All Saints Sunday 4 November 2018

There’s the story of a ninety-year old priest who was venerated by everyone in his local town as a living saint. When he walked down the street everyone would greet him reverently as ‘Father,’ even non-church people – such was his reputation. He was also a loyal member of the local Lions Club, and every time the Club met he would be there, always on time and always seated at his favourite spot.

Then one day the priest disappeared. It was as if he vanished into thin air because, search as they might, the townsfolk couldn’t find any trace of him. The following month, however, when the Lions met, there he was as usual sitting in his favourite spot. “So, Father,” everyone cried, “where have you been?”  “In prison,” he calmly replied.

“In prison! But Father, for goodness sake you couldn’t hurt a fly! What happened?”

“Well, it’s a long story” said the priest, “but to keep it short – I bought myself a train ticket to the city and was waiting on the platform for the train to arrive when this stunningly beautiful woman appears on the arm of a policeman. She looks me over, turns to the cop and says, “He did it!” And to tell you the truth I was so flattered, I pleaded guilty.”

It just reminds us that all saints are human.

Today on All Saints Sunday, we give thanks for the long line of God’s faithful people, whom we are part of, and who have gone before us. It easy only to think of the saints as the heroes of the faith, the super-spiritual, the unworldly and holy. But originally the term ‘saints’ as used in the Bible meant all God’s people, and that includes the likes of you and me – the ordinary as well as the super-spiritual.

Now, a couple of years ago I was at a meeting for the Diocese, and as I was one of the few clergy present, I was asked to lead to opening devotions. As it was close to All Saints Day, I took the opportunity to reflect upon the saints in the way that I just mentioned… that we are all saints – the people of God – and then I prayed “O Lord God, you have called us all to be your people, and to be saints in every age. As we focus upon on your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, help us to grow in grace and virtue to do you will… in your holy Name we pray. Amen.”

Well, I got the feeling that Bishop Victoria, who was there, wasn’t too pleased with what I had just prayed, because she said “Nothing against you, Michael, but may I pray”… and then went on to pray for the Saints in heaven, and those who been the vessels of God’s particular grace, and examples to us all of holiness in every generation. I got the feeling that she thought I had neglected the most important part of this commemoration – the saints in heaven.

Today we think of the whole church (the whole people of God – past and present) as the ‘Communion of Saints’ – as the Apostles Creed says “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church (that is a church that is catholic or unified), the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins and the resurrection of the body…” – or as we often pray after communion we thank God for “uniting us with the blessed company of all faithful people.” Being saints means we are part of the church which is the household or fellowship of God’s own people – all the faithful.

In fact, you can also think of the simple prayer or benediction that St Paul wrote which we often recite at the end of meetings – ‘The Grace’.

Paul reminds us that it is God – God’s self that makes the church and brings us into fellowship… for we pray: ‘The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and (most importantly) the fellowship of the Holy Spirit’ be with us all’.

You see at baptism we are all given the gift of the Holy Spirit (some might say – the potential gift has been given to all human-beings… but at baptism it is pointed out to us so that we can unwrap it and grow in faith). God’s Spirit, God’s self – the Holy Spirit – hopefully after baptism lives and breathes in each of us and brings us into fellowship with each other. This too is grace… the action of God.

So perhaps we should not neglect to remember the Saints with a capital ‘S,’ but still I want to focus on the fact today that we are all called to be saints… the people of God.

But let’s reflect briefly on today’s readings:

The prophet Isaiah in Chapter 25 looks forward to the hope at the end of time, when God’s salvation will bring a wholeness and fullness to this world. Again, reminiscent of Jesus’ preaching, there is a great banquet given for all people by the Lord of Hosts. “On this mountain the Lord of Hosts will make for all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wine on the lees (that is the wine without any lees or residue of fermentation in it), of fat things full of marrow (an image of sumptuousness), of wine on the lees well refined. And he will destroy on this mountain (that is the mountain of the Lord – remember Jerusalem was built on a mountain – so this is possibly new Jerusalem) the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that spread over all nations. (The veil is the sin, the sadness, the grief, the pain – that is associated with suffering and death.) He will swallow up death for ever, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth.” (Isaiah 25: 6-8)

You see the reproach of the people is that this world is broken – people are not unified – we are broken up into different nations and languages and tribes. And people are broken – and not whole – through sin and sadness, hatred and selfishness, loss and death… none of us is totally whole… or totally happy.

But in the day of salvation (when we believe that the Risen Christ will come again) brokenness and death shall be no more. And we shall be united in the communion of saints.

Historically the church talked about the different stages of the church. Here now, we are all part of the church militant (for we have to battle against the forces of selfishness and sin, of darkness and death… life is not easy as we live today.) When we die (before the end of time and the general resurrection) it was said that, that is the church Expectant – the church at rest, waiting for the great day of salvation. And finally, when Christ shall come in his glory, the church will become the ‘Church Triumphant’.

In this passage from Isaiah, we have a vision of the Church Triumphant.

Next, in our Gospel today from John – in the story of the raising of Lazarus, we have what the author John calls a ‘sign’ – not a miracle but a ‘sign’, which is something pointing to future… something that reveal’s God’s work of salvation. It is a foretaste; a glimpse of the resurrection. Jesus reveals what his heavenly Father is wanting to do… preview of salvation’s goal.

It is story, acting out the reality of human sickness, death, grief and sadness. It is emotional, (Mary weeps and is angry with Jesus for being late – and Jesus weeps and is deeply moved) and it is gritty – even to the point of referring to the expected stench of Lazarus’ decaying body as the stone to the tomb is moved.

It is full of symbolism; and multiple layers of meaning… especially the words of Jesus… words that are also addressed to us. “Did I not tell you if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” “And, he cried in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus come out!’ And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with bandages…. And Jesus said them, “Unbind him, and let him go!”

Perhaps this is our role in the story of salvation, that as people of faith we are called to unbind people from all that causes suffering and death, injustice, illness in this world, and let them go – bringing greater freedom to people in need.

But ultimately, it is a story or a parable looking forward to the great day of salvation when all the faithful will share in the resurrection, and a new heaven and a new earth…being in closer communion with God and bringing a wholeness to creation.

Jesus is the one in whom there is fulness of life, the one who even now calls us out of all the dark and the binding places of death. Let all who are in need, all who are in grief hear our message: Jesus is life itself; Jesus himself is resurrection’s defeat of death. On both sides of the grave Jesus is life.

More importantly, today is about what all God’s saints have known and experienced, that here and now there is no death or grief or fear so deep or dark – that the voice of Jesus cannot reach into it, call us out, and bring new and fulness of life.

So, let us take the opportunity today to remember specific people and give thanks to God for them.

I want us to do this in following ways:

(1)   Before the prayers I will remember before God the names of those who have died in the last year and whose funeral was held in the parish.

(2)   Secondly, I will invite you to come forward and light a tea candle for a loved one who has died and is now at rest.

(3)   And finally, I invite people to remember the living saints of our parish by writing their names on the board, designated as a ‘wall of appreciation’ when you are having morning tea. You might like to put beside their name something you appreciated from them… like ‘for their kindness’, ‘for their hospitality’, or ‘for their hard work’ – whatever – but let’s be real!                                                                                                                   Amen.