All Saints' Sunday. That is what we call this day in recognition of the fact that our God is not a God of the dead but of the living and those who are alive in Christ live even though they die. All Saints Sunday--Saints in heaven and saints on earth. So we sing: "O blest communion, fellowship divine, we feebly struggle, they in glory shine; yet all are one in Thee, for all are Thine." As we sing that hymn, we can't help but think of our own family members and friends who have died in the Faith of Jesus and are now praising Him with heavenly anthems more beautiful than anything that we dare to imagine. As we sing that hymn we are reminded that by God's grace you and I one day will enter into that victory celebration that has no end.

The Book of Revelation gives us a glimpse of that heavenly liturgy. In the university setting we often hear people talking about the need to be multi-cultural or cross-cultural. Too often that language is used as a cover for those who would attack western culture--the culture of dead, white, European males. But here in the Book of Revelation we have genuine multi-cultural worship as those from all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues are joined together in a single liturgy that is centered in the Lamb of our salvation, Jesus Christ. They do not come with their homemade liturgies of preference--one with a Chinese liturgy, another with an African liturgy and yet another with a North American liturgy. They do not come with many different songs but with one accord they chant "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." And they are joined by the angels, the elders, and the four living creatures in the worship of the Blessed Trinity as that celestial choir sings "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen." From the diversity of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues they come but their song is singular as they glorify the one eternal God who gave His Son to be the sin-bearer and Savior of the world.

That is the liturgy of heaven. It all revolves around the Lamb of God. As it is heaven so it is on earth. Christian worship is Christ centered. He is present here to bless us with His words of pardon and peace. He is here with His body born of Mary and hung on a cross to give us His blood-bought forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. Everything in the church service points away from ourselves and to Him. Even the architecture of the church building points us to Christ and His gifts. One of the hymns that we'll sing today describes it well:

"Here stands the font before our eyes
      Telling how God did receive us;
The altar recalls Christ's sacrifice
      And what His table doth give us;
Here sounds the Word that doth proclaim
      Christ yesterday, today, the same,
Yea, and for aye our Redeemer (TLH 467:5)

Who are these saints? That, in fact, is the question that one of the elders puts to John: "Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?" Of course, the elder already knew the answer to his own question and so he says to John, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." These are the blessed ones spoken of by our Lord in today's Holy Gospel. Those who recognized their own spiritual poverty. Those who mourned over their sin. Those who were reviled, persecuted, and slandered for the sake of the Lord Jesus and His Gospel. The great tribulation is the life of the Christian under the cross. This is the life where the devil, the world, and on our flesh press in on us. You see, the saints are not super-Christians who lived lives exempt from the struggles that you face. They are not those so-called "victorious Christians" who aren't bothered by temptation and failure, by doubt and frustration. The saints have no self-made holiness. Their holiness is the blood of Jesus Christ that cleanses us from all sin. They wear the white robe of His righteousness that covers their shame and wraps them up in the forgiveness of sins. It is only through that righteousness that they have access to the presence of the living God.

"We feebly struggle, they in glory shine." But we are like them, saints. We are saints because the blood of the Lamb that atoned for their sin has atoned for our sin. The white robe of Christ's righteousness with which they are clothed is our beauty and glorious dress given us in our Baptism. They wave the palm branches of victory because the Lamb has triumphed. Death could not hold Him in its icy grip and because He has been raised from the dead, we have the pledge of eternal life.

We are one with them because we are one with our Lord Jesus Christ. Indeed as the Book of Hebrews says "...we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses." There are prophets and apostles, martyrs and confessors, and a unnumbered host of ordinary Christians unknown to us but known to God who lived and died trusting in Jesus Christ. They are all saints. All Saints Sunday gives us a glimpse of that unseen reality. What an encouragement and comfort that is to us who still feebly struggle! We are not alone. Shepherded by the Good Shepherd, we are in His flock surrounded by saints who have gone before us and saints who still live on this earth. We are members of His church, partakers of the communion of saints. Writing over a century ago, the Bavarian Lutheran pastor, Wilhelm Loehe put it like this "Behold the church! It is the very opposite of loneliness-blessed fellowship! There are millions of saints and believers who are blessed in it, and in the midst of their songs of praise is the Lord. No longer lonely, but filled, satisfied, yes, blessed is he who is one of these millions who completely and fully have Christ and with him have heaven and earth."

We are blessed indeed! We are blessed for by the blood of Jesus we are saints and even today in His body and blood we share in the their heavenly liturgy. Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding guard and keep you to life everlasting. Amen.