Most evangelical Protestants are familiar with All Saints Day (November 1st) primarily because it was on the eve of All Saints Day, October 31st, in 1517 when Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses, igniting the Reformation. Where it is observed today, it is most often an occasion for remembering with gratitude the ministry of those members of the local church, the *saints, who have died during the previous year. The history of this day in the church calendar goes back to at least the 8th century. It was an occasion to remember those whose earthly life had ended and who had entered the glories of heaven.
Liturgically, it begins the night before as All Hallows Eve, from which the word Halloween has come (hallowed-evening). The current American Halloween celebration is often rejected by Christians because of its association with devils and witches and occultic characters. Many churches have instead offered Fall Festivals with children encouraged to dress up as Bible or church history characters as they enjoy games like carving pumpkins or bobbing for apples. Candy is sometimes offered in “Trunk-or-Treat” events from cars in the parking lot rather than having children go door-to-door through neighborhoods.
Today, All Saints Day occurs at the same time as the annual International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (the first Sunday in November), which will be the focus of our next hymn study. That is an occasion for directing our attention to those who are experiencing hostility for their faith, including those who have suffered martyrdom. The persecution of Christians is the greatest human rights issue of our day. Those themes come together in this week’s hymn, “For All the Saints.” This hymn, written as a processional hymn in 1864 by the Anglican bishop William Walsham How, combined with the stirring music of Ralph Vaughan Williams, is a glorious addition to the church’s hymnody.
Walsham How was ordained as an Anglican clergyman in 1846, was educated at Oxford, and began his parish ministry at Kidderminster, where the famous Puritan Richard Baxter had served two centuries earlier. After a brief curacy there, he went on to serve for more than 30 years in parish ministry before being elevated to the position of Bishop of Wakefield. In that role he carried out a very effective ministry with churches in his diocese and is especially remembered for encouraging women’s deaconess ministries. While serving a church at Whittingdon, where he served for 28 years and where he and his wife were buried, he wrote the bulk of his published works, including a widely distributed and popular commentary on the four Gospels. Many copies of that work survive to this day. He also became well-known for his considerable interest and expertise in botany. He was particularly fond of children and was commonly called the children’s bishop. Boston’s famous 19th century minister, Phillips Brooks, author of “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” earned that same reputation with children.
From Wakefield, several volumes of his sermons were published. It was there that he wrote a good deal of verse, including a number of hymns. In addition to “For All the Saints,” hymnals in many denominations today include “Who Is This So Weak and Helpless,” “We Give Thee But Thine Own,” “O Jesus, Thou Art Standing,” “O Word of God Incarnate,” “This Day at The Creating Word,” and an altered version of “Who Trusts in God, A Strong Abode.”
The music with which we sing “For All the Saints” was composed in 1906 for All Saints Day by the famous British musician, Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958). It was included that year in “The English Hymnal,” for which he served as editor. Having served for many years at the Royal College of Music, London and Trinity College, Cambridge, he was England’s premier church musician for the first half of the twentieth century. During his 60 years of composition, he produced operas, ballets, chamber music, secular and religious vocal and choral pieces, and orchestral works, including nine symphonies. Though he moved from atheism to agnosticism (he was a friend of the famous atheist Bertrand Russell), amazingly he served for a time as a church organist and over the years composed some of the finest church music of the 20th century, including a musical setting of Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress” and the 1953 anthem arrangement of “Old Hundredth” (“All People That on Earth Do Dwell”) for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
While How’s hymn originally had 11 stanzas, most hymnals only use these eight. As we sing, we remember those who have gone before us. Even more, we remember what the Lord Jesus has done to make it possible for them – and us – to be delivered from the present struggles in the church militant to the heavenly joy of the church triumphant.
In stanza 1, we sing of our confidence that all who have made a true heart-confession of faith in Jesus now rest from their labors and are blessed to be present with Him.
For all the saints who from their labors rest,
who thee by faith before the world confessed,
thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
In stanza 2, we remember the spiritual warfare from which they have been delivered by the Lord who was their captain in that fight, delivering them into the light of His presence.
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!
In stanza 3, we turn our attention to ourselves, praying that we would be as bold as those who have gone before us, doing our part in the battle to win that same crown of gold.
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.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
In stanza 4, we acknowledge that we are connected with those in glory: “the fellowship of the saints.” While we still struggle, they shine in glory. But we are all one in Christ.
O blest communion, fellowship divine,
we feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
yet all are one in thee, for all are thine.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
In stanza 5, we challenge one another, in the midst of our current conflict, to listen for the distant triumph song that encourages us to press on with bravery for that future day.
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!
In stanza 6, we begin to view the beauty of that final golden sunset when this life will end and we who have been faithful warriors can enter the sweet “calm of paradise.”
The golden evening brightens in the west;
soon, soon to faithful warrior cometh rest;
sweet is the calm of paradise the blest.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
In stanza 7, we rejoice to know that beyond that golden sunset (death) a glorious sunrise awaits when we’ll be raised up in triumph to meet our King of glory welcoming us home!
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!
In stanza 8, we look forward to that magnificent day when we will be part of that countless host of saints to be gathered from every corner of the earth to stream through those gates of pearl, singing forever our doxology of praise to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
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!
Very appropriately, each stanza concludes with the biblical shout of triumph: Alleluia, Praise to the LORD (Hallel to Yahweh).
*Who are “the saints”? Every person who has become a Christian through faith in Jesus, trusting His atoning sacrifice at Calvary, is a saint, according to the Bible. The medieval Roman Catholic Church incorrectly created an entirely new category of human being: a saint. This was to identify people who had lived such an extraordinarily godly life that they had gone straight to heaven, bypassing purgatory, where ordinary believers would be forced to spend untold years suffering for the remainder of their sins.
More than that, the “extra” righteousness achieved by these saints was stored in a “treasury of merit,” to be dispensed to those who had not lived up to that standard and doled out as the Pope permitted and authorized. During the time of Pope Leo X, such dispensing of merit was acquired through contributions to the church to help pay for the building of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. It was the “selling” of these indulgences, for ones’ self as well as for ones’ loved ones agonizing in purgatory (as the indulgence seller Tetzel proclaimed: “As soon as the coin into the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory spring”) that incensed Luther and lay behind his writing of his 95 Theses.
But according to the Bible, no one can ever achieve heaven by their own merits, and certainly not by “bribing” God with money! We receive eternal life only by the merits of Christ’s righteousness imputed to us by faith. Everyone who has been justified by faith is counted righteous and is granted the status of sainthood, meaning the sanctified ones.