All Saints Day – “A Wonderful Life” Because of You

Sermon Title: All Saints Day – A Wonderful Life

Good News Statement: God gives us a wonderful life through the saints

Preached: Sunday, Nov. 5^th, 2023, at Dogwood Prairie and Seed Chapel UMC

Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.

 

Scripture (NRSV): Ephesians 5:8-10 – Today’s Scripture reading comes from the Book of Ephesians, an epistle written by the Apostle Paul for the people of Ephesus. Within this specific epistle, aside from talking about unity and putting on the Armor of God, Paul encourages the people to walk in the light, to be a saint, of Christ Jesus and to live out the fruit of the Spirit in their life (Galatians 5:21-23. Our reading is from the Book of Ephesians, Chapter Five, Verses Eight-Ten. May the hearing, reading, and understanding of the word add a blessing to your life.

 

Walk in Light

⁸ For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light ⁹ (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), ¹⁰ finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.

This is the Word of God for the People of God; And all God’s people said, “Thanks be to God.”

 

 

Introduction:

“You live a wonderful life. A life that embraces the nature and beauty of God,” are the opening words to Angela Britt’s article from an October issue of Farm Week. There is truth to her words, isn’t there. You and I, we, live a wonderful life. We live a wonderful life despite what others may say, despite the challenges that stress us out, despite the many disagreements that outweigh the agreements, despite the pain and hurt, despite the tears that fall, and despite the sorrow that lives within us all. We live a wonderful life despite all the negative things that have happened, that are happening, and that will happen in our life. We live a wonderful life because it is a life that has come from God, been blessed by Christ, and empowered and loved by the Holy Spirit. Without God in our life, I don’t think we would have the wonderful life that we have today.

Truth be told, God is not the only one who has guided us to experience such a wonderful life. Just think about your life: think about the people who are living today that encourage you, inspire you, motivate you, and support you; and think about the people in your life who have gone on to live in the land of glory—those who have left a legacy for you to follow, have a story for you to finish, have never given up you, and who live within your heart today and every day. As Clarence the angel told George Bailey in the movie It’s a Wonderful Life, “Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. And when he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he? Remember, no man is a failure who has friends.” We live a wonderful life because of God and because of the people—family, loved ones, friends, and neighbors—that God has placed in our life. The Bible identifies these people as “saints.” And today, we take a moment to honor the saints that have passed before us by remembering their eternal and perpetual light that shines in our life, helping us to live a wonderful life.

Body:

All Saints Day is annually observed on November 1^st. It is not nearly as well known as the day before, All Hallows’ (Saints) Eve, better known as Halloween, but it is far more important in the life of the church. John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement, enjoyed and celebrated All Saints Day. In a journal entry from November 1, 1767, Wesley calls it “a festival I truly love.” On the same day in 1788, he wrote, “I always find this a comfortable day.”

All Saints Day is an opportunity to remember and give thanks for those who have gone before us in the faith, who have granted us with words of wisdom, who have left an impression on our heart, and whose smile and laughter bring light to our life. Among the remembering and giving thanks, All Saints Day is also a time of celebration. In Hebrews 12 the author encourages us to remember that a “great cloud of witnesses” surrounds us, encourages us, and cheers us on as we celebrate their life.^[i] We are inspired to live out the legacy and story of the saints in our life by modes of celebration and remembrance. Because of the many saints who have gone before us, we have been given an eternal light that shines brightly through our ability to remember, to have hope, and to rejoice in the teachings of those who have made us into the person we are today. Because of those saints, we have been given the opportunity to live a wonderful life.

But what do we mean when we say the word “saint’? Let me share a story with you that was shared with me by my adviser from seminary. “When Bob Homer was a young boy he had a paper route. And back in the days of paper routes, the paper boys or girls would have to collect money from each customer by ringing their doorbell once a week. And so, you got to know the people you delivered the paper too pretty well.

In any event, one of Bob’s customers was the pastor of the local Methodist Church. Bob was collecting money from him one day and the pastor asked Bob if he might be able to come to the church on Sunday morning because he didn’t have anyone to hand out bulletins, and he needed Bob’s help. Bob told the pastor that he would first have to ask his parents. Bob’s family didn’t attend a church, so Bob was pretty unfamiliar with the whole thing.

