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
