Since I attend a Baptist church, we do not observe All Saints’ Sunday, but we do practice a Service of Remembrance during worship that remembers those of the fellowship (saints), who have passed during the previous year. Each name is read, and a bell is tolled in their memory.
As part of the service, we sang the familiar hymn "Shall We Gather at the River?"
Shall we gather at the river,
Where bright angel feet have trod;
With its crystal tide forever
Flowing by the throne of God?
Yes, we'll gather at the river,
The beautiful, the beautiful river;
Gather with the saints at the river
That flows by the throne of God.
This classic gospel hymn was written in July 1864 by American Baptist minister and composer Robert Lowry (1826–1899).
During an oppressive summer and a local epidemic/fever outbreak in Brooklyn, New York, Lowry wrote both the words and music. Lowry reflected on the many hymns of the era that focused heavily on the "river of death" and grief. He began to wonder why there weren't more songs celebrating the vibrant, life-giving imagery of the Bible.
His mind went to Revelation 22:1–2:
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. (NIV)
As we remember those who have blessed our lives, let us also embrace the life-giving flow of the Spirit that called to them and continues to call to us.
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