Let us pause for a moment to express our gratitude to God, in prayer...
Gracious God,
we give thanks for your love which comforts us,
your Spirit which empowers us,
and the example of faith-filled living given to us by Jesus
and the communion of saints throughout the ages.
With joy and thanksgiving we celebrate and give thanks for
your presence, this day and always. Amen
Today is All Saints' Sunday. The meaning of the word saint has evolved over the centuries to the point where we often think of a saint as being an exemplar of faith-filled living; an extraordinarily holy person; a person who is extremely devoted to God. When we look at the meaning of the word saint in Christian Scriptures, it is interesting to note that we find there is no individual person named as a saint. The word is always used in the plural form, saints, and refers to all members of the Christian community, ordinary and extraordinary alike. One such reference is found in Paul's letter to the Ephesians, where he explains that the spiritual gifts given to members of the Christian community have enabled some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, [in order] to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ. (Ephesians 4: 11-12, my emphasis)
Saints, therefore, are ordinary people like you and me beloved in the eyes of God. Just imagine what the world would be like if we all thought of ourselves and everyone else, as God's beloved. I believe that is what Jesus is trying to convey when he bestows blessings upon ordinary folk and particularly those who are not held in high esteem by their culture and social network. For example, in today's story from the Gospel of Luke, Jesus literally turns the values of his society upside down when he tells Zacchaeus that he must stay at his house. Today, in our North American culture, it may be difficult to understand that being asked to host someone is an honour rather than an imposition. In Jesus' day it was known to be a great honour to offer hospitality. Therefore, it would have been surprising to those gathered around Jesus that day to watch him go out of his way to ask a tax-collector, a person despised in his society, to be his host. The people in the crowd would have been shocked and amazed that Jesus would honour Zacchaeus in this way. And, maybe they understood that if Jesus thought Zacchaeus was worthy of his company then maybe they were worthy as well. And perhaps they might have seen, that in the context of Jesus' teachings about the Commonwealth of God, that everyone even those whom society deems unfit are welcome to eat at the same table.
Remembering and telling stories from our faith tradition is important. In the stories from Christian scriptures we are reminded of the radical love shown by Jesus in his life and ministry and we are encouraged to emulate his actions in our own lives and ministry.
It is also important to remember, and to be strengthened and inspired by our communion with all the saints of the past. Those ordinary people, who by their example of faithfulness and courage, inspire us to live more fully, more faithfully, more compassionately, as Christians and as citizens in the global community.
We all know people we have admired whose memories are kept alive within the collective memory of our community of faith. These saints embody the values that we hold dear as followers of Christ.
We also know people who have been part of our personal faith journey. People who have quietly lived their Christian faith in the actions of their lives and who have had a profound influence on our own lives and faith.
I can think of many people who have personally inspired and encouraged me by their example of Christian ministry. One person who has been particularly in my heart and in my mind this week is a woman named Barbara Easton. Barbara and I studied theology together at the Centre for Christian Studies. The educational program for Diaconal Ministry, in which we participated, was a five year course of studies. Sadly, six months before the completion of the program, Barb was diagnosed with cancer. For the first four months she seemed to be fighting the illness with some success but then her condition worsened and it became evident that she did not have long to live. It was a terrible blow for all those who knew and loved her. But Barbara was determined to graduate with the rest of us and she persevered with determination to complete all her academic requirements despite the challenges she faced. When we gathered for the final part of our formal education, Barb was in hospice care and could not physically be with us. We grieved her absence and that her life was nearing an end. We laughed and we cried as we remembered times with her and mourned the imminent loss of her companionship and the church's loss of her gifts in ministry. Despite her incredibly weakened condition she hung on and joined us by conference call for the ritual blessing of our ministry. Eighteen times she repeated the words of blessing even though at times it left her breathless. It was a great comfort to hear her voice blessing each of us individually. It felt as if she was passing the torch on to us – entrusting her companions to continue her passion and dedication for ministry. At that moment it became evident to all of us that Barb's ministry would not end with her death but would continue in the ministry of all those whose lives she had touched and enriched.
Jesus did the same – he knew he was going to die and he trusted his companions to continue his ministry. He let them know that his spiritual presence would continue to encourage and empower them and asked that they remember his solidarity with them by ritually breaking bread and drinking the fruit of the vine together.
This communion with Jesus, strengthened the bonds of Christian community after his death and continues to remind us of our roots and purpose as a community of faith today. And our communion with faithful followers, saints past and present, also strengthens our resolve and inspires us to carry on Jesus' ministry by their example of faith-filled living.
Our Christian community is one that spans time and space. We have a rich tradition of story, faith, and community. We are a community of memory, a people who remember where we have come from in order to know who we are and how we will live in the present. This, and the empowerment and persistent love of God, is a blessing which compels us to respond to our individual and collective call to ministry in the future.
And so we remember, when we gather as a community of faith, that Jesus is present in story and in spirit and that he is also present in the ministry of love and compassion which we continue in his name.
the communion of saints, past and present,
and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit
that breathes life into our community of faith,
this day and always.
Amen
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