All Saints Day a time for honoring past relatives

As I was meditating about All Saints Day for November 1, 2026 preceded by All Hallows’ Eve usually called “Halloween”, I found myself remembering the first commandment with a promise to honor my parents and by extension my grandparents and great-grandparents not only my bloodline family but my in-laws and my spiritual family. I found myself surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses. (Hebrews 12:1 which follows the Hall of Faith (Hebrews 11), a listing of people of faith clear back to Abel, the brother of Cain, who suffered martyrdom at the hands of his brother for his faith. Hebrews 11 lists some people of faith usually attached to only one mention of a faith act but ends in verses 33 – 40 just mentioning their faith acts without mentioning their names.

Believers whose worship follows liturgical lines set aside one day a year to remind themselves of those who have laid down the pathways upon which we now journey.

Once I outlined a book I wanted to write titled, “Women of Faith in Big Horn County, Wyoming”. It would contain short versions of the evidence of faith I saw rampant among the believing women I knew and appreciated. You don’t have to know everything about a person to appreciate the way God through the Holy Spirit, has called them to demonstrate their faith in their lives. Some have suffered great sorrows, health issues, poverty, loss of children and spouses, yet God has proved faithful to them, and they have demonstrated their faithfulness to Him and his calling upon their lives. 

The first time I was introduced to the majestic hymn “For All the Saints” (by William W. How) set to the tune: Sine Nomine or without name by Ralph Von Williams. I was a member of the Wyoming All State Choir and although I lived in Laramie and the choir was meeting in Cheyenne that year. The roads were so bad they sent us on the train from Laramie to Cheyenne! My first train ride! 

I heard the words (Originally it had ELEVEN verses!) through a heart of appreciation. How many saints have passed into glory with unmarked graves or little acknowledgement they walked the earth. 

November begins a month of gratitude for the many ways they contributed to my understanding of the love of God and His redemption. Some were evangelists, others were teachers, pastors, deacons, artists, musicians, dancers, some governed from an understanding best governance stems from its root in authority and autonomy, freedom vs. slavery. Some were creative craftsmen like who built things like the printing press without whom we would not hold the scriptures in our hands today, Unmentioned people like Bezaleel (Exodus 31:1 – 6) and his assistant Oholiab who God granted divine wisdom, skill and ability in all kinds of craftsmanship to build the Ark based on what Moses told him. Were the stitchers who embroidered the curtain between the holy place and the holy of holies men or women? Does It matter? 

The first time I heard the chanting of these names in a church setting, I didn’t know quite of few of the saints of old on the list. I knew the Biblical names but after the church began on Pentecost after Jesus was resurrected, I knew fewer and fewer. At one point I wrote a list for myself which included more modern names, preachers, authors, family members, missionaries. 

Who is on YOUR list? Who are your mentors? (whether they know it or not). Jan Dempsey’s mom, Isabel Coney, at a Camp Bethel Ladies Advance in the Big Horns one year encouraged mentorship even in old age. We need mentors and should be mentoring others -- saints of old.