Christian theology teaches that when believers worship God on earth today, we join with believers in heaven who are now worshiping God around his throne. This overlapping worship of Christians—past, present, and future—is called “the communion of saints.” As one famous church hymn puts it: “Yet she on earth hath union with God the Three in One, and mystic sweet communion with those whose rest is won.” That is the heart of All Saints Day, which is the theme of this uplifting message.

In the Protestant tradition, All Saints Day is a commemoration of every Christian believer, whether living or deceased, and “the mystic sweet communion” they enjoy in the presence of God—some as part of the Church Militant, and some as part of the Church Triumphant. More specifically, it is a time of remembering family members, church members, and believing friends who have died in Christ—those who are now part of the “great cloud of witness” in heaven (Hebrews 12:1). For those believers who are on earth today, we live out our faith beyond buildings with stained glass windows until we ourselves join this great cloud of witnesses.