This Sunday's 8 AM Service | Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church

First Service

ALL SAINTS’ DAY

Bought by Christ, Brought Together in Faith

November 1, 2026

AS WE GATHER

Portraits of heroes are hung in museums, etched onto mountains, and immortalized in history books. But for those who keep the faith, the Lord has greater plans. On this All Saints’ Day, we see that the Lord’s faithful do not belong in galleries or textbooks but in the courts of heaven. There are no dead tributes to the fallen but living displays of Christ’s mercy. All those who have been joined to Christ in Baptism can celebrate their citizenship in the Kingdom that never ends and the promise that when their days of being saint and sinner in this life are finished, they will be all saints in the presence of their Savior.

+ PREPARATION +

HYMN Jerusalem the Golden TLH 613

Jerusalem the golden, With milk and honey blest,
Beneath thy contemplation Sink heart and voice opprest.
I know not, oh, I know not, What joys await us there,
What radiancy of glory, What bliss beyond compare.

They stand, those halls of Zion, All jubilant with song
And bright with many an angel And all the martyr throng.
The Prince is ever in them; The daylight is serene;
The pastures of the blessed Are decked in glorious sheen.

There is the throne of David; And there, from care released,
The shout of them that triumph, The song of them that feast;
And they who with their Leader Have conquered in the fight
Forever and forever Are clad in robes of white.

O sweet and blessed country, The home of God's elect!
O sweet and blessed country That eager hearts expect!
Jesus, in mercy bring us To that dear land of rest,
Who art, with God the Father And Spirit, ever blest.

INVOCATION

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

People: Amen.

OPENING SENTENCES Psalm 30:4–5

Pastor: Sing praises to the Lord, O you His saints,

People: and give thanks to His holy name.

Pastor: For His anger is but for a moment,

People: and His favor is for a lifetime.

Pastor: Weeping may tarry for the night,

People: but joy comes with the morning.

CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION Matthew 5:3

Pastor: As saints and yet sinners, we call upon the mercy of God, our heavenly Father. O almighty God,

People: You rule and reign with justice. As Your people, we should love all Your decrees. Yet our hearts are hard. We prefer our ways to Your ways. We shout our freedoms but whisper Your correction. You call us salt and light, yet over and over we choose the darkness. Forgive us, Father, for the sake of Your Son, Jesus. Renew our hearts that we might rejoice as the saints You call us to be.

Pause for silent reflection

Pastor: To make sinners into saints of His kingdom, God in His mercy sent forth Jesus, who declares, “blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The blood of Jesus has opened the door to the Kingdom where He rules and reigns, now and forever. As a called and ordained servant of the living Christ and by His authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

People: Amen.

HYMN OF PRAISE Holy God, We Praise Thy Name TLH 250 vs 1 & 4

Holy God, we praise Thy Name. Lord of all, we bow before Thee.

All on earth Thy scepter claim, all in heav’n above adore Thee.

Infinite Thy vast domain, everlasting is Thy reign.

Holy Father, holy Son, Holy Spirit, three we name Thee,

Though in essence only one, undivided God we claim Thee.

And adoring, bend the knee while we own the mystery.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Pastor: Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God, You knit together Your faithful people of all times and places into one holy communion, the mystical Body of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Grant us so to follow Your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living that, together with them, we may come to the unspeakable joys You have prepared for those who love You; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

People: Amen.

FIRST READING Revelation 7:9–17 (John’s heavenly vision sees an uncountable multitude whose robes have been made white in the blood of the Lamb.)

9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” 13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

EPISTLE 1 John 3:1–3 (The children of God await with hope the transformative appearing of Christ.)

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

HOLY GOSPEL Matthew 5:1–12 (Christ announces blessings upon the lowest and the least.)

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

2 And he opened his mouth 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 shall be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when others 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 so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

CHILDREN’S MESSAGE

HYMN I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light LSB 411

I want to walk as a child of the light I want to follow Jesus
God sent the stars to give light to the world
The star of my life is Jesus

Refrain: In Him there is no darkness at all
The night and the day are both alike
The Lamb is the light of the city of God
Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus

I want to see the brightness of God I want to look at Jesus
Clear Sun of Righteousness, shine on my path
And show me the way to the Father (Refrain)

I'm looking for the coming of Christ I want to be with Jesus
When we have run with patience the race
We shall know the joy of Jesus (Refrain)

SERMON

CREED Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

GREETING/ANNOUNCEMENTS

OFFERING

(Please stay seated)

HYMN For All the Saints TLH 463 vs 1 - 4

For all the saints who from their labors rest,
Who Thee by faith before the world confess,
Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest, Alleluia! Alleluia!

Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress, and their Might;
Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well-fought fight;
Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light. Alleluia! Alleluia!

Oh, may Thy soldiers, faithful, true and bold,
Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old
And win with them the victor's crown of gold. Alleluia! Alleluia!

O blest communion, fellowship divine,
We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
Yet all are one in Thee, for all are Thine. Alleluia! Alleluia!

COMMEMORATION OF THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED Revelation 14:13

Pastor: Alleluia! I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this:

People: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”

Pastor: “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors,

People: for their deeds follow them!” Alleluia!

Pastor: On this All Saints’ Day, we remember our hope in Jesus Christ, His grace, and His assurance of everlasting life, and we remember those saints who in death have claimed the crown of righteousness promised to all who trust in Christ as Lord and Savior.

A moment of silence will be observed so individuals can remember their departed saints.

HYMN For All the Saints TLH 463 vs 5-8

And when the fight is fierce, the warfare long,
Steals on the ear the distant triumph song,
And hearts are brave again, and arms are strong. Alleluia! Alleluia!

But, lo, there breaks a yet more glorious day;
The saints triumphant rise in bright array;
The King of Glory passes on His way. Alleluia! Alleluia!

From earth's wide bounds, from ocean's farthest coast,
Through gates of pearl streams in the countless host,
Singing to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Alleluia! Alleluia!

The golden evening brightens in the west;
Soon, soon, to faithful warriors cometh rest.
Sweet is the calm of Paradise the blest. Alleluia! Alleluia!

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

Pastor: Just as the saints above surround the throne, we gather to plead for Your mercy, O Lord, for ourselves, our community, our nation, and our world.

Heavenly Father, You have called us Your children, and so we are. Fix our eyes on Your love, that we might be pure as Christ is pure and walk in hope of the glory yet to be revealed. Blessed are Your saints, O Lord.