All Saints / All Souls Sunday, 01/11/2026
SENTENCE FROM SCRIPTURE:
Give thanks to the Lord for his mercy and the wonders he does for his children. (Psalm 107)
HYMN-
GREETING
Grace and peace to you from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen
COLLECT FOR PURITY
Almighty God,
to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hidden:
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
SUMMARY OF THE LAW
Our Lord Jesus Christ said: The first commandment is this:
Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is the only Lord. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.”
The second is this: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these. Amen. Lord, have mercy.
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
God is love and we are God’s children. There is no room for fear in love. We love because God loved us first.
Let us confess our sins in penitence and faith.
SILENCE
God our Father,
we confess to you
and to our fellow members in the Body of Christ
that we have sinned in thought, word and deed,
and in what we have failed to do.
We are truly sorry.
Forgive us our sins,
and deliver us from the power of evil,
for the sake of your Son who died for us, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
ABSOLUTION
God, who is both power and love,
forgive you and free you from your sins,
heal and strengthen you by the Holy Spirit,
and raise you to new life in Christ our Lord. Amen.
GLORIA
sung by Dougie Byers
COLLECT FOR TODAY
Almighty God,
you have knit together your elect in one communion
in the mystical body of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord:
grant that we may attain, with all your saints,
the whole measure of the fullness of Christ;
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, world without end. Amen.
PROCLAIMING & RECEIVING GOD’S WORD
FIRST READING
Joshua 3.7–17,
read by Annette Beagrie
7 The LORD said to Joshua, ‘This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so that they may know that I will be with you as I was with Moses. 8 You are the one who shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, “When you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.”’
9 Joshua then said to the Israelites, ‘Draw near and hear the words of the LORD your God.’ 10 Joshua said, ‘By this you shall know that among you is the living God who without fail will drive out from before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites: 11 the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is going to pass before you into the Jordan. 12 So now select twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. ✝ 13 When the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan flowing from above shall be cut off; they shall stand in a single heap.’ 14 When the people set out from their tents to cross over the Jordan, the priests bearing the ark of the covenant were in front of the people. 15 Now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest. So when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the edge of the water, 16 the waters flowing from above stood still, rising up in a single heap far off at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, while those flowing towards the sea of the Arabah, the Dead Sea, were wholly cut off. Then the people crossed over opposite Jericho.
17 While all Israel were crossing over on dry ground, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, until the entire nation finished crossing over the Jordan.
SECOND READING
1 Thessalonians 2.9–13,
read by Tom Lochhead
9 You remember our labour and toil, brothers and sisters; we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and God also, how pure, upright, and blameless our conduct was towards you believers. 11 As you know, we dealt with each one of you like a father with his children,
12 urging and encouraging you and pleading that you lead a life worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. 13 We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God’s word, which is also at work in you believers.
GRADUAL HYMN
GOSPEL
Matthew 5, 1-12,
read by the Rev Chris Wren
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew, Chapter 5, beginning at verse 1
Glory to Christ our Saviour
1 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 And he began to speak and taught them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Give thanks to the Lord for his glorious Gospel
Praise to Christ our Lord.
SERMON by Rev Chris Wren
At the beginning of the month, I was in Sweden celebrating with the Franciscans there the 800 Anniversary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi. The event is known as the Transitus. The translation journey from life to life.
Most excitingly, this was held in a Church which was the first Franciscan Monastery in Sweden, build in the town which was, in the 13th Century the seat of Government of the country. A place called Arboga.
The church is all that is left of the one-time, large monastery and the whole of the South wall was covered with painted murals depicting the life of important Christians and their journeys of faith. One or two horrific depictions of being boiled, flayed, tortured, but nevertheless portrays of real Christian journeys. As I entered the front door the images were a stark reminder of Heaven and Hell and the realistic journeys to those within the experience of many experiencing their own ‘Transitus’.
These portrayals were important to the mediaeval Christians as a reminder that Christian life in not all plain sailing rather can be very tough for those who were willing to stand up for their faith.
We may not face the trials shown on those walls. Yet we too know what it is to struggle, to doubt and to wonder where God is leading us. The saints are not simply figures from a distant past: their journeys speak to our own.
Today the Church worldwide celebrates the great cloud of witnesses in our faith, who in their own individual way have in their life journey struggled with their faith, with doubts, darkness, mystery and understanding God’s will for them in this life.
They are important to us today because they portray a rich tapestry of different ways to experience life with God in this world and open for us many different routes our journey can take. There are mystics, missionaries, poets, musicians, mendicants, preachers, confessors, the list goes on. Most importantly, they were equally people who spent their lives dedicated to listening to what God wanted them to do with their life to the point of willingly accepting and sacrificing their own life to share visibly their experience of God’s love and the different it made to them, with those around them in their daily existence.