To Bob’s surprise, his parents allowed him to go. And that one Sunday turned into every Sunday. Bob came to love the people who were part of that little Methodist Church. It’s where he was introduced to Jesus through His saints. Eventually, Bob felt a call to go into the ministry, and off he went to seminary.”

My adviser ended this story by sharing, “The day before I left for college, the doorbell rang. It was Bob Homer. He had bought me a small leather-bond Bible. Bob passed away a number of years ago, but I feel that he is part of the “great cloud of witnesses” that the writer of Hebrews writes about. Bob is a saint that changed my life and helped me realize how wonderful my life is and can be.”

Did you notice in this story how Bob, my adviser’s saint, was a normal person, who as a young boy didn’t attend church, didn’t know anything about church, probably didn’t really know who Christ was, who wasn’t raised in a Christian family, and who more than likely sinned, made mistakes, got in trouble, had a few choice words for those customers that didn’t offer a good tip, and who didn’t become a follower of Christ until later on in his life? Too often we think “saints” are those who are perfect, who are worthy to do the work of Christ, who are seated around the throne of God (Revelation 4:4),  and who are deemed “holy”—set apart by God—in the sight of the Lord.

But truth be told, “saints” don’t have to be the “holy of holies” (Hebrews 9:11). Saints are simply believers. Saints have been redeemed. Saints can be young and old. Saints can make mistakes and still be forgiven by Christ—just think about Peter who denied Jesus three times, or Paul who crucified the early Christians and was placed in jail and who was converted and built the early church, or Joseph who was the first person to deny the conception of Jesus, his son. Saints don’t have to be born Christians but can become Christians. Saints can be living or dead. Saints are those people who have helped you become the person you are today. Saints are those people who have helped you create a wonderful life.

Who are the saints in your life? Whose light do you remember, whose light is shining bright in your life today, and whose legacy and story brings you joy and comfort? Paul invites us to think about the saints in our life who have gone before us: who have given us an eternal light of remembrance, hope, and joy.

A Wonderful Life comes from the Memory of the Saints:

            A wonderful life comes from remembering the saints in our life. All Saints Day is one of the most solemn days of the year, but yet it is a day filled with hope. First, it is a solemn day of mourning. Whether current or years ago, the death of a loved one always seems so recent: tearing apart the fabric of relationships and love, and leaving a gaping hole in your life and in your heart. You may even still be trying to figure out how you are going to knit those raw edges together into a new reality, a reality that you would just as soon never had to deal with. If this is you, please know we are all holding you in our prayers during this time of sorrow, grief, and suffering.

Second, All Saints Day is a day of sweet hope that stems from cherished and prized memories. My dad’s father passed away when I was six years old, so I don’t have a lot of memories of him but I do have pictures of him attending ball games. But my mom’s father passed away when I was in third grade, so I had a little more time to create memories with him. During the funeral service for my mom’s father, I remember the pastor sharing the story that I shared with him. We were at our family cabin in Wisconsin and my dad locked my grandfather’s keys in the truck. That was the first time that my vocabulary extended beyond school language: there was a beep beep here, and a few more beep beeps over there. During a moment of mourning, hope was experienced through a joyous memory. The laughter that filled the room didn’t mean that we missed my grandfather less. Instead the laughter suggested that though there is an ache because of his passing, there is still time to smile and embrace the hope and joy that comes from remembering our loved ones. Through our pain and our laughter the light of our saints still shines brightly helping us create a wonderful life.

When it comes to light, the saints that have gone before us exhibit the power of Paul’s words to the people of Ephesus and us today. Paul wrote, “For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Walk as children of light, for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true” (Ephesians 5:8-9). “For once we were darkness” means that we have sinned, that we have stepped away from God, and that we have allowed the valleys in our life to keep us from climbing the mountains before us. We walk through the valley of the shadow of death with steps of fear instead of courage and hope. We allow our mistakes to be what defines us. We forget about the wonderful life that has been gifted to us.

This darkness has removed our ability to soar on the wings of eagles, to walk and not grow weary, and to run and not be faint (Isaiah 40:31). This darkness has stripped away our light. In moments where darkness prevails, we must remember two things: first, that Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12) and nothing can conquer that light; and second, the saints in our life give us the light we need to see the path below us. This light comes from remembering.

