All Saints Sunday Sermon
Matthew 5:1-12
"Saints I Have Known"
1 ¶ Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him.
2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
3 ¶ "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 "Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.RSV
Grace and Peace to you from our Lord, Jesus the Christ amen
Several years ago, we were driving in the car and it was raining. Sara watched the rain fall on the front windshield and watched as the force of the wind drove the rain drops together, then forcing them up to the top of the windshield. She hoped the drops would make it to the top before the wipers could swish them off. These drops joined together to form larger drops, and they in turn formed together to make even larger ones, and before we knew it, there was a little river running up the window. But there were other drops which remained apart from these larger ones, and there were other drops which formed their own smaller rivers. At one time we saw the drops of rain coming together to form a river, then for some reason, they parted again forming even smaller rivers. It was fascinating to watch the different patterns of rain on the windshield. Try it some time when you aren’t doing the driving.
Those rain drops joining together to form larger ones and even small rivers are a lot like the saints of God. You and I who are believers in God, for that is what a saint is joining others to form a small river, a community in Christ. We journey together for awhile, but then some leave because of illness, moving away or death. But others join this community in Christ, this bond of saints continue their journey until the second coming of Christ when all will join with him in the heavenly home.
This morning we are going to look at these saints, saints we have journeyed with in the past, saints we journey with now in the present moment, and then, the hope all the saints have for the future.
First the saints of our past. The saints we recall in our past, the ones who have found their eternal rest. We remember their faith and the fact that our fellowship is a communion of eternal life. The members of this community remain part of it, even after death. It is from these saints that our heritage of faith has been past on. It is from these saints the time honored values are passed on are brought to present. It is from these saints we can draw courage and strength as we remember their lives, their actions, their relationship with us. As we reflect back over our lives, we recall many saints, even loved ones, who though they are now resting in another land,still keep a relationship alive within us. Maybe it is a husband’s memory or a child’s memory, or a father’s memory, or a grandparent’s memory which on this day tugs at the heart strings of our lives. Whatever it is, it is good to ponder to reflect, to relive those special moments.
As I think back over my years of being a pastor, many saints flash through the pictures in my mind’s eye. Each one holds a special memory, a special picture which influence my life today. And from my personal history, the images of my father and two grandmas and one grandpa flashes across the screen of memory. Some of these images influenced my present moment. From Grandpa Spachtholz I have learned and will always cherish the green thumb which I received from him. Grandpa loved flowers and gardens. As a little boy in Germany, he worked in a greenhouse, and when he came to America he enjoyed planting gardens and flowers. I would always enjoy going over to his house to look at his flowers and gardens. He would then pass on some of his knowledge, some of his secrets and I eagerly accepted them. Today because of those moments, I do enjoy flowers and gardening. And many times as I tend the flowers, thoughts of Grandpa would come to the surface, pleasant thoughts, thoughts of the friendship, the companionship we had together.
On this All Saints day it is good to allow those special thoughts of a loved one to surface, to be relived, to be cherished once again. As we confess in the creed, " I believe in the communion of saints" there is a relationship with the past saints which affect our present in a good and healthy way. The writer to the Hebrews says we are surrounded by a great cloud of witness as we worship the Lord. The lives of those past saints do affect us today. It is good to recall their influence, their friendship, the bonds that link us to them and to the past.
Inspirational author Frederick Buechner puts it this way:
"When you remember me, it means that you have carried something of who I am with you, that I have left some mark of who I am on who you are. It means that you can summon me back to yourmind, even though countless years and miles may stand between us. It means that if we meet again, you will know me.
It means that even after I die, you can still see my face and hear my words and speak to me in your heart." (Frederick Buechner, Whistling in the Dark, p. 100)1
The friendships of the past saints lead us into the relationships we have now in the present moment. For the present moment is also made up of the community of the faithful believers who share with one another their trust, their belief, their acceptance of Jesus Christ as the Lord of their lives. And in this present moment, Christ comes to each of us to give us the power, the courage, the strength, the confidence, the Holy Spirit to continue our journey faithfully in Him and in service to our neighbor. Saints on the faith journey today can be a faithful witness to their faith and belief in Christ for other brothers and sisters. We gather together in a community of faithful believers because it is from our mutual witness that our faith remains strong and alive. We draw courage and faith, confidence and trust, strength and fortitude from each other and the Lord to allow us to be His witnesses in this world for the faithful and non faithful.
