  In addition to members of Good Shepherd who have been called to eternal rest, you may submit the names of your own loved ones who have died in the Christian faith between November 17, 2019 and November 15, 2020.  When submitting these names, please included

1.  the name of the deceased

2.  your name

3.  how he/she was related to you

4.  the dates of his/her birth and death, if known

All names given by Thursday, November 12 will be submitted in the bulletin.  Names may still be submitted as late as Sunday morning, but will not be printed in the bulletin.

The prayer which will be spoken on the Festival of All Saints is listed below.

PRAYER FOR ALL SAINTS’ DAY

Almighty God, today we recall with thanksgiving those saints who were taken from us in the Church Militant and carried by the angels to you and the Church Triumphant.  Especially, we give you praise for our departed family and friends who have gone before us in faith and all those who are in our hearts and minds this day: 

(The names of those who are to be remembered are read.)

To these, you have granted eternal rest this past year.  We thank you for giving them new life in Christ while on this earth and for sustaining them in true and saving faith throughout their life.  We praise you for finally giving them the fulfillment of your promises of salvation and eternal life.  Strengthen and sustain us in this saving faith so that we may also join with the angels and archangels and all the company of heaven in joyful praise, peace, and rest forever; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Cong: Amen.

Prayer for All Saints / Saints Triumphant

        Every year, we remember the names of loved ones who have died in the Christian faith, praising God for the mercy he has had upon them and thanking God for preserving them in that saving faith throughout their life.  Normally, the names of these departed souls are recalled in a prayer on All Saints' Day, which is November 1.  Since Good Shepherd does not have a specific All Saints' Day service, we transfer this prayer and these remembrances to the 3rd Sunday of End Times which focuses on Saints Triumphant.  This year, that service was Sunday, November 17.

        Members of Good Shepherd who have been called to eternal rest this past year are automatically included.  Members of Good Shepherd have also submitted the names of loved ones who died in the Christian faith between November 18, 2018 and November 17, 2019. 

        The prayer which was spoken on the Sunday of Saints Triumphant is listed below.

PRAYER FOR SAINTS TRIUMPHANT

Almighty God, today we recall with thanksgiving those saints who were taken from us in the Church Militant and carried by the angels to you and the Church Triumphant.  Especially, we give you praise for our departed family and friends who have gone before us in faith and all those who are in our hearts and minds this day: 

Peggy Black, served by Pastor Schroeder (date – January 11, 2019)
Steve Smith, brother-in-law of David Kirvan, (July 18, 1948 – January 25, 2019)
Michael Himm, brother-in-law of Bob DuBois (December 7, 1953 – February 7, 2019) 
Rosemarie Connell, aunt of David Kirvan, (February 2, 26, 1927 – March 1, 2019)
Daniel Richard Tulkki, brother of David Tulkki (December 16, 1961 – April 14, 2019)

Dale Peterson, father of Jeanette Schneider (February 20, 1940 – May 3, 2019)

Matthew T. Sass, cousin of Kendra Fecho (October 11, 1973 – June 1, 2019)
Hannah Kieta, daughter of Rev. Geoff and Becky Kieta of Peace Lutheran Church, Livonia (December 28, 1994 – August 7, 2019)
Joseph Kalesavich, brother-in-law of Bob DuBois (February 20, 1957 – October 10, 2019) 
Reinhardt Shier, served by Pastor Schroeder (May 29, 1937 – November 1, 2019)

To these, you have granted eternal rest this past year.  We thank you for giving them new life in Christ while on this earth and for sustaining them in true and saving faith throughout their life.  We praise you for finally giving them the fulfillment of your promises of salvation and eternal life.  Strengthen and sustain us in this saving faith so that we may also join with the angels and archangels and all the company of heaven in joyful praise, peace, and rest forever; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Cong: Amen.

A Prayer for All Saints' Day

A Prayer for All Saints' Day

          In our liturgical tradition, we offer up a prayer of remembrance for those who have died in the Christian faith in the past year.  Traditionally, this is done on All Saints' Day, November 1.  However, Good Shepherd does not hold a service on All Saints' Day.  We transfer this prayer to the 3rd Sunday of End Time which will be on November 19 this year.  The 3rd Sunday of End Time is also known in our congregation as "Saints Triumphant." 

          Below is the prayer that we will use.  We will add the names of members, members' family, and members' friends once they have been submitted.  

