I’m A Saint, Are You?
Monday Ministerial Musings
By Rev. Mark William Ennis
2026 Blog #38
October 26, 2026
This coming Sunday, we are celebrating All Saints Day in church. This celebration in the western church has this celebration on November 1 each year. Most years, November 1 does not fall on a Sunday as it does this year. The Eastern Church celebrates this day after Pentecost, which happens in the Spring. Our custom, at the Community Church of Glen Rock on this day, is to read the names of our members who have died in the year since the last All Saints celebration. We also ring a bell after each name is read, and a candle is lit for each of the deceased. After all the names have been read, we say prayers for these folks and sing the hymn “For all the Saints.”
I don’t recall experiencing such a service when I was young. I have only experienced this type of service as an adult, and I am pleased that I have. I enjoy this service and I appreciate the respect that it shows toward our deceased Christian brothers and sisters. After lifetimes of serving Jesus, they deserve to be acknowledged. They were role models for us when alive.
A few years ago, following an All-Saints celebration, one church member approached me and asked me why we talked about “saints.” This member was confused. Having grown up as a Roman Catholic, she thought that only the Pope could declare someone to be a saint. In reality, Saint Paul refers to all Christian believers are “saints.” It doesn’t take a church decree to make someone a saint, it only takes true belief and discipleship for someone to be a saint, and to be celebrated on All-Saints Day.
Are you a saint? I know people who make the claim, “I believe in God.” That isn’t a very high bar. Even the Devil knows that God exists. Other people may say, “I’m a good person!” I would dispute that. When people who knew Jesus called him “good teacher” he turned down the title of “good.” Only God the Father, according to Jesus, could be called “good.”
Believing in God isn’t enough if the devil himself is a believer. Thinking that we are “good” isn’t accurate. We all sin. If we are disciples of Jesus, and obey him, then we can be a saint in Christ’s church. No, we will not get this perfectly. Growing to be Christ-like is a life-long process. We will hit bumps in our journey, and we will make many mistakes, but these mishaps will not preclude us from becoming saints of Jesus.
Do you wish to be a saint? Be a friend of Jesus. Be devoted to him. Most importantly, obey him. Sometimes we can think that we are obeying but we aren’t. It takes a fellowship of other Christians to see when we are straying from obedience. This is why church attendance is so important.
Let us all be friends of Jesus so that we can become one of his saints. Someday we will be celebrated on All Saints Day.
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