Sermon for All Saints Sunday 11/2/2008
Sermon
Location St. Luke Lutheran – Date Nov. 2nd 2008
All Saints Sunday
Primary Text: Matthew 5:1-12
This part of the year is often one of extremes for people. The majority of us view the beginning of fall as the beginning of the festival season. Reformation Sunday fell last week and Reformation day and Halloween fell on Friday. We then get Thanksgiving at the end of the month and then the beginnings of the Advent and Christmas season, even though I noticed in the Sunday paper last week the first of many large toy catalogues. But often overlooked and overshadowed by Halloween and its decorations, costumes, and most of all candy and partying, is All Saints Day and today All Saints Sunday. On this day, we remember all who have died and especially those who have died in the last year.
It is difficult to imagine what is going on in some people’s heads and hearts during this time of year, there is often pain, grief and continued feelings of loss during a time when others are celebrating and feasting. All Saints Day is then perfectly fitted, because it speaks to that cause specifically. In the midst of this crazy holiday season we stop to remember all those who are not with us, and together as one, not separately, we celebrate the one who died, and was raised for all. Through Christ’s death, and resurrection we know that all are saints and that all are loved.
Our Lutheran understanding of being simultaneously saint and sinner is an interesting thought on this holy day. When we say Saint we speak not of those deemed as near perfect and canonized by the Catholic Church but of all who live and have lived in Christ. For it is in Christ that we are saints.
The beatitudes of Matthew, found in the beginning of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, talk about this arrangement. Often the beatitudes are given as lessons, to be a saint you have to act like this, but if through Christ we are already saints how do we view the beatitudes. On our synod theological retreat last month, Pastor Don and myself heard a talk by Doctor Mark Allen Powell, one the leading experts on the beatitudes and Matthew. In the talk he spoke of a second way to view the beatitudes refocusing the traditional. His main concern was about the first four,
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
When Dr. Powell looked at them he saw that the second, blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted, seems different than the rest. God comforts those who mourn. It is about God’s action of comforting not our action in seeking to be mournful. This caused him to think about the rest. Why are the poor in spirit, the meek and those hungry and thirsty for righteousness blessed?
It is not because they are poor, those who are poor in spirit are not the poor money-wise, the poor in spirit are those who are in despair and feel abandoned by God.
The meek are not those who are humble, but those who are treated with humility, those who are oppressed.
Those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness are not those working to be righteous and be right with God, but hoping for righteousness or justice because they currently do not have it.
By looking at these beatitudes in this light, it turns them. They are about God’s work then. The poor in spirit, those who feel abandoned, are blessed because God has not abandoned them in their difficult times, God is with them in their grief and loss. The meek, those oppressed by society, are blessed because God is on their side and God will protect them. Those hungry and thirsty for righteousness are blessed because God will give them justice and peace and fill them.
We are saints not because we strive to be meek, mournful, poor in spirit, and hungry and thirsting for righteousness. We are saints because we are meek, mournful, hungry and thirsting for righteousness and poor in spirit and God has heard our cries and saved us.
Looking at the second 4 beatitudes, Dr. Powell says that these are our response to God. We are called to be merciful to the poor is spirit, peacemakers to help those hungry and thirsty for righteousness. We are called to stand up for the meek despite persecution for righteousness sake. Finally we are called to be pure in heart, we are called to be with those who mourn.
But this is not easy, often when we find ourselves as the merciful, peacemakers, pure in heart and persecuted, we will then also find ourselves as the poor in spirit, the meek, those who hunger and thirst, and those who mourn. When you mourn with someone, you yourself will mourn. And God will comfort. On this day of remembering those who have died, some will be mourners and some will be comforters who in turn mourn, and God is with all.
Revelation 7:16-17 “They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; 17 for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
God is with us. God gives us the strength during this hard season as we remember our loved ones. Christ leads us to the springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away our tears.
On All Saint’s Sunday, we remember those we lost, and we are reminded of what God has done for us. We remember that we are all children of God, and that we are all blessed, we remember that we are saints.
