Our faith community will observe All Saints Day on Sunday, November 2. All Saints, of course, has been observed among Christians for centuries, and has been observed in so many forms that it can be confusing. Thus, I would like to reflect on how we celebrate All Saints in our little corner of the Protestant world.
We have no process of canonization in our tradition, thus, All Saints is but loosely bound to the Catholic tradition of recognizing those individuals canonized by the Catholic Church. The New Testament recognizes all believers as Saints, so we will recognize those who have gone before us, and on whose shoulders we stand. All Saints, for us, is somewhat like a Christian Memorial Day, but with a twist.
All Saints is about community and unity; and on this day we try to recognize the unity that exists among all Christians, and to recognize that our practicing community includes far more than those individuals gathered for worship. Those we have loved and lost, those who helped to mold our spiritual lives, those who have made sacrificial contributions to the body of Christ … all of these are recognized on All Saints day; recognized, remembered, honored, and loved.
