Isaiah 25:6-9, John 11:32-44 and Revelation 21:1-6a

To get to All Saints Sunday, November 7, we have had the previous days observed by many churches in the past week:

All Hallows’ Eve (last Sunday Halloween)
All Saints Day (last Monday)
All Souls Day (last Tuesday)

Certainly a week of pondering mortality, the dear departed, and images of the afterlife!

Just as Jesus tells the family and friends of Lazarus to “unbind him” from the death cloth he is wrapped in, so Jesus calls us to be “unbound” by death anxiety and worry.

Most of us have had the experience of having too much clothing on for some occasion or temperature. As children we were often way over wrapped in coats and scarves in cold weather! In hot Summer in church, a coat and tie became too much! Unbind us!

Symbolically a host of fears, worries, anxieties can bind us to fearful living. Jesus sets an example for us in dealing with these genuine concerns. He shows that he is concerned as well when he weeps over the loss of his friend. Loss hurts.

Yet, he demonstrates the power of God to overcome the Last Enemy. Jesus directs our focus to be upon God who “unbinds” us from living a fearful, constrained, restricted life just because we are mortal.

In worship we are reminded constantly of God’s overarching care for us and that we are never far from the Communion of the Saints, our dear departed family and friends.

This Sunday in worship, we remember the Saints, at the Lords Table remember Jesus’ death for us, and light a candle to show the way through our darkness.

Thanks be to God, the Alpha and the Omega!

Pastor Barry †