Worship & Sermon Resources > Liturgy > Calls to Worship for All Saints Sunday
Summary
All Saints Sunday occurs on the first Sunday of November each year. Below are seven calls to worship for the day: two for each year of the Revised Common Lectionary, drawn from that year's readings, plus one that works in any year. Each is written as a responsive reading for a leader (One) and the congregation (All).
What Is All Saints Sunday?
All Saints Sunday is the day the church remembers the great cloud of witnesses, the faithful believers who have gone before us and now rest from their labors. It is a time to give thanks for saints ordinary and extraordinary, known and unknown, whose lives reflected the light of Christ. We do not worship them. We thank God for them and for the ways their faith still guides and encourages ours.
The day draws much of its imagery from John's vision of the great multitude in white robes gathered before the throne, people from every nation who sing salvation to God and to the Lamb.
When Is All Saints Sunday?
All Saints Sunday occurs on the first Sunday of November each year. All Saints' Day itself is November 1, and many congregations carry the observance to the first Sunday of the month so the whole church can gather to remember those who have died in the faith.
Calls to Worship for All Saints Sunday, Year A
Readings: Revelation 7:9-17; Psalm 34:1-10, 22; 1 John 3:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12
1. The Great Multitude Before the Throne
One: We gather with saints from every nation, tribe, and tongue.
All: Together we lift our voices in praise to the Lamb.
One: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
All: for they will be filled with the goodness of God.
One: Come, people of God, and join the everlasting song.
All: Salvation belongs to our God and to the Lamb!
Read more about the Victory of the Lamb in Revelation, and see the songs of the redeemed in Hymns in Revelation.
2. The Blessing of the Saints
One: Blessed are the poor in spirit,
All: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
One: Blessed are those who mourn,
All: for they will be comforted.
One: Blessed are we, gathered with all the saints,
All: to worship the God who wipes away every tear.
The Beatitudes open the Sermon on the Mount. Explore more in our Gospel of Matthew Bible study.
Calls to Worship for All Saints Sunday, Year B
Readings: Isaiah 25:6-9; Psalm 24; Revelation 21:1-6a; John 11:32-44
3. The Feast of God's Victory
One: On this mountain the Lord of hosts prepares a feast.
All: Death is swallowed up forever; tears are wiped away.
One: Christ is the Alpha and the Omega,
All: the beginning and the end, our life and our hope.
One: Let us rejoice in God's salvation,
All: for this is the Lord for whom we have waited!
Read more: What Is the New Heaven and the New Earth? and Revelation 21: Outline and Meaning.
4. Come Out, Beloved of God
One: Jesus said, "Lazarus, come out!"
All: And the dead man came forth, unbound and alive.
One: The same voice calls to us today,
All: out of despair, out of fear, into new life.
One: Let us worship the God who raises the dead.
All: Let us praise the One who makes all things new.
The raising of Lazarus is the last of Jesus' signs in John. Study it further in our Gospel of John Bible study.
Calls to Worship for All Saints Sunday, Year C
Readings: Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18; Psalm 149; Ephesians 1:11-23; Luke 6:20-31
5. The Saints of Every Age
One: We gather today in the presence of God, who was and is and is to come.
All: We come surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, those who kept the faith, finished the race, and now rest in God's peace.
One: We give thanks for the saints who showed us the way: prophets who spoke truth, teachers who opened Scripture, friends who prayed, and loved ones who lived the gospel before us.
All: Their witness reminds us that the church is not bound by time or place. In Christ, death does not divide us but unites us in one body.
One: So let us lift our hearts in praise to the Lord of every generation, whose grace was sufficient for them and is sufficient for us.
All: To God be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus, from generation to generation, forever and ever. Amen.
Daniel's promise that the holy ones will receive the kingdom echoes through John's vision. See Daniel and Revelation: Twin Apocalyptic Visions.
6. The Inheritance of Hope
One: God has given us an inheritance among the saints.
All: The power that raised Christ is at work in us.
One: The eyes of our hearts are enlightened by grace.
All: We live as those filled with resurrection hope.
One: Come, let us bless the God of our salvation.
All: Let us sing with joy among the saints.
This call draws on Paul's prayer in Ephesians 1. Go deeper with our Ephesians Bible study, and read Jesus' blessings for the poor and hungry in the Gospel of Luke.
A Call to Worship for All Saints Sunday in Any Year
Based on Hebrews 12:1-2
7. The Cloud of Witnesses
One: We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses.
All: Their faith gives us courage; their love strengthens our hearts.
One: We run the race set before us,
All: looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.
One: With all the saints, in heaven and on earth,
All: let us worship God with thanksgiving and praise!
How to Use These Calls to Worship
Each call can open worship as a responsive reading or be adapted for a printed bulletin or screen. Some congregations light a candle or ring a bell as the names of the saints are read aloud. Others display photographs of loved ones or place flowers on the communion table as a visible reminder of the communion of saints.
All Saints Sunday reminds us that the church is larger than what we can see. It stretches across centuries and continents, filled with people whose faith still sings through ours.
