Hymn Desk
Hymn Texts /

For All Your Saints O Lord

For all your saints, O Lord

The hymn celebrates the faithful witness of the communion of saints who have persevered in faith and now rest in God's presence, connecting Lutheran theology of justification to the eschatological hope of all believers. It emphasizes the continuous prayer and intercession of the saints while maintaining the Lutheran distinction between their intercessory role and the unique mediation of Christ.

History & Background

Written by Latimer Brant in 1954, this hymn was composed for All Saints' commemoration and reflects modern American hymnody's engagement with biblical imagery. It first appeared in Lutheran hymnals in the 1970s and has become a standard All Saints hymn in Lutheran worship.

Hymnal Appearances

  • Evangelical Lutheran Worship — 425
  • Lutheran Book of Worship — 176
  • Lutheran Service Book — 677
  • Lutheran Worship — 195
  • The Lutheran Hymnal — 468

Bulletin Note

Written by Latimer Brant in 1954, this All Saints hymn weaves eschatological hope with the communion of saints, reflecting post-war renewal of classical hymnody in American Lutheranism.

Preaching Connection

This hymn embodies the Lutheran comfort of justification by grace alone: the saints' rest depends not on their works but on Christ's finished work, yet their faithful witness throughout tribulation testifies to the Spirit's sustaining power in the Christian life.

Catechism & Confessional Connections

Stanza Arc

The narrative or theological arc traced by this tune's stanzas: From the proclamation of Christ's boundless love (stanza 1), through the believer's total consecration and response (stanza 2), to the sufficiency of Christ for all conditions of life (stanza 3), and finally to faith's perseverance through suffering and earthly loss (stanza 4). The arc moves from gift received to gift lived out in all circumstances.

Themes

Communion of saints Perseverance in faith Cloud of witnesses Christian witness Eternal hope

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