          "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints." (Psalm 116:15)


PRAYER FOR ALL SAINTS’ DAY

Almighty God, today we recall with thanksgiving those saints who were taken from us in the Church Militant and carried by the angels to you and the Church Triumphant.  Especially, we give you praise for our departed family and friends who have gone before us in faith and all those who are in our hearts and minds this day:

(The names of those who are to be remembered are read.)

To these, you have granted eternal rest this past year.  We thank you for giving them new life in Christ while on this earth and for sustaining them in true and saving faith throughout their life.  We praise you for finally giving them the fulfillment of your promises of salvation and eternal life.  Strengthen and sustain us in this saving faith so that we may also join with the angels and archangels and all the company of heaven in joyful praise, peace, and rest forever; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Cong: Amen.

Sermon -- 3rd Sunday of End Times: Saints Triumphant (November 13, 2016)

LUKE 20:27-38

WE LOOK FOR THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD AND THE LIFE OF THE WORLD TO COME.

In the name + of Jesus.

      We believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.  Out of love, he made this world and all that is in it for mankind to care for and to enjoy.  Out of love for you, he put you in this world at the specific time and place he wanted you to be.  God owed none of this to anyone.  It is all by his grace.  It is all because God is love.
     God put you in this world, and he has not designed you to be disposable.  To God, no person's life is disposable.  While it is true that every person has a day when he will die, no one is disposable.  God created Adam and Eve to be people whom he would love forever.  So it is with you.  When you die, you do not evaporate.  No soul is annihilated.  The dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12:7)  The body returns to dust, but that is not how God designed it to be.  Death is the result of sin's curse, not God's design.  God loves what he has created.  You are not disposable.  Therefore, God redeemed what he has created so that death is not the end for you.  Though the body goes to the grave, the grave must give up its dead.  On the Last Day, we will see what we believe: We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. (Nicene Creed)
     Not everyone believes in the resurrection of the body.  The Sadducees didn't.  They were the temple priests.  They did not believe in angels, spirits, or any resurrection.  They limited their concerns to the here and now.  So when they came to Jesus to ask about the resurrection from the dead, it was not out of curiosity.  It was mockery.  The Sadducees presented Jesus with a hypothetical case which was supposed to prove that the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting are a farce.  They assumed that, if there were an afterlife, it would be the same as life is now—with multiple marriage partners, broken homes, and dysfunctional families.  If such things are common even in Christian homes, the Sadducees wondered how messed up things would be in eternal dwellings.
     Jesus responded bluntly.  “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.” (Luke 20:34-36)  The fact is, there will not be broken families, strained relationships, or shattered lives in the world to come.  That is one of the reasons we look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.
     God's design for a family—established by the marriage of a husband and wife—is a blessing in this world.  Through the marriage of a man and a woman, the Lord provides love, discipline, care, and stability for the children who are born into each family.  Marriage and the children that come from it are necessary for this world since generations continue to die.  Each generation repopulates the world with its offspring, and then it passes away.  Each subsequent generation has to grieve as they bury their parents and  grandparents.  And while it is heart-rending for the children who must do it, it is not unusual.  Death comes into the world because of sin.  And since all are sinners, all die.
     The Sadducees dealt with this reality by dismissing thoughts of an afterlife.  Like the Sadducees, many care only for what they can get out of this life.  But this hope is nothing more than a denial that we are accountable to God for our lives.  If we don't have to face a sentence at our judgment, then we don't have to answer to God.  It is a horrible way to contend with guilt because it rejects what your conscience plainly tells you—you ARE accountable for your actions.  Why else would you feel badly about them?  Still others prefer reincarnation—being born back into a sinful world with its pains and sorrows again and again and again.  This does not elude death; it repeats the cycle again and again and again.  Neither of these is true, nor actually deals with one's sin or overcomes death.
     We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.  Christians rightly look forward to a joyful reunion with all the saints in heaven.  Still, the relationships that we know now will not be the same in heaven.  The Lord does not need us to have marriages to repopulate heaven.  There is no need for birth announcements because there shall be no obituaries.  All of God's people, like the angels, shall live forever in God's presence, and with perfected personalities.  For that reason, you will not have a strained relationship with anyone who is there.  Nor will you feel distant from any of the saints there.  Here, families can be shattered by divorce, and people can be unfriended because of which for filling in the wrong oval on November 8.  Even Christians know what factions are like—whether because of denominational differences or because you don't feel like you belong to your own congregation.  That's because we are still sinners and we don't love perfectly.  But in the life of the world to come, you will not feel unwelcome, lonely, or awkward.  You will know that you are just as wanted and welcomed as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as apostles and prophets, and as bold confessors and humble, unknown servants of Christ.  For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:26)  Therefore, you are all shall be brothers and sisters who are beloved of God, and you will be perfectly beloved by one another.
     For Jesus Christ, who has suffered and died to take away our sins, will raise us up in absolute perfection.  Here on earth, we strive to serve the Lord with holy lives.  But we continue to give evidence that we do not live up to the righteousness God credits us with.  You may feel slighted because you don't think others are making enough of a fuss over you and your ego is not being fed enough.  Or you may be so self-absorbed that you don't even realize that you fail to give attention to others or put forth effort to make them feel welcome.  You know that it is not always easy to live with sinners.  Repent; for you are not always easy to live with either.  But that is why we continue to come to our Savior.  He forgives our sins.  He feeds our faith.  He heals our wounds.  He transforms our hearts so that we forgive others, amend our own lives, and demonstrate true compassion for others.  And he will finally deliver us from lives which are often weak on love to glorious, eternal lives where we are perfected in love.  That is another reason why we look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.
     “But that the dead are raised,” Jesus said, “even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.  Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living...” (Luke 20:37-38)  The Lord had declared to Moses, “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” (Exodus 3:6, paraphrased)  The verb tense matters.  He did not say, “I was their God,” but “I am their God.”  In other words, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were alive and well with the Lord.  For, God did not make people to be disposable.  God created us to live.  And God loves what he has created.  So he sent Jesus to redeem us from death so that we could live forever with him.  Even the damned will not be disposed of.  Their existence will go on forever, but in hell.  But not so with you who believe in Jesus.  You have been rescued from death and hell.  And like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, you will live with the Lord forever.
     Finally, on the Last Day, we will receive our perfect and permanent victory over death once and for all.  Jesus, who rose from his grave with his perfect, glorified, and immortal flesh, will raise up our flesh to be perfect, glorified, and immortal.  Never again will we get sick or frail, diseased or disabled, or bitter, suspicious, or mean.  We will be perfected in body and soul, heart and mind.  And while we will be like the angels, you will not become angels.  God created you to be you.  Not even your humanity is disposable, just as Jesus is and remains true man forever.  He redeemed you as you.  And he will raise up you to be the perfect you he always intended you to be.  For God loves what he has created in you.  He has redeemed you, and he will raise you up to live with him and all the saints in holy bliss forever.  This is what we pray for and confess: We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen. 

