Today is All Saints Sunday when we name and remember those who have died in the past year. This year the grief is particularly acute because of the effects of the pandemic. However, we are in the presence of a loving and compassionate God, a God of life and resurrection and hope. The reading today Psalm 34 is a message of hope. It is an acrostic poem, the beginning of each verse being a letter of the Hebrew alphabet in order, as a teaching tool. It teaches about the nature of God, and it uses a personal example to witness to the goodness and love of God.