May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in your sight,
O Lord, our strength and our Redeemer.
Amen.
Today on All Saints Sunday, we read some of the most famous words that ever came out of
Jesus' mouth, often called the B attitudes.
These words are the introduction to his sermon on the mount.
In these blessings, we hear the counter-cultural message of the gospel.
In what world are the poor, the sorrowful, the hungry, blessed?
In what world do we celebrate the merciful, the peacemakers, the pure in heart?
In what world are the persecuted and the hated lifted up in a positive way?
The answer is simple.
The world Jesus is creating through his life, death and resurrection, the kingdom of heaven.
The kingdom of heaven is populated by the poor, the sorrowful, the hungry, the meek, and those
who come to their aid, who we call the merciful, the peacemakers, and the pure in heart, and
the people who come to the aid of these, of the least and the last and the lost, do so
without considering the circumstances, without considering the consequences.
They do so in the face of persecution and the possibility of ill-repute.
The kingdom of heaven is a world that is set in stark contrast to the world we often find
ourselves living in today.
The Beatitudes of the world that we often live in sound and look quite different than
the world that Jesus wants us to be a part of.
With the help of a book entitled, Death by Suburb, How to Keep the Suburbs from Killing
Your Soul, I'd like to offer the Beatitudes of the world that most of us live in today.
Blessed are those who are in control of their life, for they don't have to rely on the help
of others.
Blessed are those who find their value in the sum of what they do and what they have,
because they own or control their own identity.
Blessed are those who keep up with the Joneses, for they always fit in.
Blessed are those who make life easier, for they don't have to do anything hard.
Blessed are those who make their mark in this world, for they will be immortalized.
Blessed are those who are always right, no matter what, for they are never wrong.
Blessed are those who seek friendships with those who can help their social standing,
for they can rise to the top.
And my favorite, blessed are those who are busy, for they are very important.
I probably am most guilty of the last one.
In the before mentioned book, the author quotes a sociologist who says, the space around us
sets up patterns that condition our behavior.
The book's author goes on to say that the living patterns of the good life, the suburban
life, affect me more than I know.
Yet that same environmental factor that numbs me to God also holds out great promise.
I don't need to escape the suburbs.
I simply need to find Jesus here, which is what we're trying to do today, right?
Even the most faithful among us have a hard time escaping the torrid currents of the suburban
life.
And I have no exception.
Most weeks I feel flooded by all there is to do.
And when we do have free time, when we do have a free morning, when we do have a free
evening, dragging our children or ourselves to church might be the last thing we want
to do.
Even though we know it might be the best thing we can do for our soul, in his book, Goats,
the name of the author, Dave Goats I believe, suggests that the pattern of suburban life
often leaves its residents bloated.
In my words, we are prone to consume too many cheap carbs, put too much salt in our diet,
which constricts our arteries and makes our hearts weak for God.
Much of the self we do looks good on the outside, tastes good, but leaves us empty, ultimately
leaving us lethargic sluggish.
Now, if you look at the biographies of the saints that the church has canonized, you
will find that a lot of them simply didn't out the material possessions of this world.
They found a place in the desert and set up a monastery, which sometimes sounds kind of
nice.
Some of the most notable to do this are St. Francis, St. Clair of Assisi.
You might have heard of Benedict, where we get the Benedictine rule of life.
And while there's no doubt that their lives should be celebrated and lifted up, I say
they took the easy way out, at least in terms of finding God in an environment that is conducive
to finding Jesus.
Now, it might be harder to find Jesus in the suburbs, in the hustle and bustle of life,
but it's not impossible.
In his book, Goats suggests several disciplines, which are inspired by the saints, to help
us stay spiritually grounded in a world that is draining us for all we're worth.
And don't worry, we are going to study this book as a parish, but it will be in Lent.
So you have some time to read.
But generally speaking, the best way that I found to stay spiritually grounded in this
chaotic world is to find myself rooted in a Christian community.
This Christian community offers an oasis in a world that is often spiritually barren.
This Christian community offers grace in a world that is, offers grace that is so often
missing from our other communities.
And don't get me wrong, the church has certainly withheld grace too often, and for that we
should repent.
While I certainly find inspiration and encouragement from the saints that are on the official calendar
of our church, the people who have inspired me most are the imperfect people that God
has put in my life that have in some way or another encouraged me to be a part of the
community that God is creating in Christ.
The saints in my life are the ones who have helped me find peace amidst the storm through
Christian community.
One of my first youth ministers, Chris White, invited me to a mission trip that ultimately
led me to my first conversion experience.
One of my peers, Tori Bowman, would not take no for an answer and literally dragged me
to diocesan convention for youth, and the rest is history.
Chris Greer, a deacon in the church, opened me up to the healing power of God through
a worship service.
During high school when my home life was a mess, I found refuge in my spiritual family
through the church.
My college chaplain Ken Fields encouraged me to use the gifts and talents that I didn't
even know I had, where I was too scared to admit that I had.
So I wonder, who are the people who have invited you to experience the way of living,
a way of living that's helped you stay grounded in this chaotic world?
Who are the people who have called you to know life in the kingdom of heaven?
What saints has Jesus raised up in your life?
And today of all days, I hope you give thanks for those people, just like you might give
thanks for them every day.
And now that you know who has encouraged you, who might God be calling you to encourage
to be a part of the kingdom?
Who in your sphere of being might be drowning in the torrid rapids of suburban life?
Who in your life needs to know their blessing?
Who needs to know that even when their life seems to be spinning out of control, God and
Christ is holding them fast with a love that will never let them go?
Who needs to know that their inherent worth isn't the sum of who they are or what they
do, but simply a divine gift from a God who loves them?
Who needs to know that they don't need to be like anyone else?
Because the kingdom of heaven is populated by a diverse group of people, which reflects
the richness of God.
Who needs to know that a path to a full life isn't found by taking shortcuts, but by taking
up the cross, the way that leads to peace?
Who needs to know that true greatness is found when we lose ourselves in service to others?
Who needs to know that only by returning to a God who is good and merciful can we be
made right?
Who needs to know that true friends are the ones who are there for you when everything
else in your world has fallen apart?
When you have nothing left to give them?
Who needs to know that their true identity is found when they find their rest in God?
While living a saint-like life in the suburbs probably won't get you persecuted, it might
affect your social standing.
It might change how you approach your work, how you approach family life.
It might change how you spend your free time or how you use your money.
And I hope it will make you feel less bloated.
As we continue our annual giving campaign or conclude our annual giving campaign, all
things come to thee, time, talent, treasure, I'd like to give thanks for this community
that God continues to form and raise up through ascension.
Through ascension, God is creating a space where people can start to let go of the worldly
beatitudes and start to embrace the beatitudes of Jesus and his kingdom.
Through ascension, God is changing how we see and engage the world around us.
Our eyes are being opened to a God who is creating evidence through Jesus and his kingdom
that a richer life, a deeper life, exists beyond the one we currently know.
And that richer, deeper life isn't only reserved for the saints in light, but for those of
us who are faithfully trying to embrace our calling as saints of God.
So on this All Saints Sunday, I pray that you may embrace more and more your citizenship
in the kingdom of heaven so that you and the whole world may be transformed by the life-giving
ways of Jesus, our Lord and our Savior.
Amen.
Now we proclaim this faith with the words of the Nicene Creed.
We believe in one God.