Ephesians 1:15-23 …love toward all the saints.
Luke 19:1-10 The Son of humanity came to seek out and to save the lost.
I.
As a young Protestant boy, the only thing I knew about saints was that the Roman Catholic Church had them. I envisoned a saint as ethereal, some misty vision slightly off the ground, a bit like a Halloween ghost. As a teen, saints seemed to be dead believers who had lived so sacrificially in the service of Christ that they were untouchable. No mere mortal had a chance of coming close to their purity and holiness.
The truth is that to define saints in this way does a grave injustice to the concept of sainthood. While the Roman tradition continues to grant sainthood posthumously, we Protestants see saints in the here and now, taking as our guide texts like Ephesians 1:15-23. Here a disciple of the Apostle Paul writes to young congregations in the late 1st or early 2nd Century C.E. about saints as dedicated members of the church-
I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints…
I pray that…God…may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to
know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is
the hope to which you have been called, what are the riches of God’s glorious
inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of God’s
power for us who believe according to the working of God’s great power.
-Eph 1:15-19, excerpted; trans. Wildman
Scholar J. Paul Sampley (HarperCollins NRSV Study Bible) says saints (as used in the epistles) are literally, “holy ones;” …believers who have been set apart for God and destined for an “inheritance” (Col 1:12).
In the words of Janet Parker (our Pastor for Parish Life, in her fine article in the current Rock Spring News,
a “saint” in the biblical sense means one of the faithful, one who was redeemed
by Christ, not a person who lived a perfect or sinless life…
II.
Saints need not even have a life of perfect faith. Even Mother Teresa struggled with private doubts about God’s love for her. Her recently released private letters (Come Be My Light, Doubleday) reveal a personal crisis of faith for much of the time in which she was ministering sacrificially to the poorest of the poor in Calcutta’s slums. One journal entry finds her in deep despair-
Where is my faith- deep down there is nothing, but emptiness and darkenss…So
many unanswered questions live within me I am afraid to uncover them because
of my blasphemy.
Yet Teresa persisted in her ministry day after day, in Christ’s name touching thousands of suffering souls.
So, saints have feet of clay, just like the rest of us. Anyone who attempts to live a life in God’s service qualifies! The human walk is fraught with sin and despair. The dishonest tax collector, Zacchaeus, demanding taxes for Rome from his own people- and taking a hefty percentage for himself- sees in Jesus a better way. He is so contrite that he repents by promising restitution to the fullest extent the law. He is loved by Jesus and affirmed as a son of Abraham. We all make missteps and fall far short of holiness. But we are loved and redeemed in our confessions, and renewed for new service.
Saints see the best in others, not their worst.
Saints are honest about their faith, seekers always.
Saints see their life as an opportunity for service, ministry.
They are willing to spend themselves to help others.
They continue to serve God even when they may not see God.
…witness to a sometimes unseen God.
…know themselves to be in need of prayer.
…witness to God’s love in deeds more than in words.
…recognize and confess their sins- addictions, compulsions, weaknesses.
…don’t believe themselves to be saints.
…are quietly faithful.
…persevere against still odds.
…believe in the power of David over Goliath.
Saints are ethical, honest and loving even when they believe no one is watching.
…are safe and provide safety for others.
…don’t have to experience a condition to empathize with those who have.
…believe in Holy power to change things.
…see themselves as instruments, not the source of healing.
…take time to see fall colors, smell and taste and appreciate sacred nature.
…are grateful for each day, each breath as holy gifts.
…believe it may be even more important to have callouses on hands then on knees.
…never cease dreaming and working for a better world, God’s realm on earth.
Saints know that impossible dreams can be the raw material of divine intervention.
…know when to let go and let God.
…are clear about whose kingdom they are building.
…remember that real security has nothing to do with securities.
…know that money is a vehicle, not an idol.
…are not misled by outward appearances but look to the heart to find who a person really is.
…know that national citizenship is secondary to citizenship in God’s realm.
Finally- and for fun- saints try to be as good and kind as their dogs and cats
think they are!
III.
So today, we honor the saints who have touched and been touched by Rock Spring Church, giving thanks for each one; finding in them new strength for our journey. Please bow in silent meditation as their names are read-
Deceased Rock Spring members and friends, November 2006 – November 2007. Dates listed are for memorial services and/or interments, where available.
Mary Jane George Jan. 18, 2007
Robert M. Frederick Feb. 6, 2007
Anna Barber March 31, 2007
Fredrique Stephens April 2, 2007
Jeannette Van Gogh Wesselink April 11, 2007
Olive Walker Swinney April 14, 2007
Maxine Enlow Kiefer April 21, 2007
Donn W. Henriksen May 4, 2007
Lawrence G. Woodward May 18, 2007
Earl H. Graffam June 21, 2007
Virginia S. Knull July 3, 2007
Marianne Grigsby Tucker July 18, 2007
Helen Perreault July 30, 2007
Paul Junior Barrett Sept. 1, 2007
Delwin Anderson July 27, 2007
Evelyn F.G. George Sept. 12, 2007
John Ogborn Ellis Sept. 29, 2007
Charles W. Per-Lee Oct. 27-2007
Frank Stoerkel Nov. 3, 2007
Marguerite Lackey
Ann Cadman-Walker
Amen.