The following article is a blog post from Pastor Matthew Ballman, Pastor Ballman serves Trinity San Antonio, an AFLC church plant in San Antonio, TX and is one of the church plants that we regularly pray for at ORLC. If you are interested in the church planting work going on in San Antonio, you can check out their website.
Feast of All Saints’ Day
Helping families find ways to allow the life-giving truth of Christ to permeate day-to-day life is something we are passionate about here at Trinity! Following the church year can be a great way to do this, so today we are talking about All Saints’ Day, which is coming up on November 1st.
What is All Saints’ Day?
Originally All Saints’ Day was a day set aside to remember the martyrs of the early church, who had given their lives for their faith in Christ. Today we remember not only these martyrs, but all the faithful who have died in Christ, encompassing the faithful in the Bible, the early church, the more recent past, and even friends or family members who are now in heaven. 1 Corinthians 1:2 tells us that all who are in Christ are saints. The word “saint” is derived from a Greek verb (hagiazo) whose basic meaning is “to set apart, ” “sanctify, ” or “make holy.” This title doesn’t just belong to a select few Christians but to each and every person who has been forgiven in Christ Jesus. What Memorial Day is to America, All Saints’ Day is to the Church, a day of remembrance and thankfulness.
Why celebrate All Saints’ Day?
All Saints’ Day is a great opportunity to reflect on God’s faithfulness, to thank Him for the example of faithful believers, and to be inspired by this example. This could be a great time to share with your kids about a faithful grandparent or mentor who God used to draw you closer to Him. You might want to read the story of a faithful saint from the Bible, or a biography of a missionary or early church figure. As we retell the story of the faithful Christians who have gone before, we give our children (and ourselves) a vision for what God could do through us, and our hearts are drawn in faith and praise to Him for His work throughout the ages in ordinary individuals just like us.
How can we celebrate All Saints’ Day?
Here are a few ideas to choose from for celebrating this day with your family:
1) Attend a service at a church that celebrates All Saints’ Day. At Trinity this Sunday Pastor Matthew will preach on this theme.
2) Read and discuss a passage of Scripture that talks about the saints throughout time, such as: Revelation 7:2-17.
3) Read a biography about a famous Christian from history. Here are a few of our favorites:
Trial and Triumph: Stories from Church History by Richard Hannula
Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomie DePaola
Martin Luther: A Man Who Changed the World by Paul Maier
The Simonetta Carr biographies
Missionary biographies
4) Share about the life of a faithful Christian you knew personally who is now in heaven, and take a moment to thank God as a family for this saint.
Let’s take some time this November 1st to thank God for the faithful that make up the body of Christ; in heaven and on earth, famous or little known, and to be encouraged to trust in His faithfulness to help us and our children run the race He has for us!