Location St. Luke Lutheran – Date Nov. 2nd 2008
All Saints Sunday
Primary Text: Matthew 5:1-12
This part of the year is often one of extremes for people. The majority of us view the beginning of fall as the beginning of the festival season. Reformation Sunday fell last week and Reformation day and Halloween fell on Friday. We then get Thanksgiving at the end of the month and then the beginnings of the Advent and Christmas season, even though I noticed in the Sunday paper last week the first of many large toy catalogues. But often overlooked and overshadowed by Halloween and its decorations, costumes, and most of all candy and partying, is All Saints Day and today All Saints Sunday. On this day, we remember all who have died and especially those who have died in the last year.
It is difficult to imagine what is going on in some people’s heads and hearts during this time of year, there is often pain, grief and continued feelings of loss during a time when others are celebrating and feasting. All Saints Day is then perfectly fitted, because it speaks to that cause specifically. In the midst of this crazy holiday season we stop to remember all those who are not with us, and together as one, not separately, we celebrate the one who died, and was raised for all. Through Christ’s death, and resurrection we know that all are saints and that all are loved.
Our Lutheran understanding of being simultaneously saint and sinner is an interesting thought on this holy day. When we say Saint we speak not of those deemed as near perfect and canonized by the Catholic Church but of all who live and have lived in Christ. For it is in Christ that we are saints.
The beatitudes of Matthew, found in the beginning of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, talk about this arrangement. Often the beatitudes are given as lessons, to be a saint you have to act like this, but if through Christ we are already saints how do we view the beatitudes. On our synod theological retreat last month, Pastor Don and myself heard a talk by Doctor Mark Allen Powell, one the leading experts on the beatitudes and Matthew. In the talk he spoke of a second way to view the beatitudes refocusing the traditional. His main concern was about the first four,
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
When Dr. Powell looked at them he saw that the second, blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted, seems different than the rest. God comforts those who mourn. It is about God’s action of comforting not our action in seeking to be mournful. This caused him to think about the rest. Why are the poor in spirit, the meek and those hungry and thirsty for righteousness blessed?
It is not because they are poor, those who are poor in spirit are not the poor money-wise, the poor in spirit are those who are in despair and feel abandoned by God.
The meek are not those who are humble, but those who are treated with humility, those who are oppressed.
Those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness are not those working to be righteous and be right with God, but hoping for righteousness or justice because they currently do not have it.
By looking at these beatitudes in this light, it turns them. They are about God’s work then. The poor in spirit, those who feel abandoned, are blessed because God has not abandoned them in their difficult times, God is with them in their grief and loss. The meek, those oppressed by society, are blessed because God is on their side and God will protect them. Those hungry and thirsty for righteousness are blessed because God will give them justice and peace and fill them.
We are saints not because we strive to be meek, mournful, poor in spirit, and hungry and thirsting for righteousness. We are saints because we are meek, mournful, hungry and thirsting for righteousness and poor in spirit and God has heard our cries and saved us.
Looking at the second 4 beatitudes, Dr. Powell says that these are our response to God. We are called to be merciful to the poor is spirit, peacemakers to help those hungry and thirsty for righteousness. We are called to stand up for the meek despite persecution for righteousness sake. Finally we are called to be pure in heart, we are called to be with those who mourn.
But this is not easy, often when we find ourselves as the merciful, peacemakers, pure in heart and persecuted, we will then also find ourselves as the poor in spirit, the meek, those who hunger and thirst, and those who mourn. When you mourn with someone, you yourself will mourn. And God will comfort. On this day of remembering those who have died, some will be mourners and some will be comforters who in turn mourn, and God is with all.
Revelation 7:16-17 “They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; 17 for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
God is with us. God gives us the strength during this hard season as we remember our loved ones. Christ leads us to the springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away our tears.
On All Saint’s Sunday, we remember those we lost, and we are reminded of what God has done for us. We remember that we are all children of God, and that we are all blessed, we remember that we are saints.
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