All Saints Day is a time to remember because memories are a gift that heals the raw edges of grief. In our thoughts, the loved one is still alive. As we figure out how to live going forward without them physically beside us, we still take them along in our hearts and minds, and somehow those memories begin to dry our tears, bring us comfort, and warm our hearts. So, All Saints Day is a day of remembrance and a celebration of how those memories help us and encourage us and give us the light we need to see in the dark, to help us once again to live a wonderful life.

 

A Wonderful Life comes from the hope of the Saints:

A wonderful life comes from the hope of the saints in our life. The Bible talks about hope on a few occasions. The Prophet Jeremiah, when quoting the LORD, says, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). There is hope in the unknown, in the plans that God has created for you. When writing to a hopeless group of people, the Prophet Isaiah notes that by having hope in the LORD, their strength will be renewed and they will soar on wings like eagles; run  and not grow weary, and walk and not be faint (Isaiah 40:31). Hope is our sense of strength to keep going and to not give up. Lastly, Peter reminds us that hope is not a one-time thing but is a living thing. He notes in 1 Peter 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” For Peter, hope is a living thing in our life by which gives us a fresh start. Hope isn’t wishful thinking: hope is the ability to trust and have faith in the Lord so that you will have the strength and endurance to keep moving forward. We see this hope in the saints of our life. This hope has been found as they walk with us.

Paul writes, “Walk as children of light.” Paul calls us to experience hope through the saints in our life. For all of us who have experienced the loss of a loved one, a friend, or even a neighbor or classmate, we hold onto the promises of God—we hold on to the hope that we will see them again. Jesus saw all people as having the ability to obtain hope. He saw practicing Jews as having hope; he saw those before his time as having hope; he saw the Samaritan woman at the well has having hope; and he even saw hope in the thief being crucified next to him. Jesus even sees that we have hope during a time of mourning and darkness: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh” (Luke 6:20-21). Through the light of Christ, the saints in our life give us hope to become a child of God because they have not given up on us—they see our future plans and know that we have a story to finish and a legacy to live out.

After my Grandmother passed away, I didn’t see the hope in a lot of things. I avoided a lot of things that reminded me of her and that we did together. After 20 plus years of taking care of her lawn, I didn’t care what it looked like: I didn’t care if weeds took over her yard or if her bushes were out of control. I haven’t set foot in her house since she passed away. I avoided looking down her street every time I went home for a visit. Just a few months ago, I started eating peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches again, a meal that we shared together at least once a week.  I lost hope because I lost my best friend.

But then I remembered the words to a song written by country singer, Collin Raye. He wrote, “If you get there before I do, don’t give up on me. I’ll meet you when my chores are through. I don’t know how long I’ll be, but I’m not gonna let you down; Darling wait and see. And between now and then, till I see you again, I’ll be loving you, Love me.” This specific song is about Collin Raye’s grandfather and grandmother’s love story. From this song, I found hope again because between now and then, I know I will see my grandmother again. All the memories we shared and created, all the adventures we took, and all the peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches that we ate were signs of hope to keep living, to keep going, to believe and have faith, and “to rejoice on that day and leap for joy” (Luke 6:23) knowing we will meet again because we are God’s children walking in the light.

As beloved children of God, we can trust the saints into God’s loving care with hope. God remembers them and loves them. It isn’t our job to figure out what happens to them eternally and it certainly isn’t our job to keep them out of heaven. Our job is to simply live out the hope that they have planted in our hearts; and this hope is part of the light that they have passed onto us so that we may see what they need us to see, so that we may live out their legacy and story, and so that we may share their light of hope with future generations. We are children of God who have hope and this hope leads to a wonderful life.

A Wonderful Life is our reminder to celebrate the Saints:

Lastly, Paul reminds the people of Ephesus, “for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true” (Ephesians 5:9). The fruit that Paul is talking about is the light we need to celebrate the saints in our life today. All Saints Day is a time to look forward with rejoicing. Luke tells us to “rejoice on that day and leap for joy” (Luke 6:23) when we see them again. In the Book of Revelation we read about a scene from heaven. There is a great multitude from every nation standing before the throne and before the Lamb singing the praises of God (Revelation 7:9; 19:1-6).

We are promised that when this happens there will be no more hunger or thirst. There will be no more pain. The Lamb will be their shepherd and he will guide them to springs of the water of life. At this moment the tears will dry up. Why? Because all of those things that cause us physical and emotional pain and tears will be gone. The pain of separation is gone. The fear of want is gone. The limitations of our physical bodies are gone. And so we sing praises and celebrate the joy of being with God: “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power to our God” (Revelation 19:1).

