Loving God, you have called us to be saints and have made us your children through our baptism into Christ. By the power of your Spirit, make us faithful to our calling and teach us to grow up into Christ; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In almost every letter that he wrote to congregations in the early church, the apostle Paul started out by reminding the people that they are called to be saints. "To all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints" (Rom. 1:7). "To the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 1:1). "To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi" (Phil. 1:1). And finally,

"To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours" (1 Cor. 1:2).

Paul is writing to God's holy people - to all those who have been united with Christ through baptism by water and the Spirit.

Yet, at the same time, Paul is not writing to people who are perfect. Instead, he keeps reminding people that they are called to be saints and that they need to live lives that are worthy of their calling (Col. 1:10; Eph. 4:1). It would seem that even those who have already been made saints - all who are baptized believers in Christ - need to be reminded to become the people that God intended them to be. It would also seem that Martin Luther's understanding of simul justus et peccator (simultaneously saint and sinner) is right on the mark! It's also very scriptural.

One of the best known passages in the letter to the Hebrews (ch. 11) is a long list of many of the faithful people from the Old Testament. All are listed as examples of faith, and certainly there is much to be learned about faith from all of them. The list includes people like Noah and Abraham and Moses and Rahab the prostitute and Barak and David. You probably know more about some of these people than others. However, for every single one of them, if you read all of the stories about them in the Old Testament you will discover that they are far from perfect. All of them did things that were not particularly faithful and even downright sinful. Yet, God was able to use them, in spite of themselves, in order to lead God's people and to call God's people to renewed faithfulness.

In the same way, God works through people of faith today, in spite of our frailties and failings. In spite of our status as sinners, we are called to be saints in Christ Jesus and to live lives that are worthy of our calling. As we live out this calling to be saints, we are both encouraged and supported by the "cloud of witnesses" who have gone before us (Heb. 12:1). In fact, one of the reasons for pausing to remember those who have died over the past year - which we do every year on All Saints' Sunday - is to give thanks for the faith of these people and what we have learned from them. We are also remembering that we are part of the communion of saints - all those who belong to Jesus from every time and every place! We do not labour on our own. We are accompanied and encouraged and inspired by those who have gone before us and by those who continue to labour in God's kingdom all over the world in this earthly life.

And so, as we gather together today as part of this communion of saints, we are reminded of what it means to belong to Jesus, whether in the past, the present or the future. As we remember the past, we are reminded once again that we are not alone. Rather, we are part of a long line of people who have looked to Jesus as Lord, starting way back in New Testament times and stretching across the years all the way to the present time. In fact, this is usually what we think of when we talk about saints: People who lived a long time ago and were far more faithful than the rest of us. Yet, all of us are called to be saints - people like you and me - people like our grandparents - people like those who founded and built the first churches in this city - people who have believed in Jesus as Lord and have passed on that faith to future generations.

As we live our lives here in the present, those who have gone before us continue to have much to teach us about faith and about commitment and about following Christ. At the same time, we are baptized into a community of believers, for we also learn from one another and support one another in the faith and grow together in our understanding of what it means to live as children of God. Really, growing up into Christ is a life-long process. Although we never reach perfection on this side of the grave, we continue to learn and to grow as we walk with Jesus and with others who look to Jesus as their example and teacher, too.

Of course, one of the ways in which this learning and growth happens is through reading and studying the Scriptures together. It is the Scriptures that show us Jesus and that teach us what shape our lives are to take as his followers. In this respect, the readings that were shared today give us some direction as to what the life of a saint is to look like. One of those readings, from Matthew 5, deals with both the present and future life of the saints in the kingdom of heaven. Although we'll focus more today on the second four beatitudes, or statements of blessing, the first four are there as statements of hope for those who find themselves in apparently undesirable circumstances in this life. These are the people who are poor and who are mourning and who have lost hope and who have been denied justice. In earthly terms, they have little or nothing, but they will have all that they could ever need in the kingdom of heaven and will, indeed, be blessed.

The second four beatitudes (statements of blessing) are more qualities to aspire to, rather than circumstances in life. Those who follow Jesus are to show mercy to other people, for God has already been merciful to them. This might mean things like seeking to remove poverty or ostracism or hunger or disease. Those who follow Jesus are also to be pure in heart. In other words, they are people of integrity who show their true self rather than any pretense and who have an undivided loyalty to God.

At the same time, those who follow Jesus (i.e. saints) are to be peacemakers - working to heal relationships and working for wholeness and well-being in the world. Finally, those who follow Jesus are to have such a commitment to him and a faith in him that even persecution because of their faith is not going to deter them. All of these things are part of what it means to be a saint - to be blessed - to live as a follower of Jesus.

Of course, nowhere does it say that it is easy to live in this way! We need the support of others in the faith, and above all, we need the power of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives. It is the Holy Spirit who enables us to believe in Jesus, who teaches us about Jesus, and who empowers us to live as his followers. I may not be able to do it on my own, but "I can do all things through him who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13).

We are not alone. Christ lives in us by the power of the Holy Spirit and unites us with all the saints in all times and places. And so, for the future, too, we are never without hope. We remain part of the communion of saints, united with one another by the power of the Holy Spirit and directed by Jesus Christ, who is the head. God remains in control, even when it doesn't seem like it, and will bring all who belong to Jesus safely into their heavenly home.

Although in this life we are afforded only glimpses into this heavenly future, today we are reminded of what awaits all those who have "put on" the life of Christ and have lived as his followers.

"They are before the throne of God, and worship him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them. They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; 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" (Rev. 7:15-17).

May we, too, be blessed in this way, and share in the resurrection and in the kingdom of heaven with all who have gone before us. Amen.

All Saints' Sunday (A) Matthew 5:1-12
November 6, 2005 Revelation 7:9-17
St. Luke's Zion Lutheran Church
Pastor Lynne Hutchison Moore
? 2005 Lynne Hutchison Moore All Rights Reserved