{"id":168,"date":"2006-10-31T18:30:00","date_gmt":"2006-10-31T22:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rayvanneste.com\/?p=168"},"modified":"2013-06-28T15:03:42","modified_gmt":"2013-06-28T19:03:42","slug":"for-all-the-saints","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/rayvanneste.com\/?p=168","title":{"rendered":"For All The Saints"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last year I posted two items concerning Reformation Day<\/a> and our need for a new Reformation. This year let me look more towards the idea of All Saints Day. I am not big on an official liturgical calendar, but it is right for us to pause to consider the great cloud of witnesses that have gone before us. We impoverish ourselves when we act as if ours is the first (or even second or third) generation to seek to follow Christ and think through what it means to be His people. Below is a hymn that I love- I use that word advisedly. I did not grow up singing this hymn- but I wish I had. I remember where I first heard it and how it moved me. Since I have found all the verses from Cyberhymnal<\/a>. I am almost always moved to tears when contemplating this hymn. I offer it for your contemplation. You can listen to the original tune here<\/a> (some have produced new tunes for the hymn, but I do not think they are an improvement on this one).<\/p>\n

We are not alone in this. Our brothers and sisters have gone before, and noticing their faith and endurance and God’s provision to them will aid us on our way. We are not alone. We are a part of the great fellowship of all the saints! And one day we will celebrate together in the presence of the Savior of us all. Let us give thanks for the example of those who have gone before us (Heb 13:7).<\/p>\n

For All the Saints<\/strong>
\n
\n<\/strong>For all the saints, who from their labors rest,
\nWho Thee by faith before the world confessed,
\nThy Name, O Jesus, be forever blessed.
\nAlleluia, Alleluia!<\/p>\n

Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress and their Might;
\nThou, Lord, their Captain in the well fought fight;
\nThou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light.
\nAlleluia, Alleluia!<\/p>\n

For the Apostles’ glorious company,
\nWho bearing forth the Cross o’er land and sea,
\nShook all the mighty world, we sing to Thee:
\nAlleluia, Alleluia!<\/p>\n

For the Evangelists, by whose blest word,
\nLike fourfold streams, the garden of the Lord,
\nIs fair and fruitful, be Thy Name adored.
\nAlleluia, Alleluia!<\/p>\n

For Martyrs, who with rapture kindled eye,
\nSaw the bright crown descending from the sky,
\nAnd seeing, grasped it, Thee we glorify.
\nAlleluia, Alleluia!<\/p>\n

O blest communion, fellowship divine!
\nWe feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
\nAll are one in Thee, for all are Thine.
\nAlleluia, Alleluia!<\/p>\n

O may Thy soldiers, faithful, true and bold,
\nFight as the saints who nobly fought of old,
\nAnd win with them the victor’s crown of gold.
\nAlleluia, Alleluia!<\/p>\n

And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long,
\nSteals on the ear the distant triumph song,
\nAnd hearts are brave, again, and arms are strong.
\nAlleluia, Alleluia!<\/p>\n

The golden evening brightens in the west;
\nSoon, soon to faithful warriors comes their rest;
\nSweet is the calm of paradise the blessed.
\nAlleluia, Alleluia!<\/p>\n

But lo! there breaks a yet more glorious day;
\nThe saints triumphant rise in bright array;
\nThe King of glory passes on His way.
\nAlleluia, Alleluia!<\/p>\n

From earth’s wide bounds, from ocean’s farthest coast,
\nThrough gates of pearl streams in the countless host,
\nAnd singing to Father, Son and Holy Ghost:
\nAlleluia, Alleluia!
\nWords: William W. How<\/a>, in Hymns for Saint’s Days, and Other Hymns, by Earl Nel\u00adson, 1864.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last year I posted two items concerning Reformation Day and our need for a new Reformation. This year let me look more towards the idea of All Saints Day. I am not big on an official liturgical calendar, but it is right for us to pause to consider the great cloud of witnesses that have …<\/p>\n

Continue reading ‘For All The Saints’ »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[14,17,16,15],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/rayvanneste.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/rayvanneste.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/rayvanneste.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rayvanneste.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rayvanneste.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=168"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/rayvanneste.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3658,"href":"http:\/\/rayvanneste.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168\/revisions\/3658"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/rayvanneste.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=168"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rayvanneste.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=168"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rayvanneste.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=168"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}