For our loved ones who have gone before us this is what we believe and hope they are experiencing. For us, this is what we look forward to. For us, we celebrate that the saints in our life are no longer experiencing pain or hunger and thirst or even sadness. For us, we celebrate the saints in our life because they have given us the strength to face tomorrow and the light that will conquer any darkness. All Saints Day is a day of rejoicing in the light of hope that has been passed down to each of us, that shines within us, that grants us a wonderful life.

The light of the saints in your life resemble the idea of cherishing those moments in life that bring you joy. Angela Britt ends her article with these words, “Capture each moment with your young children. Blink and they will be young adults. Keep them active with the farm life, whether it is helping make the meals and take them to the field, teaching them to drive machinery, picking up hay bales on a 100-degree day, tending to the livestock for the 4-H programs or simply riding with dad or mom in the tractor. Embrace the moment of supper in the field on the back of a pickup truck, or a sack lunch on the go. Embrace the moment of hurry, hurry, hurry, and then sit and wait for the next move to another field, part run or the array of any assistance you can provide.” Joy is found in those moments of life that have made you smile, that have reminded you that there is still light in the darkest of times.

Gloria and William J. Gaither wrote a song titled “Joy Comes in the Morning”, and the chorus goes like this, “So hold on my child. Joy comes in the morning. Weeping only last for the night. Joy comes in the morning. The darkest hour means dawn is just in sight. Yes, the darkest hour means dawn is just in sight.” We must take time to celebrate and rejoice in the lives of the saints who have gone before us. They have given us a sense of joy to remember them for who they were, are, and forever will be. They are a light of celebration that helps us say, and by which the Golden Girls taught us, “Thank you for being a friend. Travel down the road and back again. Your heart is true, you’re a pal and a confidant….Thank you for being a friend.” Through the joys and laughter and cherished memories, the saints in our life have given us a wonderful life.

Conclusion:

I end this message by sharing a story. “One day a man was walking through a beautiful church building with his 4-year-old son. As they walked, the young boy looked around. He stopped and was curious about the stained-glass windows that looked so beautiful with their bright colors.

As he looked at the windows, he asked: “Who are all the people in the windows, daddy?” “They are saints,” said his father. “What are saints daddy?” the kid asked. The father was stuck. How was he going to explain who saints are to a four-year-old boy? As the boy was still looking up at the windows and his father was still wondering how he would explain who saints are, the young boy shouted: “I know who saints are, they are the people that the light shines through.” They are the people that the light shines through.

Someday we will be the light that shines for others. But until that day comes, we must remember the saints in our life; their words of wisdom, their smiles, their laughter, their weird habits, their colorful language, and their ever present eternal light that perpetuates our very spirit down to our core. Through their memories, we must find ways to live out their legacies, pass on their stories, and embrace their gentle touch and hugs as we let their light shine for years to come. And we must have hope that one day, one day, we will see them again face-to-face, and we must have faith that Christ will give us the light we need to overcome the darkness in our life so that we, too, can become a beacon of light and hope for those in our own life. We must celebrate the saints in our life so that their love shines for eternity.

Because of the many saints who have gone before us, we have been given an eternal light that shines brightly through our ability to remember, to hope, and to rejoice in the teachings of those who have made us into the person we are today. Because of the saints in our life, we have been given the gift to live a wonderful life. Who are the people in your life through whom the light shines? Who are the saints that have touched your life with the transforming love of Christ? How will you carry on the legacy of the saints in your life? Take some time today and this week to remember those who have passed before you; and if you have time, light a candle or do something in remembrance of them.

 

[i][i] Charles Wesley, the brother of John Wesley, wrote a hymn which sheds light on the importance of the saints in our life. In the first verse of “Come, Let Us Join Our Friends Above” (The United Methodist Hymnal, #709), Charles Wesley penned these words, “Let saints on earth unite to sing, with those to glory gone, for all the servants of our King in earth and heaven, are one.” On All Saints Day we remember all those who are part of the “communion of saints” and we share the stories of those “to glory gone.” Retelling these stories grounds us in our history. These memories teach us how God has provided for us through the generosity and sacrifice of those who have come before us. The stories of the saints in our life encourage us to be all God has created us to be