Throughout the year, First Baptist has the wonderful tradition of singing “We’ve Seen a Rose,” written by Kyle Matthews, when a congregation member dies. The song declares that each life is unique, “one of a kind,” and a gift from God. All Saints Day, which we will celebrate on Sunday, November 3, is yet another opportunity to remember each unique one-of-a-kind member of our congregation who died. On All Saints Day, we read the names of our congregation members who have died this year and light a candle in their honor. We mourn their passing and give thanks for their lives. This special day honors the “Great Cloud of Witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1), all the saints who have departed this life and are gathered in God’s eternal care.
Despite the somber tone, All Saints’ Days is one of my favorite Sundays of the Church Year. I appreciate the yearly reminder that, while our lives are fleeting, we are part of a timeless family of faith. Our stories are woven into God’s grand narrative, which began long before we were born and will continue until that great day when God makes all things new. Those in our church family who have died are now part of the Great Cloud of Witnesses, who have finished the race of life before us. Each year, I also think about my parents and grandparents, my family saints who have died, and I remember them with deep gratitude.
In a culture that often avoids talking about death, the church offers a countercultural opportunity to face the reality of death, to mourn those we have lost, and to live intentionally, knowing that one day, we, too, will join the Great Cloud of Witnesses.
—Carol