October 29, 2020
Dear Road Church Friends,
Sunday, November 1st, is All Saints’ Day. This is a special day on the Church calendar. It is dedicated to the remembrance and celebration of the lives of all saints everywhere, past and present. God has called all of us to be saints, and the task which has been laid upon all saints is to make a positive difference in the lives of others. This requires that we run a good race. This will be the subject of my Sunday message but I ask for your help.
All of us know people who have made a difference in our lives. They could be teachers, counselors, friends, coworkers or acquaintances whose example or wise, encouraging words were just what we needed. These people were angels and saints who helped us find our way or fulfill our dreams on the path of life.
I would like to include in our Sunday service an All Saints’ Day Prayer of Remembrance and Appreciation. In that prayer I would like to include the name of one person, living or dead, who has been, or still is, a guiding light or a guardian angel to you. All names I receive will be listed in my prayer of remembrance. If you wish, tell me in a few sentences how the person you select helped you. You may relay the name of your saint to me by email or a phone call.
The Scripture readings for this All Saints’ Day message are:
Hebrews 12:1-2, 22-24
“Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.
You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant.”
Revelation 7:9-12, 17
After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, singing, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever!
The Lamb will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
These readings give us glimpses of all saints of all times in heaven and on earth joined in joyful celebration as one eternal family before the throne of God. The saints above are depicted as a “cloud of witnesses,” like spectators in a stadium cheering us on, and we, the saints on earth, are compared to athletes on a track team running in a race. The saints who have run their lap have passed the baton to us. It is our turn to run our lap with determination and without distraction. We are to keep in step with Jesus who is our lead runner and coach.
My Sunday message will offer a few pointers on how to run a good race.
Blessings to all,
Pastor Norm normerlendson@gmail.com 860-759-6720
Worship Service on YouTube: https://youtu.be/g1sygkTazu8