For example: a pastor describes some saints who are faithful in his church: "The faithful saints are: the husband or wife who single-handedly tries to bring their children to worship while having no support from a spouse : the poor, elderly person who is the first to give an extra gift when the church asks: the paralyzed member who hears and reads of the church’s work and has hopes for it and prays for it: the worshipers whose frail body makes it difficult to come to worship, but comes anyway to add voice and body to the event of Christ’s body:....the troubled partner in the middle of a marriage crisis who comes to be held and renewed by the Good Word of forgiveness and the healing power of the body and blood of Christ Jesus;....the teenager who comes to worship because he/she wants to praise and thank the Lord, the voice who sings off-key and doesn’t hesitate because he would just rather be making his joyful noise;....the office worker who says he would rather not be part of the cheating and wrong practices of the firm and quits;.....the retired gentleman who faithfully waters, mows and plants flowers around the church to beautify it for the Lord;....
The list could go on and on, but you get the point. We need each other in this present community to give us the strength and the assurance that our faith can be strong in spite of the many challenges to that faith from the world and these around us who don’t understand our faith
The famous Beatitudes of our lord which is our gospel lesson this morning are a clear description of the faithful as they live in this world. Notice these descriptions turn the world ways upside down. They describe people who are not victors but who are victims of this life however because of Christ, victory has been achieved.
For example take the second beatitude "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted," . There are many meanings for this one but one which describes the love, the faithfulness of the community of believers says; Blessed or happy is the person who identifies with the sorrows of the world. Blessed are they that voluntarily share their neighbor’s pain. Blessed are those who walk with another as they face the brokenness in their lives. Blessed are those who walk with another to give support, encouragement, strength and the comfort of God’s word. Blessed are those who allow another to feel the pain and heartache of life without pretending that somehow all will be ok.
Can you see that being in community with another, being a witness, being a saint for another saint is what the body of Christ, the church, is all about. Being able to be and walk with another down their path without wanting to direct or lead that person is our calling in the body of Christ. Being able to share with another their burdens without making it your own, being able to comfort another with our witness of action as well as the word is what the priesthood of saints is all about. The present moment as we celebrate this All Saints Day is a time for each of us to turn to our brother and sister in Christ to give them strength, courage, comfort and confidence as they walk their journey of faith.
As our journey in faith continues, this all Saints Day reminds us again that each step we take toward the future is another step closer to our death, and the eternal life which God has promised all who believe in His Son. Our hope and promise for the future is that there is life beyond this one. Jesus says; "I am the Resurrection and the life, he who believer in me shall never die." We hold onto that promise each day we live not knowing whether tomorrow will come for us. Each day we live, we live in the joy and the hope of eternal life. As saints, those who have been redeemed by the blood of the lamb of God with his broken body, we live with the conviction, the assurance and the hope that there is life for us after this one. So each day is lived for the Lord and in the Lord because we don’t know where we will be tomorrow. As we journey with the past saints in our memories and the present saints besides us, we live in Christ and for Christ so that tomorrow we might be in Christ and resting in our heavenly home if the sting of death should take us away from this journey.
An ancient Greek wrote about Christians: "If any righteous persona among the Christians passes from this world, they rejoice and offer thanks to God,as they escort that body with songs and thanksgiving, as if the person were setting off from one place and going to some other near by place. "
The slants of old give us courage as we relieve their past memories as we continue to walk with the present saints who walk step by step with us toward the time when we will join all the heavenly saints in praise and thanksgiving to God and His Son for the redemption which is our.
Amen
Written by Pastor Tim Zingale October 31, 2005
1 from a sermon by Carla Thompson Powell