A Prayer for All Saints' Day

          In our liturgical tradition, we offer up a prayer of remembrance for those who have died in the Christian faith in the past year.  Normally, we do this on the second last Sunday of the Church Year, a Sunday known as "Saints Triumphant."  This year, since All Saints' Day lands on a Sunday, we will observe this rite this Sunday, November 1.
          Below is the prayer that we will use, as well as the names of members, members' family, and members' friends which have been submitted for remembrance.  (Names may still be submitted for remembrance, but will not be included in the bulletin.)
          "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints." (Psalm 116:15)


PRAYER FOR ALL SAINTS’ DAY

Almighty God, today we recall with thanksgiving those saints who were taken from us in the Church Militant and carried by the angels to you and the Church Triumphant.  Especially, we give you praise for our departed family and friends who have gone before us in faith and all those who are in our hearts and minds this day:

(The names of those who are to be remembered are read.)

Irmgard Black, aunt of David Kirvan, (died January 2015)
Yesmeen Zayed, aunt of Norma Kirvan, (died February 2015)
Walter G. Trapp, friend of David & Diane Rumics, (died February 16, 2015)
Catherine Reising, daughter of Richard & Janet Reising, (died March 16, 2015)
Steven Paul Voigt, cousin of Colleen Fadool, (died April 2015)
Alice Rauchholz, mother of Jean Rauchholz Nabozny and Dan Rauchholz, (died June 1, 2015)
Melvin Usimaki, uncle of Mary LeFevre, (died September 17, 2015)
Genevieve Usimaki, aunt of Mary LeFevre, (died October 25, 2015)

To these, you have granted eternal rest this past year.  We thank you for giving them new life in Christ while on this earth and for sustaining them in true and saving faith throughout their life.  We praise you for finally giving them the fulfillment of your promises of salvation and eternal life.  Strengthen and sustain us in this saving faith so that we may also join with the angels and archangels and all the company of heaven in joyful praise, peace, and rest forever; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Cong: Amen.

