SUNDAY SCHOOL @ HOME – All Saints Sunday/November 6, 2022
Bible Passage
Today is a special day in the church. It is “All Saints Sunday.” Today we remember all those people who love God and who live as God’s people. That includes you and me. It also includes those people who love God, but no longer live on earth because they now live in heaven with God. Everyone who is baptized becomes part of God’s family forever. That means they are saints. Martin Luther said we are all both saints and sinners at the very same time. The communion of saints includes those people who still live on earth as well as those who have died in the faith and are now living in heaven. Today we remember all God’s saints!
Watch this video together:
https://youtu.be/6dNqGq8y5jg
Read:
In the gospel for All Saints Sunday, Jesus is asked a trick question by a group of people called the Sadducees. The Sadducees didn’t believe in heaven. They were trying to trick Jesus with their question, but Jesus didn’t fall for their trick. He told them it was more important for them to live their lives the way God wanted them to today than to worry about what heaven is like. How does God want us to live our lives? To be like God is with us: to live with love and forgiveness towards others. God loves us and is always ready to forgive us. Jesus prayed and was close to God and we can pray and be close to God as well. God wants us to take care of our families and friends and those in need. Heaven is a wonderful place and we give thanks to God on All Saints Sunday for all those who have died and are now in heaven with God. But Jesus reminded the Sadducees and us that it is important for us to live our lives now in the ways God wants us to so that we will have the wonderful life God wants us to here and now.
Discuss
- How do you live as God wants you to?
- When was a time you treated someone with kindness? When was a time someone treated you with kindness?
- How could God use you to be a blessing to others?
Song
I’ll Fly Away. Go Fish Guys.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gURt5G0t06c
Activity
Use the “people” pattern to cut out people shapes. Glue them onto a piece of paper. Label it “For All the Saints” and label each person cut out with the name of someone, either living on earth or living in heaven with God, who has made a difference in your life.
Activity
Purchase flashlights from the Dollar Store. Decorate them with stickers or foam shapes or permanent markers. Use them as a reminder that Jesus shows us God’s way.
Activity
Research on the internet the life stories of some of these famous Christians from times past. Discuss them as a family. Tell their stories to someone else.
Albert Schweitzer • Ambrose of Milan • Anthanasius of Alexandria • Augustine of Hippo • Boniface • Brother Andrew • Charles Wesley • David Livingstone • Dietrich Bonhoeffer • Francis of Assisi • Hudson Taylor • Ireneaus of Lyons • Johannes Flierl • John Calvin • John Newton • John Wesley • John Wycliffe • Jonathan Edwards • Martin Luther • Mother Theresa • Patrick of Ireland • William Tyndale
Say prayers of thanks for their faith and service for the sake of the gospel.
(Adapted from Taking Faith Home. Go to www.milestonesministry.org)
Prayer
God, we thank you for all those people who make a difference in our lives. We thank you that we are your people, whether we live here on earth or whether we are with you in heaven. May our whole lives bring praise to you. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Dan Fugate, Assistant to the Bishop for Discipleship in the Indiana-Kentucky Synod, ELCA, put this lesson together for Sunday School @ Home. Contact him at [email protected].
