Sheep in pasture

Sheep in pasture
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Thursday, November 10, 2016

“The Making of a Saint”


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51gUmsGZ06E

November 6, 2016
Stetson Memorial UMC
All Saints Day
Psalm 8
Luke 6:17-34 MSG
Matthew 25:34-40 MSG




Prayer for God’s illumination and for His word to be heard through me or in-spite of me…

Please stand, as you are able, for the reading of the Gospel Reading. I am reading from the Gospel of Luke Chapter 6, verses 17-34. Listen to the word of God for you and me, His people…

Saint:
: a person who is officially recognized by the Christian church as being very holy because of the way he or she lived
: a person who is very good, kind, or patient
Today…in the Christian Church we are celebrating “All Saint Sunday”. It is a day that we celebrate those saints among us and those who have gone before us. Now let me give you a little history about All Saint Day.
“It is when the Catholic Church and some Protestant churches commemorate every saint, known and unknown. The concept of All Saints Day is connected to the doctrine of The Communion of Saints. This is the concept that all of God's people, on heaven, earth, and in the state of purification (called Purgatory in the West), are spiritually connected and united. In other words, Catholic and Orthodox Christians (and some Protestants) believe that the saints of God are just as alive as you and I, and are constantly interceding on our behalf. Remember, our connection with the saints in heaven is one grounded in a tight-knit communion. The saints are not divine, nor omnipresent or omniscient. However, because of our common communion with and through Jesus Christ, our prayers are joined with the heavenly community of Christians.

I like the thought of our prayers are joined with the “Heavenly Community of Christians”. WE are all connected in life and in death. We are all one family that will meet on day in the sky. But what makes a Saint? What criteria do we use in deciding that someone is a saint or not? I think that some of the answer is found in the Luke scripture I just read.

Ø I think that the people who are considered saints seem to embody the “blessedness” in this scripture. No matter what they go through, they seem to trust God always and accept what they are going through. I think the main thing here is that they trust God. They may question what is going on but in the end, they say “thy will be done.”
Ø It seems as if when things come up against them…when people are trying to bring them down…when people try to assonate their character or what they are called to do, they have that uncanny knack to be able to say “Well obviously I am doing something right.” They view this from heavens eyes…not worldly eyes. No one wants to look bad, no one wants to have someone tell them they are doing something wrong or have someone else show them up. Just as the Sadducees and Pharisees of Jesus’ day, when someone makes certain people look bad…they do all they can do to stop them. They may not crucify them as they did Jesus but they try to kill them in many other ways…
Ø They are some of the humblest people you would want to meet. They are down to earth and don’t get themselves all puffed up about themselves. As a matter of fact, usually when you complement them, they blush and hang their head. They will tell you it is not them but God…they will not take any credit for themselves but gives credit elsewhere…
Ø They act completely the opposite from what the world acts. Instead of getting back at people they do the opposite. They are kind and loving to their accusers. They are not in some popularity contest with people and they don’t try to please everyone around them. They don’t compromise their ethics for anyone.
Ø They love because they can. They don’t play favorites and love even the “un-lovable’s” around them. They not only hang out with other saints but also with those who are “unsaintly” perhaps their saintliness will spur others to want to live the same life…not that they would hold that over others…
So, these are just a few things that make a saint. I know plenty of people who have gone ahead as well as are still here that embody that whole sainthood thing.

Why would anyone even try to be a saint. In the world we live in…being a saint gets you nowhere. Trying to do the right thing gets you kicked right in the pats a lot of times. Why would we even want to look out for others…treat them as if they are special? Well the answer is…they are special. They are special and sacred to God so it should be with those who carry Christ’s name…who embody sainthood and so much more for He was God incarnate…Christians…Christ followers.

In the past few weeks, one scripture kept coming up…one theme kept creeping in…Matthew 25:34-40:
Read Scripture
I think God is trying to tells us something. I believe there is a message here that God is tryng to get across. Are we…I am not talking about we as Christ followers in general…I am talking about you and I…are we missing the boat somehow? Are you and I ignoring a nudge that God is trying to give us? Are we judging others…thinking they are not worth…fill in the blank? Are we allowing prejudices to become part of how we live and look at others? I don’t know about you but I have been taking a good look at my life and see places where growth is needed. How about you? How is it with YOUR soul? When we bring those attitudes to the cross of our Risen Lord Jesus and leave them there…we can come away newly created and ready to be those saints that leave a legacy behind us. So, what are you going to do now? Choice is yours to make. Are you willing to say “search me Lord and see if there is any wicked way within me and create in me a clean heart.”?


AMEN

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