All Saints and Sparklers

I was talking to someone the other day, who was telling me about a very embittered old auntie who had believed her life was forsaken; cursed by God, because it had simply not turned out as she planned.

Because she hadn’t had any children, she believed God was in some way punishing her for some wrong deed of the past.

Similarly some people look at their families, their possessions, their life of ease and say to each other, ‘Ee aren’t we blessed?

Blessedness, in my mind, has nothing to do with circumstance or prosperity, long life, possessions or how many children a person has. It’s not really to do with human happiness, it’s to do with a joy that fills us up, a joy no-one can ever take away, because God is in us and we are in God, and about His business.

It’s about a deep inner joy, that seeks us through pain, sorrow, tears and death.

Blessedness is more connected with the CHOICES we make with our lives, as we meet with the many forks in the road on our journey through life not about what happens to us by chance on the way,

If we choose to be loving and generous and kind it will come back to us;

 if we set a good example for our children they’re brought up secure and comfortable with themselves;

 if we’re conscientious, there’s a good chance we’ll make it in life…

if we stand up for Jesus as Christians others catch the fire! …and so on.

(Light the sparkler, if possible a giant one)

As we think of the saints down through the ages, on this All Saints Sunday, we see such a pattern of living, as set out in the Beatitudes, in their lives too.

Saints of the past have indeed been blessed through history into the present day, for the way they have honoured the faith despite persecution and who looked to God as their strength and their hope, (St Peter and St Paul) *write names with sparkler the way they have guarded the truth of the gospels and passed it on, (the Early Fathers like Ambrose) the way they have interpreted what it is to live in peace, humility, meekness and obedience and who had no inflated opinion of themselves (St Francis/ St Benedict)  how they have striven to be pure in heart, who had no hidden deceit or dishonesty. (St Theresa of Avila/ St Clare) and of course the way they have fought against injustice and poverty, and cared passionately for those who have been neglected or wronged.(Mother Theresa/ Oscar Romero),

Saints are those who have met the need of the moment and responded.

Through their witness they have handed on the torchlight of the gospel to others. *(light another sparkler from the giant one)

What makes them EXTRA ordinary is that they have done better than most of us at living out the life of Jesus, and we admire them, I suppose, because they have been so like our Lord.

They were not goody-goodies, but ordinary people, who wanted to be serious about living their lives according to the gospel.

 It would be a mistake to think of them as perfect, they were people who tried to grow towards perfection, and who even at times got it wrong. They were people who struggled and suffered and who knew their weaknesses.

They were real people who learned  to rely on God in their everyday lives, in their successes and their failures.

They were people who never saw greatness in themselves, but were always open to God. 

And they brought good to others, not harm.

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In our gospel reading today, we can almost see Jesus looking at the disciples, and at the people there who were there to receive, there to drink in his words.

He must have been rejoicing in his heart that so many had turned up to listen and respond.

Having just chosen his disciples, these Beatitudes along with the rest of the Sermon on the mount, were to be their basic instructions at the start of their journey together. He was preaching to them things they would all need to learn as followers of his.

Here Jesus was painting for them one beautiful masterpiece, a work of art.

He was painting for them a  picture of upside down kingdom, unlike anything that had gone before, and which would have nothing to do with power or progress or popularity!

A picture, which even now can still stir the heart, one which we can gaze at now and admire, one we can look into and beyond.

A picture of Jesus himself living through his people, who through their good conduct and character would make up God’s kingdom with all the blessings they would reap as a result of living His way.

A picture that showed off a  perspective, of a time still to come, a living, growing kingdom not only of this life, but beyond, for most of its blessings Jesus spoke of were looking ahead…

‘they will be comforted, they will inherit, they will see God’…

I look back on my time at teacher training college, and there were two artists in the Art department that really stood out in my memory from the early 70’s.

The first of these had a silver tongue, the gift of the gab, and as he explained his work to the tutors you began to see his work in a different light… but you still couldn’t help but think it was rubbish! His words were eloquent but his work was empty and hollow.

Jesus on the other hand, as an artist presents us with the perfect picture, and words that are perfect and true; words which we can rely upon, in order that we may have life in all its fullness.

The second artist took worthless materials, polystyrene, paint, wood and glue; set fire to them, and made them into something amazing and profitable. He earned a fortune selling his work in private. As long as he got it back on loan for the final display he was happy. His handiwork said it all.

We convince ourselves we have no worth, Jesus sees our potential.

We are priceless in his eyes, as we offer ourselves to his service, as we put our hope in him and are set on fire with his love.

At our confirmation class last week, the candidates spoke of what they would be willing to offer in service to Jesus. They seemed fired up and ready to go.

I read out a list of possible gifts and ways in which they could serve the church, and get involved, and I was amazed to see their hands go up for nearly every single task.

Their openness, enthusiasm and willingness impressed me.

You can see those questionnaires at the back on the table. If anyone here would like to fill one in, please feel free to do so. We might discover new talent, willing apprentices, people eager to train others, people trying out new gifts who knows.

Our candidates will hopefully will make marvellous saints; they are fresh, eager to learn, open for service, as we all should still be. Please pray for them as we near their confirmation date on the 20th November at 6-00 p.m., and please put that date in your diaries.

Together they and we, make up what St Paul calls God’s chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God who has called us out of darkness into his marvellous light.

God has still has so much more to show us about being his saints and he still has more to give us as we offer our lives to him afresh each day.

Let us really seek to sparkle for him.