sunday November 2, 2025

Fruitland United Methodist Church
November 2, 2025

*(Please stand if you are comfortably able.)

Prelude: “For All the Saints,” by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Welcoming the Light of Christ and inviting the neighborhood to worship.

Welcome and Announcements- Pastor Jorge and Leona
*Call to Worship
On this All Saints Sunday, we gather to remember teachers and storytellers who made God’s stories come alive for us.
We give thanks!
We remember choir members, praise bands, organists, and all the musicians who sang and played your praises.
We give thanks!
We remember preachers and lay leaders who led our worship through the years.
We give thanks!
We remember parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and siblings who showed us how to hold fast to the faith.
We give thanks!
We remember our church families—this one, and others we have loved. We remember all those who have been a part of this faith family, with whom we grew our faith and our love for God and neighbor. 
We give thanks!
We remember our ancestors in the faith, whose courage enables us to be here today.
We give thanks for the saints who came before us, are present here with us, and will continue after us. Thanks be to God!

*Sharing the peace of Christ.
*Gathering Song: “Shine, Jesus, Shine” TFWS 2173

Scripture – Psalm 119: 137-144 – Leona Pew Bible p.963

Time With Young Christians – Pastor Jorge

Time of Community Expressions
     Hymn: “Holy, Holy, Holy” TFWS 2007
     Remembering our Saints
     Presenting the names of Our Saints by members of the congregation.
     Response of the People: Christ have mercy. Grant us your peace!
     (Moment of silence, as the large candle is lit.)
All: Holy One, we are grateful for the witness and memory of these lives, and we are grateful that our beloved friends and family are in your perpetual love and care. May these whom we remember inspire us to live with greater love for all people.
In the name of Christ we pray. Amen

*Hymn – “You Are My Hiding Place.” TFWS 2055
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​Invitation to Generosity – Pastor Jorge
Offertory “Make me a Channel of Your Peace” by Sebastian Temple
*Doxology Praise God, from whom all blessings flow . . . UMH 95

Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 1: 1-4, 11-12, Leona
Sermon: “The Day of Our Saints- A Story That Unites Us”
It was a cool November morning. The sun peeked through the clouds, and the
air carried the scent of flowers, incense, and freshly baked bread. In a small
community, people began gathering at the church—not in sorrow, but with a
mix of gratitude and reverence. It was All Saints ’Day.
     Don Ernesto, an elderly man with a serene face, walked slowly toward the altar.
In his hands, he carried a photograph of his wife, who had passed away five
years earlier. He gently placed it among lit candles and marigolds. Beside him,
his eight-year-old granddaughter asked,“Why do we do this, Grandpa?”
     He smiled and replied, “Because today we celebrate our saints. Those who are
with us and those who are already with God. Even if we can’t see them, they’re
still here—in who we are, in what we believe.”
     Meanwhile, the pastor stepped up to the pulpit to share the Word. She read
aloud Paul’s words to the Thessalonians:
“We boast about you among God’s churches for your perseverance
and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring” (2 Thessalonians 1:4).
     And then she began to tell a story.
“In the ancient cultures of Mesoamerica—the Mayans, the Aztecs—Día de
Muertos wasn’t a day of mourning, but of life.
     Families would go to the cemetery, bring food, talk to their departed loved ones
as if they were right there. And when they couldn’t go, they built altars at home,
with photos, bread, tequila, and laughter. Because they knew that death
doesn’t break the bonds of love.”
     The congregation listened in silence—some with tears, others with
smiles. The pastor continued:
“John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, once wrote in his journal that this
was one of his favorite days. And I’m not surprised. Because this day reminds
us that holiness isn’t about statues or legends. Holiness is found in those who
serve us with love, who pray for us, who teach us to live with faith.”
Don Ernesto looked at his granddaughter and whispered, “Your
grandma was a saint. Not because she was perfect, but because she loved
with all her heart.”
     The pastor closed her Bible and said:
“Today we proclaim that we are who we are because of those who
came before us. Today we give thanks for the saints who walk among us. And
today we commit to becoming saints for those who will come after us.
Because holiness is not just a memory—it’s a mission.”
     And so, through prayers, songs, and embraces, the community
celebrated. Not just the saints of the past, but the saints of the
present. Those who fight for justice, who sow peace, who build a more human
world.
     Because on this day, as Scripture says, the name of Jesus is glorified
in us... and we in Him.
Amen.

Sing: “Amazing Grace, verses 1-4” UMH 377
The Great Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you. Y tambien contigo.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord.
Demos gracias al Senor Nuestro Dios. It is right to give our thanks and praise.
And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. We offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ’s offering for us. As we proclaim the mystery of faith: 
Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.
Pastor blesses the elements.
The Lord’s Prayer
*Song during communion: “One Bread, One Body” UMH 620

*Benediction

*Song of Blessing: “We Are Marching in the Light of God.” TFWS 2235