Church newsletter pastoral column for St. Peter Lutheran Church, Greene, Iowa, for November, 2019.
Death Has Been Conquered!
When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality,
then the saying that is written will be fulfilled:
“Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
“Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
– 1 Corinthians 15:54-55
On the first weekend of November, our congregation like many others around the world marks All Saints’ Day in worship. At each service that weekend, we name aloud each member of our congregation who has died within the previous year. This is a solemn moment for our community as we grieve the death of friends and family.
All Saints’ Day gives us an opportunity to proclaim the same good news we hear at every funeral: Death is not the end. Through Jesus Christ, we are promised eternal life. Of course, death is still a sad occasion. We still mourn and grieve, but we do so knowing the promise that when Jesus rose from the grave at Easter, he defeated death not just for himself, but for all of us. The power of death has been destroyed!
In the ritual of All Saints’ Day, we recognize that the Church includes not merely those we can see who are physically present; it also includes the Church Triumphant—those who have died and are now with Christ. We celebrate that nothing—not even death—can separate us from the promises we are given as baptized children of God. As the writer to the Hebrews states, a great cloud of witnesses surrounds us and encourages us as we live out our faith (Hebrews 12:1-2). As each name is read, a candle is lit to remind us of that person’s continuing life in Jesus Christ.
Importantly, those who have died are not the only ones we mention on All Saints’ Day. We also list each person who has been baptized in our congregation in the last year – each person who has been washed clean and named as a saint here at St. Peter. We give thanks for those who are new to faith, and for those who have completed their course on earth and now rest in the Savior’s loving arms.
Thanks be to God!
Pastor Daniel Flucke