All Saints Sunday Sermon: “The Family That Worships Together Stays Together”
Scripture: Ruth 1:6-18 (NRSVue)
Introduction: Today is All Saints Sunday. We gather to honor, remember, and celebrate the saints who walked before us, those who paved the path we walk today. Hebrews 12:1 tells us, “We are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses.” These words carry weight and power—this is our spiritual heritage! These are our mothers, fathers, grandmothers, and grandfathers, the ones who loved us, prayed for us, and lived lives of faith, resilience, and commitment. Today, we honor them, and as we look at their legacies, we realize the importance of family, faith, and the bonds that tie us together.
Today’s scripture from the Book of Ruth illustrates what it means to be family and how the love, loyalty, and faith shared within a family leaves a legacy for future generations.
Scripture Focus
Ruth 1:6-18 begins with Naomi, a widow, and her two daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah, facing a time of deep sorrow. Naomi had lost her husband and her two sons, leaving her without a male provider or protector in a time when women depended on male family members for security. She hears that the Lord has visited her homeland, Judah, with the blessing of food. Determined to return home, Naomi tells Ruth and Orpah to return to their own families. Orpah kisses Naomi goodbye, but Ruth clings to her, saying, “Where you go, I will go; where you stay, I will stay. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried” (Ruth 1:16-17). Ruth’s declaration is more than words—it’s a covenant, a commitment to family that transcends bloodlines and personal comfort. Ruth embodies love, loyalty, and faithfulness, characteristics of a family that stays together.
All Saints Day calls us to pause and reflect on those who sacrificed, loved, and stayed true to God. They taught us the value of family, marriage, and sticking together through thick and thin. They left us a legacy not just in words but in actions, and as we reflect on Ruth’s commitment to Naomi, we are reminded that our families, our marriages, and our commitments to one another must also reflect that same loyalty and love.
Ruth’s loyalty to Naomi gives us a blueprint. Saints, this text speaks to us profoundly about what it means to be family.
In our culture, we honor bloodlines, but the Word of God also shows us that family is about covenant, loyalty, and commitment.
Family means being there when it’s easy and hard, when it’s convenient, and when it’s not. The saints we remember today—those grandparents, parents, and church elders—
built families that worshiped together,
families that prayed together,
Families that even voted together,
families that stood firm through hardship.
They taught us that family is sacred, that marriage is a covenant, and that our relationships should honor God.
As we look at the story of Ruth and Naomi, we see the value of worshiping together as a family. When we talk about a family that worships together, we’re talking about a family that builds a foundation on God’s word, prayer, and faith. Ruth wasn’t just declaring her loyalty to Naomi but her faith in Naomi’s God.
She committed to being part of Naomi’s people, part of her family. In the same way, when we come together to worship, when we gather our children, our spouses, and our siblings, we are doing more than attending a service—we are laying a foundation of faith. When we say in the baptism service that we will raise these persons up in the tradition of God and family, we are talking about Covent.
Let me tell you something, beloved: The family that worships together is blessed together. When we teach our children to worship, pray, and sing praises to God, we are building a legacy that will last long after we’re gone.
Our families become testimonies of God’s love and power. And this is what our saints have shown us. Many of us grew up watching our elders pray, lifting their hands in worship, and going to church, come rain or shine. And because of their example, we are here today. That’s the power of a family that worships together.
Three Quick Moves on Worshiping Together, and I'll be out of your way!
Move 1: Saints and Family Are Pillars of Faith
The saints who went before us, the ones we remember on this holy day, laid down the foundation of faith for us. They were mothers, fathers, grandmothers, and grandfathers who built homes centered on worship and prayer. Just as Ruth stayed by Naomi’s side, saying, “Where you go, I will go,” the saints stayed by us, building a legacy of faithfulness.
This legacy is not just about individuals; it’s about the family they built and the impact they had on generations. Every prayer they prayed, every Bible verse they taught, every church service they attended with us left an imprint on our hearts and minds. Family is more than earthly ties—it is forever. When we think of the saints, we remember that we will see them again, that our families in Christ are eternal. For now, though, we are called to carry on their legacy, to be pillars of faith for those who come after us.
Move 2: Family Worship Is the Foundation for Family
Family worship is the foundation that binds and strengthens families like nothing else can. Now, beloved, hear me: it’s no small task to raise children in the faith—any parent or grandparent will tell you that. But, let me remind you, it is the most critical work you will ever do.
Faith doesn’t begin with Sunday morning; it starts in the heartbeat of your home, in the rhythm of your family life. When you bring your children to worship, talk to them about God, teach them how to pray, and sit down as a family and open the Word together, you’re doing more than checking a box. You’re planting seeds that will take root and grow in ways you can’t always see right now, but trust: they are growing.
Don’t just bring your children to church. Show them what it means to worship God right there at the dinner table, at bedtime, and in everyday moments. Read scripture together. Pray together. Talk about what God is doing in your lives. When you make faith a part of your daily life, you’re not just raising children; you’re raising disciples. You are building a foundation that no storm in life can shake, a faith that no trial can break.
