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Sunday, November 02, 2008
The Difference Between Saints and Sinners
All Saint’s Day Sunday
By Rev. Cindy Bates
Matthew 5:1-11
1 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak, 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 will be comforted. 5 "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when people 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 in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Hebrews 12:1
1 ...since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses ... let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us ...
Today we are celebrating All Saint’s Day, a day that has become known as Christianity’s Memorial Day. This celebration has evolved over the centuries. It began when the early Church honored and remembered those persons who had died as martyrs, defending the faith, and there were calendared “feast days” when particular martyrs had a special day when they were named and celebrated. Then in the 7th century, it was decided that there were many “unknown martyrs” or defenders of the faith who had not been named and therefore an All Saint’s Day celebration was instituted as a way of honoring all of the faithful who had died. So, today, as in churches all across Christendom, we are remembering those who have died, those who have gone before us and taught us and challenged us and modeled ways to be faithful to what they believed. Who have been saints for you?
After seeing the title of today’s sermon, “The Difference Between Saints and Sinners”, someone asked me what I was going to say about the difference and my answer was “not much”. I really don’t think there is much difference as we all have the potential within us to be both saint and sinner.
The word “saint” can conjure up very different images for us. Some people think of a saint as someone who has lived a “perfected” life. I’m not sure that is possible. Jesus did not even refer to himself as perfect. Paul used the word to refer to those who were ordinary members of the church who were striving, trying to live after the example of Jesus Christ. He used the word when referring to the members of the churches at Corinth and at Philippi and we know there were many, less than perfect people, making up those congregations! It would be interesting, if we had the time to hear all the definitions of “saint” that we could come up with if we had the time this morning. My favorite definition is one that is used by Episcopalian priest Ron DelBene who says, “Saints are persons who make it easier to believe in God.” Think of all the persons in this world that have made it easier for you to believe in God.
In a few moments we are going to be seeing names and faces of those we are remembering who have been a part of this church family in some way. Many of them, if not all of them, have been saints for us.
I chose our scriptures for this morning because I believe they are reminders of who our saints are. The Beatitudes from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount are a “call” to live our lives in a certain way, based on what we know about the presence of God in our lives. In the Beatitudes, Jesus told us about the basic fundamental attitudes of life and about the kind of people God wants us to be. They are basic attitudes of living. I think it could be argued that to be a saint is to live with the “Be-attitudes” in your heart.
In another description of the saints, the passage from Hebrews refers to those who have gone before us, who have died, as a cloud of witnesses who are like spectators cheering us on as we run this race called life. I love that image. When you think of a loved one who has died, do you ever talk to them, ask them to help you, advise you, cheer you on in some way as though they are still very present in your life? The writer of Hebrews thought of them in that way. That concept has been very much embraced by our brothers and sisters in the Orthodox Church. The architecture of Orthodox churches, dating back to the early churches of Greece and Turkey, have a dome that covers the main sanctuary and in the top of that dome there is always an icon or a depiction of Christ. It serves as a statement that Christ overcame death and ascended triumphantly into heaven. And, around the edges of the dome, also looking down on the worshippers, are images of the saints, giving hope and guidance to the believers below. It is an artistic, theological reminder of the belief that we truly are not alone in this world but we are surrounded and cheered on by those who have gone before us. Who would that be for you this day?
I am reminded of another illustration, one that I have used before, but it communicates the same idea so vividly. Ron DelBene talks about being in a church in Nicaragua during the Sandinista-Contra War. The service was in Spanish so he said he could only understand very little of what was being said until they got to the Eucharist, Holy Communion. Being an Episcopalian priest, he knew the words of remembrance and he was no longer confused, until there was a time of silence and someone from the congregation called out a name and in one voice the congregation responded “presente”. Then another name was called out and again the entire congregation responded “presente!” DelBene did not understand what was happening until he heard the name Oscar Romero, then he understood that the names of those being called were persons who had died. He said it was a powerful way of stating that those persons who had died were still very present with them.
In a few moments, we will be sharing in the sacrament of Holy Communion. It is a sacrament of remembering the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and his continued presence with us. And, it is also a remembering of the “Communion of Saints” that join with us in this life, even as they have transitioned into a life beyond what we now experience.
The saints of our lives continue to be with us to love us and cheer us on. They continue to teach us that life on this earth is brief, fragile, sacred and precious. They continue to encourage us to live with an attitude of being that will help others believe in God. Today, and each day, let us thank God for the saints of our lives.
Let us take a moment in silence to remember and give thanks. (Silence) I would invite you to call out those names that represent the saints of your life that we may claim their presence with us…
(Verbally naming of persons who have gone before us.)
Now, let us see the names and faces of those who have most recently gone before us.
(Power Point presentation with accompanying music.)