Sermon -- End Times 3, Saints Triumphant (November 18, 2012)

DANIEL 12:1-3

YOU WILL SHINE IN GLORY.

In the name + of Jesus.

Blessed are the saints of God; they are bought with Christ’s own blood.

They are ransomed from the grave; life eternal they shall have.
With them numbered may we be here and in eternity. (CW 394:1)

     Dear Christians, as you sang that opening hymn, you may have prayed that you would one day be among the saints of God.  But I hope you realize this: You already are saints of God.  You have been bought with the blood of Jesus Christ.  You have been ransomed from the grave.  Though you will go to your grave one day, you will not remain.  The grave does not own you; Jesus does.  Remember?  “Bought with Christ’s own blood.”  That is what ransoms you.  Life eternal you shall have.  In fact, life eternal you already have.  You do not yet have heaven.  That will come.  But you have life in Christ already, and that never ends.  You are numbered with the saints of God here, and God will sustain you through his word and sacraments so that you will be numbered among the saints in the Church Triumphant forever.

     But if you have a hard time considering yourself among the blessed saints of God, it is probably because you do not look like a saint.  You don’t act like a saint.  And the adjective triumphant is not one that you would use to describe your life.  An honest assessment of yourself and your life proves that you are a sinful being living in a sinful world.  You face the same vexing and seductive temptations day after day.  They are seductive because you would like to give in to them.  They are vexing because you do.  You sin against your God, your spouse, your children, your co-workers, and so forth.  This is not saintly, but wicked.

     You also do not appear to be especially triumphant.  You have to deal with a body that is failing—one organ, one nerve, or one sense at a time.  You have family or friends whom you see suffer and struggle, and it grieves you.  You face hardships from people who deceive you and lie about you.  You hurt from the cruel words of loved ones or the heartless actions of strangers.  You seem to barely be getting by, and there are days you would like to just quit – quit your job, quit your friends, quit your responsibilities, and maybe even on really bad days quit your life.  And you wonder, “This is what it is like to be a child of God?!”

     In this world you will have trouble, but all this is not of trouble Daniel foretold.  Daniel warned that a time of persecution is coming upon the Church.  Satan will be unleashed and launch a last-ditch assault, and he will try to eradicate the Church from the earth when the end of the world is imminent.  I can’t tell you when it will be, and I can’t tell you how bad it might get.  I can only tell you that Daniel describes it as “a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time.” (Daniel 12:1)  You will feel even less like the saints of God when that hardship comes.  The Lord loves his Church, and yet he will let her endure intense pain, loss, and suffering.  If you wonder where the glory is now, you may be tempted to renounce the faith altogether when persecution comes with great fury. Beware.  Keep watch.  You are still the saints of God.  You are still blessed.  And your hope remains the same: Jesus Christ.

     The Lord foretold through the prophet Daniel: “At that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.  And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.  And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” (Daniel 12:1-3)

     Brothers and sisters, you will shine in glory.  But your glory is not now.  It will be for you like it was for Jesus.  In this world, you will live in humility and weakness and suffering.  The glory comes after the resurrection.  Then, you will shine in glory.

     It is not until the resurrection that you will finally appear to be exactly what God says you are.  The judgment will come.  The dead will be raised.  And the Lord will show before the entire population of the world’s history who are blessed and who are cursed.  Those who are blessed will shine in glory and be taken to the bliss of heaven.  Those who are evil will delivered over to everlasting shame and damnation.  There will be no mistaking who is who.  And the hymn we sang today will ring especially true on that day: “Blessed are the saints of God.”  You are the saints of God.  At the resurrection, you will not know it by faith, but by sight.  You will shine in glory.

     But it is important to understand why you have such confidence.  It is through Jesus Christ who had come once to ransom you.  Jesus Christ became flesh to redeem you from sin, death, and Satan.  He suffered all of the hatred and pain and rejection at the hands of sinful men.  He died in shame and contempt under the curse of the heavenly Father.  He died for sinners to redeem you from all of your shame, your guilt, and your regrets.  He paid the price so that sin cannot condemn you.  Satan cannot accuse you.  The grave does not own you.  Jesus’ resurrection from the grave is the proof of his judgment upon you.  He who is flesh and blood conquered death for you.  He assures you that you, who are flesh and blood, will rise from the grave, too.  He lives and reigns to verify your forgiveness, to deliver you from evil, and to bring you to heaven. 

