[Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for All Saints' Sunday

[Joe Parrish]

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-----Original Message-----
From: Judy <judy_boli at ecunet.org>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org>
Sent: Fri, Nov 4, 2011 9:48 pm
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for All Saints' Sunday


Dear Friends,

Tomorrow’s sermon is entitled “Happy All Saints’ Sunday” or “God with
Skin” and deals with all the lessons, but especially the lesson from
the Apocrypha- (Ecclesiasticus 2: 1-9). Here it is:

As you know, today is a very special Sunday- All Saints’ Sunday.  All
Saints is the time we thank God for all the wonderful saints of God
who have mentored us, loved us, and accepted us through thick and
thin- not always an easy task!  This morning, I’d like us to look at
saints- who we are, where we’ve come from, where we’re going, and our
ultimate destiny.

SAINTS- WHO ARE WE?  Did you notice the “WE”?  I can’t tell you how
many times people have told me, “Rev. Judy, you expect too much of
me.  I’m not a saint, you know.”  I finally get a chance to answer
with two questions of my own!  (1) Have you accepted Jesus as your
Lord and Savior?  (2) Are you baptized?  If you answered “yes” to both
of these questions, you are a saint- maybe not a famous saint, maybe
not even a very good saint, but you are a saint, and there’s always
room for improvement.  One definition of a saint is simply “God
putting on skin.”  A little boy was afraid of the dark, afraid of
thunder storms, and afraid of all those strange noises you can often
hear in a quiet, cooling house.  One night, a huge crack of thunder
frightened him out of a deep sleep.  He was out of his bed in a minute
and into his parents’ bed.  Now the last thing they wanted was a
scared child in their bed, so his mom and dad comforted him a minute,
then told him to go back to his own bed. They told him to remember
what he had learned in church- that God was always with him.  “That
won’t do right now!” he protested.  “I need a God with skin, and mom,
dad- you’re it!”  That little boy knew what he was talking about.  A
saint is a stand-in for God.  Think of the people you know who feel as
if they have no meaning in their lives?  We saints who are working on
our spiritual walk are seldom in this confusion for long if we’re
going to church and receiving Holy Communion every Sunday, reading our
Bible daily, and being faithful in our prayer life.  Why?  Because we
are God’s wonderful instruments to finish the creating, redeeming, and
sanctifying of God’s world.  Do you know someone who is hurting?
You’re Jesus’ hands- help them.  Do you know something that needs
fixing?  You’re Jesus’ hands- fix it.  Do you know something that
needs creating or improving or developing or discovering?  You’re
Jesus’ hands- do it.  You, as a saint- as a stand-in for Jesus are the
only God that some people will ever see.  How much more meaning could
anyone want?  Do you remember the poem, “The Gospel According to
You?”  It goes:
The gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are read by more than a
few.
But the one that is read most and commented on is the gospel according
to you.
You are writing a gospel, a chapter each day, by the things that you
do and the words that you say.
People read what you write, whether faithless or true.  Say, what is
the gospel according to you?
Do others read His truth and His love in your life, or has yours been
too full of malice and strife?
Does your life speak of evil, or does it ring true?  Say, what is the
gospel according to you?
				(Anonymous)

SAINTS- WHERE WE’VE COME FROM: One of the things I love about All
Saints’ Sunday is it gives us a chance to remember where we’ve come
from- God’s heart.  We are the adopted children of God.  Our family
tree is amazingly famous.  Abraham is our forefather and Sarah is our
foremother.  Our ancestors include Isaac and Rebecca; Jacob and Leah
and Rachel; King David; culminating in Jesus.  We have a glorious past
and an even more glorious future.

SAINTS- WHERE ARE WE GOING: For me, one of the best parts of being a
saint (i.e. a Christian) is that I don’t need to worry about the
future, because I know who holds the future in his hand- God, and He’s
my dad- my heavenly Father, so I know nothing can happen to me that He
and I can’t handle together.  Did you notice how the first reading
reminds us to expect trouble, and that surely is correct.  In fact, if
you never have to face trouble or problems because you follow Jesus,
because you choose to do the right thing regardless of peer pressure,
money pressure, family pressure, or any kind of pressure, then
something is the matter with your choices or your walk.  Listen to the
Ecclesiasticus lesson (2: 1-9): It not only warns us to expect
trouble, but advises us how to handle it.  “1 Students, if you decide
to worship and obey the Lord, be ready to face problems. 2 Have firm
self-control and don't act too quickly if trouble strikes. 3 Don't
turn from the Lord, but be faithful; that's the way to succeed.  4-5
Accept everything that happens.  Be patient if others humiliate you;
humiliation tests people as a furnace tests gold.  Trust the Lord if
you become sick or poor.  6 The Lord will give His help, if you depend
only on Him and do right.  7 If you fear the Lord and are patient, He
will show you mercy.  But if you turn away, you will fall.  8 Put your
trust in Him, and He will reward you.  9 Don't give up hoping for good
things, like mercy and a life full of joy.”  Did you notice how
trouble tests us as a furnace tests gold.  What happens to gold in a
furnace?  Sure, it comes out stronger and more pure.  Stick with
Jesus, stay strong through trials, and you will develop amazing
spiritual power and courage as well.

Here’s another difference between we saints and others not so
blessed.  While they’re calling their psychic hot lines or checking
what their astrological signs say will happen in the current crisis-
and life is full of crises- always has been and always will be, we can
sing with meaning, “Be not afraid, for God is in charge.”  While
others are hiding from life with their alcohol or drugs or TV programs
or shopping or just being busy, busy, busy- we can sing with meaning,
“I put my troubles in God’s hands” and not only put them there, but
leave them there.  Does being a Christian mean we are immune from
trouble?  Absolutely not, but with God, the sacraments, my Christian
friends, the Bible- I can take whatever life throws at me, and so can
you and turn problems into opportunities and personal spiritual
power.  Easy?  Of course not, but worth every minute.  It’s great
being a saint!

SAINTS- OUR ULTIMATE DESTINY: Did you hear about the little girl in
Sunday school?  Her teacher had just asked the class how you get to
heaven, hoping she would get the Biblical answer “Believe and be
baptized.”  Up shot the little girl’s hand.  Now this was one of those
“goody-goody little girls” who always does everything right and always
knows the answer, so the teacher chose her to answer.  “What was the
question?” the child asked.  “What do you have to do to get to
heaven?” the teacher repeated.  “Oh, that’s easy,” the child
answered.  “Get dead!” Not only do I automatically have an abundance
of meaning in my life, not only do I know who I am and where I’ve come
from, and where I’m going--- I also have a sure knowledge of my
ultimate destiny.  Death is an illusion, a devil-trick- it doesn’t
exist.  Death is simply a birth process to the next glorious part of
my life with Jesus.  This world is just my temporary home, my
citizenship is in heaven.  Getting dead may not be great, but being
dead is fine, because we are in heaven with Jesus.

As a Christian, as a saint, not only do I automatically have an
abundance of meaning in my life, not only do I know who I am and where
I’ve come from, and where I’m going, not only do I have a sure
knowledge of my ultimate destiny- heaven; I am also blessed with clear
instructions for how to be blessed (and a blessing) in this life: love
God, love neighbor, don’t hold grudges, no revenge, the beatitudes we
heard this morning for our Gospel.  So let’s get on with our worship
by thanking God for the wonderful privilege of being saints in our
generation and renewing our Baptismal Covenant.

For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updated African-American
wisdom statements are posted on our parish web site. The address is:
http://www.stpaulsepisag.com .

Blessed preaching.
Judy Boli
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Saginaw, Michigan

 
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