For All the Saints

 Twenty-Third Thursday after Pentecost

Thursday is Prayer and Worship Day on the blog. On my All Saints' Eve blog, I said that "For All the Saints" is my favorite favorite hymn. It's #711 in the United Methodist Hymnal. The words were written by William How in 1864. The music was composed by English composer Ralph Vaughn Williams in 1906. Vaughn Williams is one of my favorite composers. He has one other hymn in our hymnal, the rarely sung but deeply beautiful "At the Name of Jesus"(#168). Some of you might remember my blog from many months ago about going to hear the Vaughn Williams Mass at the Chapel of the Cross. For those of you at UUMC, Tim occasionally plays the utterly beautiful Vaughn Williams piece "Rhosymedre" as an organ prelude. 

"For All the Saints" is always sung on "All Saints" Sunday in most United Methodist Churches and all Episcopal Churches. It is all too rarely sung at any other time. There is no law or no regulation in the United Methodist Book of Discipline that would prevent it from being sung at any time. I think it would be a great hymn for funerals, though I've never heard it sung at one. 

 

1. "For all the saints, who from their labors rest,

     Who thee by faith before the world confessed

    Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blessed

 

Refrain: "Alluluia, Alleluia." (Refrain repeated after each stanza). 

 

2. 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.

 

3. O, 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.

 

4. O blest communion, fellowship divine!

    We feebly struggle, they in glory shine, yet 

    All are one, in thee for all are thine.

 

5. And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long,

    Steals on the ear the distant triumph song,

    And hearts are brave, again and arms are strong.

 

6. 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.

 

You might wonder why an anti-war, almost pacifist like me would love such a militant hymn. Truth is, I mostly love the music, but for this blog we are going to focus on the words. During the time of How and Vaughn Williams the British Empire was at his height. "The sun never set on British soil." Church and state were never separate in Britain. Westminster Abbey is filled with large plaques commemorating war heroes. The British armies conquered and colonized lands around the world. The British navy--"Rule Britannia! Britannia rules the waves." The British understood themselves as bringing Christianity and a superior civilization to the rest of the world. The conquered and colonized nations didn't see it that way.

The early Christians, who were far more pacifist than I, had great admiration for the Roman military. They often used military metaphors--"Put on the whole armor of God...the breastplate of righteousness...the shield of faith...the helmet of salvation...the sword of the spirit." (Ephesians 6:11-18). 

My predecessor at First, N. Wilkesboro was a high ranking chaplain in the army reserves who was called up and served in Iraq. He often used the terms, "the Church militant" (i.e. the Church on earth), and the Church triumphant" (the saints in heaven). 

The Saints of the Anglican church were named saints with the title St. ____, such as St. Augustine, St. Patrick, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Catherine of Siena. All were known for their faith. All were known for their courage. All were known for their discipline (none were known for their acquisition of great wealth). All these characteristics are admirable. All the saints are models for us. Many are my own heroes. Virtually all of them suffered for their faith. Many of them died for their faith. "We feebly struggle; they in glory shine." 

Contrary to the prosperity gospel, Christian faith is meant for struggle. "Take up you cross, and follow me," Jesus said in Mark 8:31. The saints are the great witnesses to our faith. Hebrew 12:1 refers to the OT heroes as "a cloud of witnesses." 

Lord, before we become saints in heaven. Help us to be more saintly in our lives on earth.

Faithfully,

Christian