     Jesus has called you out of a world that is dying and cursed because it is infested with evil.  He has cleansed you through your baptism so that you are purified from evil.  And if you are pure, then there is no more curse upon you.  Jesus has saved you through your baptism.  This is how he has made you saints of God.  Jesus sustains you through his absolution.  This is how he assures you that you are still saints of God.  Jesus strengthens you through his supper.  This is where he feeds you and strengthens you as saints of God.  This is where you get to join in with the saints in heaven for the feast of victory.  Though the glory is hidden, it is here.  Though you may not seem triumphant, the victory is yours.  Here, the Lord dispenses his forgiveness.  Here, the Lord pours out his mercy.  Here, the Lord makes you partakers of eternal life.

     Jesus has called you out of shame and contempt and sin and death.  Jesus gives you peace and blessing and life.  Keep yourselves free from the evil that is so prevalent and celebrated in this world.  Do not go back to deeds that lead to death.  Repent of your sins and flee to Jesus.  In Jesus, you will always find forgiveness, a life of comfort and hope, and eternal salvation.  In Jesus, you have deliverance from the devil’s taunting and death’s threats.  In Jesus, all shame is covered and all glory awaits. 

     You will shine in glory with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven.  You’ve been forever redeemed from the curse.  You are forever blessed among the saints of God.  For now, the glory is hidden, but you will shine in glory.  You have been made wise for salvation, knowing that your judgment and your eternity rest in the hands of Jesus Christ.  You have been made wise to know that Jesus dispenses his mercy and salvation through his Church which preaches his word, proclaims his absolution, and administers his sacraments.  You have been made wise to know that the wedding feast of the Lamb is here, that the saints of God gather around the feast, and that what has begun here will continue through all eternity.  And you know that those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above. (Daniel 12:3) 

     You will shine in glory, for you are the saints of God.  You have been bought with Christ’s own blood.  You have been ransomed from the grave.  Life eternal you shall have.  You are numbered with God’s saints here and, by God’s gracious care, in eternity.

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. 

Prayer of the Day -- End Times 3 (Saints Triumphant)

Almighty God and Savior, you have set the final day and hour when we shall be delivered from this world of sin and death.  Keep us ever watchful for the coming of your Son that we may sit with him and all your holy ones at the marriage feast in heaven; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

We recall that the Day of Judgment is a day unknown to anyone on earth.  While that might fill us with fear and trepidation, it need not -- not when we remember that the Judge of all is our Savior.  He who renders the verdict has already given us ours: Forgiven, and therefore heirs of eternal life.

Therefore, Judgment Day is a day when we will, once and for all time, be delivered from evil.  No more death or mourning or cyring or pain, for the old order of things has passed away (Revelation 21:4). 

Therefore, we keep watch.  We watch our lives so that we are not ensnared by sin, deceived by false teachings, or overcome by despair.  We keep watch for Jesus, knowing that he will come again and put an end to all frustrations and temptations and that he will deliver us forever from evil.  And we keep focused on Jesus who comes to us at the sacrament.  We partake with all saints in the marriage feast for a moment at the Supper, and we look forward to the unending feast, again with all the saints, in the glories of heaven.

The Communion of Saints

As I was visiting one of our shut-ins today, I was pondering a portion of the order that I often use with them.  Following our meditation on the up-coming Sunday's sermon, we continue with the liturgy for the Lord's Supper.  In the order I use, it begins:

"These elements have been carried from the altar of the church of our Lord Jesus Christ, where his blessed words of institution were spoken over them, words which I now repeat in your hearing."

These words highlight to the shut-in (or hospital patient, as the case may be) that he or she is still a part of our congregation and is still communing with us.  It is not that he or she refuses to come to the altar with us; it is that physical weakness, ailments, or in some cases distance, prohibit it.

We are one body of Christ, and while some are unable to be with us, they are still of one body with us.  Christ still comes to bless us with Holy Communion.  For the shut-in, that is not some renegade form of Communion, as if it is a different or unique communion from the rest of the congregation..  It is still linked with God's altar and God's people.  They are not forgotten.  They are still united.  They are still our fellow communicants.  They are still blessed.