But the holy
ones of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom for
ever – for ever and ever. [Daniel 7:18]
Hallelujah! Sing to
the Lord a new song; sing his
praise in the congregation of the faithful. [Psalm 149:1]
[I pray]
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, 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 perceive what is the
hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious
inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable
greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his
great power. [Ephesians
1:17-19]
Blessed are you when people hate you
and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of
Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy…
[Luke 6:22-23a]
This Sunday we
celebrate All Saints' Day, and our readings let us know in Daniel’s
vision, that those who are designated as the holy ones receive…the
kingdom from the Most High. The letter to the Ephesians prays for
the wisdom of the congregation to know Jesus and the hope to which he has
called them, the glorious inheritance among the saints. Jesus, in his
blessings and woes Sermon on the Plain, says that the blessings are upon
those who are having a difficult times in their lives and conversely, those who
are doing well may expect a reversal of fortune, so to speak, or at the very
least, some rough roads ahead. He gives us the advice we all know well, whether
we have ever heard this passage or not, whether we were raised Christian or not:
Love your enemies, turn the other cheek, give to those who beg, etc.,
and, what every religion or spiritual philosophy counts as “golden” ~ Do
to others as you would have them do to you. But who were these Saints, besides
names on calendars and churches? What do Saints have to do with my everyday
life?
The word “saint” comes from the Greek word hagios [hagg-ee-ohse],
which means “consecrated to God, holy, sacred, pious." The people we think
of as "saints" or who have been given the official title of Saint,
all seem to be all of that definition and more: Special people who are set
apart for a special purpose and presumably given all they need to accomplish
God's purpose. Yet, God has called ALL of us to be saints, that is, to be
sanctified (made holy) in Christ, to build up the Body of Christ, and to seek
and serve Christ in all persons, yes even “those” people. Too bad we
can't just leave the work to those who are beatified or canonized by an official
Church process. It’s also important to remember that “all” saints have been
human and behaved like humans, have been tempted and succumbed to some
temptations. In other words, in their sometimes extraordinariness, they also
had ordinariness. They were able to want to do God’s work in ways we may not
have yet developed. But we know people among us today who are giving of
themselves, living non-perfect lives yet with humanity, humility, mercy,
seeking justice for all and hope for this world.
Let us begin again. Jesus is giving us a comprehensive list of those who will be blessed by God. It also gives us clear direction on what attributes to adopt in our own lives to draw on all of our God-given gifts and self-developed flaws, to be a part of the total Creation, to seek to be accepted into the great reward that is the Kingdom. All we have to do is look at the list of woes and make a few life-course corrections! We already know what to do, and with prayer, a bit more self-dedication and consciousness in thoughts, words, and actions, we can find a seat at that heavenly banquet, on bleacher seats at least!
Author Parker Palmer* says it best: [We] can transform our culture only as we are inwardly transformed. Let us begin, again, together. As the Psalm says, Sing to the Lord a new song!
*Parker J. Palmer is an
author, educator, and activist who focuses on issues in education, community,
leadership, spirituality and social change. He is the founder and Senior
Partner Emeritus of the Center for Courage & Renewal; see:
https://couragerenewal.org/parker-j-palmer/
LET
US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ O God Most High, in these times of
trial and travail, strengthen us to arise each day with the inner peace of
being called to the inheritance of Your Kingdom. Open our conscious thoughts
and actions to humility and humanity, following the example of the Saints who
have gone before, and the saints who live among us now.
O Lord of Wisdom and Hope
RESPONSE:
Enlighten
the eyes of our hearts
~
O God Most High, endow us, who abide with You in
love, with the perseverance to guide Local, National, and Global Leaders away
from falsehoods and fraud toward the just reward of all who seek You. We
pray especially for: add your own petitions
O
Lord of Wisdom and Hope
Enlighten the eyes of our hearts
~
O God Most High, deliver from distress all in
anguish from illness of body, mind, or spirit, and infuse those who give them
care with gentle and peaceful hearts. We now join our hearts
together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions
O
Lord of Wisdom and
Hope
Enlighten the eyes of our hearts
~
O God Most High, as You bless and wipe the tears of
all who mourn, keep us all in the knowledge that death will be no more in the
joy and gladness of all who live again, reaping their newness of life with
songs of joy. We pray especially for… add your own petitions
O
Lord of Wisdom and
Hope
Enlighten the eyes of our hearts
~
O God Most High, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt
thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own
petitions
O
Lord of Wisdom and
Hope
Enlighten the eyes of our hearts
~
O God Most High, inspire the hearts and minds of
all who lead us in Your church, who encourage and remind us, through Word and
Sacrament, how to lead faithful lives by Your grace and mercy. We pray
especially for: add your own petitions
O
Lord of Wisdom and
Hope
Enlighten the eyes of our hearts
The Celebrant adds: God of us all, Saints and
Sinners together, set our hearts free from the prison of outrage, the
emptiness of self-importance, and the mindlessness of earthly privilege. May we
each claim our divine endowment of trust, truth, grace and mercy as we strive
to stand always with You. We ask through Jesus, our Redeemer Christ; in the
Unity of the Holy Spirit; who together with You, are One God above all, through
all, and in all, for ever and ever. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment