It’s All Saints Day, a time to remember those who have gone before.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12.1 – 2, ESV)

Please see last year’s post with explanation and the marvelous song “For All the Saints Who From Their Labors Rest.”

This year, I’d like to recognize a few saints that passed since the last All Saints Day. You can click the links for their obits or something I posted about them.

• Vern Betsch: Vern was a lifelong Navigator whom I saw at one of my first conferences in the late 60s. He was moving from Viet Nam to Indonesia as a Navigator missionary. He moved to Birmingham, AL, in 1973, and we connected when we were on church staff in Montgomery, AL, 2001 – 2006. He and his lovely wife, Elsie, were faithful and humble mentors for us and continued to strongly encourage us when we moved to Colorado as full-time Navigators.
• Jim Oraker: I wrote about Jim when I saw him in rapid decline. He and I co-taught a Sunday School class in the late 80s.
• Hulk Hogan: there will be all kinds of people with us!
• Pope Francis: read my blog. He washed feet that were actually dirty!
• Bill McCartney: I’m not a big event guy, but I made an exception for the Promise Keepers’ rallies. The early ones were amazing.
• Tony Campolo: faithfully called us to minister to the poor. My blog includes his telling the story of organizing a birthday party for a prostitute. Worth listening to.
• Charlie Kirk: a modern-day martyr, killed for his ideas.

These were all commended for their faith… (Hebrews 11.39, ESV)