And it’s not just for the children and saints; family worship draws all of us closer to each other and to God. It’s like building a spiritual house, brick by brick. Worshiping together fortifies a family. It binds you together with cords that can’t be broken, it fortifies you for life’s battles, and it unifies you in ways that bind each member in God’s unfailing love. So, as you pray, sing, and worship together, you’re creating a legacy of faith—a foundation that will last for generations to come.
Move 3: Unity in Family Worship Creates Strength
When Ruth clung to Naomi, she chose to be part of something greater than herself. She chose to stay, to love, to honor. Family worship strengthens and unites in a way that no earthly struggle can break. Beloved, the family that prays together stays together! Family worship doesn’t just impact the children; it transforms the entire household.
When families come to God together, they are bound in unity, in purpose, and in faith. They are a testimony to the world of what God can do. So don’t let anything keep you from worshiping together as a family.
If you’re a grandparent, bring your grandchildren.
If you’re a parent, bring your children.
And if you don’t have children, adopt someone in the faith! Let’s encourage each other to worship, serve, and grow together because the family that worships together becomes a testimony of God’s love and faithfulness.
The Legacy of Commitment: What Ruth and Our Ancestors Teach Us About Marriage and Family
Marriage is a covenant. It’s a commitment before God, a promise to love, honor, and stay together. Ruth’s words to Naomi were more than just a declaration; they were a commitment, a covenant that mirrors the commitment of marriage.
The saints who went before us showed us what it means to keep that covenant.
They stayed together in sickness and health, in riches and poverty, in good times and bad.
They taught us that marriage is not about convenience but about covenant, about choosing each other, about staying together for a lifetime.
They built families that reflected God’s love, and today, as we remember them, let’s honor their legacy by nurturing our marriages and families.
Let’s show the world that, in a time when many are quick to give up, we are committed to the love that is holy, enduring, and sacred.
ILL: In a small town where tradition and resilience intertwined, there lived a woman named Alicia, a teacher, wife, and mother who carried the values of her ancestors close to her heart. She had seen the struggles of those who came before her—grandmothers and grandfathers who’d loved and labored, who’d stood by each other through life’s storms. For Alicia, these family stories were more than memories; they were guides, showing her the depth of true commitment. And now, in a time of uncertainty and division, she felt called to extend that legacy of commitment beyond her home and into her community.
Alicia had spent years in her town’s schools, nurturing young minds, instilling pride, and encouraging students to believe in their dreams. She was deeply rooted in her faith and her family, where she and her husband modeled a covenantal love—a love that wasn’t based on convenience but on commitment. Through every trial, they stood by each other, working as partners and holding their family together with strength and love. Alicia knew that their family was a reflection of God’s love, and she longed to extend that same sense of devotion to her neighbors and her community.
As election season approached, friends and neighbors urged Alicia to run for a seat on the city council. They’d seen her dedication and commitment to service, believing she was the leader they needed. At first, Alicia hesitated. She knew that stepping into public office would demand a different kind of commitment, a broader sense of covenant with the people she loved. It was a path filled with challenges, one that would test her faith and her resolve. Yet as she prayed and reflected on her family’s legacy, she felt her calling deepen.
In a quiet moment of reflection, Alicia thought about the story of Ruth, the woman who chose to stay with Naomi, bound by loyalty, love, and covenant. Like Ruth, Alicia knew that covenant wasn’t just about personal comfort—it was about commitment to something greater than oneself. She wanted to embody that spirit of loyalty, to carry forward her ancestors’ legacy of enduring love, to build a community that felt like family.
And so, Alicia accepted the call to run. Her campaign was centered on the ideals that had always guided her: compassion, justice, and unity. She spoke of her commitment to her family, her community, and her faith. She reminded her neighbors that they, too, were part of a legacy—a legacy of people who had loved, labored, and sacrificed to make their town a better place. She invited them to join her in building a stronger community, one where everyone could feel valued, protected, and cared for.
On election day, the town gathered to cast their votes. For many, voting for Alicia wasn’t just choosing a candidate; it was choosing a vision of hope, a covenant to work together. When the results came in and Alicia was elected, a celebration ran deep through the community. Her family stood by her side as she took her oath of office, and she looked out at the crowd, seeing the faces of those who had taught her about love, commitment, and covenant.
As Alicia began her work in office, she brought the same devotion to her role as she had to her family. In every decision, she remembered the legacy of those who had loved her, raised her, and believed in her. She knew her role wasn’t just a title; it was a sacred trust. And as she led, she reminded her community of the power of commitment—showing them that, just like in marriage, true leadership is a covenant. It’s a promise to stand together, to lift each other up, and to stay faithful in love, hope, and service for generations to come.
Closing: Our Testimony of Unity and Faith
Beloved, as we remember the saints today, as we honor the family that has gone before us, let us also look forward. Let us be the family that stands together, prays together, and worships together.
Let us declare, like Ruth, “Where you go, I will go. Where you worship, I will worship. Where you serve, I will serve.”
The family that worships together stays together, and the legacy we leave will be one of unity, faith, and love. May our families, our churches, and our communities be testimonies of God’s goodness, may our marriages reflect His covenant, and may our lives honor the saints who went before us. May our vows we and others take for public office also reflect or covenant before God. For as we walk this journey, we are not alone. We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, and together, we carry forward the torch of faith, for the glory of God.
Amen.