They were willing to let God shape their life, even if their made mistakes on the way and perhaps even let their own willfulness take over from time to time, recognising their need for penitence along the journey.
We celebrate them today because they give us courage and insight into the potential we each have as people of God and disciples to walk a meaningful, God-centred journey and to explore just what it is that the Holy One is calling each of us to be. To learn why we are here at all and to ask the question day by day, whose journey are we walking from here to eternity?
THE CREED
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
God from God,
Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one substance with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven;
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father.
With the Father and the Son,
he is worshipped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
PRAYERS
Today is All Saints Day, so we begin with a prayer for All Saints:
Almighty God, today we honour the Saints who walked faithfully before us. May their example inspire us to live with courage, love and grace. Grant us strength to follow in their footsteps, so that we too may grow in holiness and share in your eternal joy.
Lord in thy mercy, hear our prayer.
We ask you to walk with us on the pilgrimage which is our life, helping us to detect and value beauty and to be transformed – and even healed – by wonder and to value and serve those who have lost their way or lost their worth. Through your Spirit and by the action of people who love you, heal the world where humanity has disappointed it, lift from despair those who are crushed by gruelling poverty, endless conflict and frightening pain. Deflate the arrogance of those with inestimable wealth who presume money should buy influence. And guide those who are appointed to lead the nations along the path of peace- especially where the ground is rocky.
Lord in thy mercy, hear our prayer.
[Note: today is the birthday of the author of these intercessions…]
Heavenly Father, thank you for another year of life and for every blessing along the way. Fill this new year with your peace and guide each step with wisdom. When challenges come, give strength; When joy comes, fill my heart with gratitude. Bless each day of the year ahead and fill it with your love. May this year be filled with purpose, goodness and your faithful presence.
Lord in thy mercy, hear our prayer.
That prayer made me reflect and although I think of myself as only 35, I am amazed when I catch sight of myself in a mirror and wonder who that old person is. So I offer you this prayer for your reflection:
Lord thou knowest better than I know myself that I am growing older. Keep me from the fatal habit of thinking I must say something on every subject and on every occasion. Release me from craving to straighten out everybody’s affairs. Make me thoughtful but not moody; helpful but not bossy. With my vast store of wisdom it seems a pity not to use at all, but thou knowest, Lord, that I want a few friends at the end. Keep my mind free from the recital of endless details; Give me wings to get to the point. Seal my lips on my aches and pains. They are increasing and love of rehearsing them is becoming sweeter as the years go by. I dare not ask for grace enough to enjoy the tales of others pains, but help me to endure them with patience. I dare not ask for improved memory, but for a growing humility and a lessening cocksureness when my memory seems to clash with the memories of others. Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally I may be mistaken. Keep me reasonably sweet; I do not want to be a saint- some of them are so hard to live with- but a sour old person is one of the crowning works of the devil. Give me the ability to see good things in unexpected places and talents in unexpected people. And give me, O Lord, the grace to tell them so.
Lord in thy mercy, hear our prayer.
And we pray for the future: Lord God, you call your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown; Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing whither we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us.
Lord in thy mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for all who are sick in mind, body or estate: for the those known to us in this congregation; for those who have no faith and need our prayers; for those who do not know how to pray. We bring to Jesus those who have died recently and those who have died over the years, but are still with us in spirit today and every day. May the Lord embrace them with his love and may they rest in peace.
Lord in thy mercy, hear our prayer.
And finally a prayer from John Bell of the Iona Community:
On you on your heads and on your houses, the blessing of God;
In your coming and going, the peace of God;
In your life and in your believing, the love of God;
At your end and new beginning, the arms of God welcome you and bring you home. Amen
Merciful Father accept these prayers for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ who taught us to pray together
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Do not bring us
to the time of trial
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power
and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.
BLESSING
Christ the Son of God gladden your hearts with the good news of his kingdom; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen.
HYMN –
[We couldn’t find a video of this hymn with the lyrics and the tune you’d be expecting. So this week you have a choice: the traditional Lobe den Herren tune and sing it yourself (words provided here) or a ‘complete’ version, to a different tune. Take your pick…]
Traditional tune (words provided below):
1 Thanks be to God for His saints of each past generation
One with us still in one body one great congregation
With them proclaim
Jesus for ever the same
Author of life and salvation
2 Thanks be to God for His blessings which daily surround us
Glory to Christ the Redeemer who sought us and found us
Who from the grave
Rose the almighty to save
Breaking the fetters that bound us
3 Thanks be to God for the years that are yet in his keeping
Trusting each day to the care of a Father unsleeping
On to the end
Christ our Companion and Friend
Joy at the last for our weeping
4 Thanks be to God who has called us and daily defends us
Who with the Son and the Spirit unchanging befriends us
Now in that Name
Jesus for ever the same
Forth to his service he sends us
-Or –
DISMISSAL
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord
In the name of Christ. Amen
