All Saints' Day

Today we celebrate one of the Principal feasts in the Episcopal church.
We only have SEVEN principal feasts.
(Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, All Saints’ Day, Christmas
Day, and the Epiphany).
And today’s feast:
The feast of All Saint’s day:
Is the ONLY one that isn’t about the triune God.
It’s not a day that celebrates something significant about Jesus (like
Christmas, Epiphany, or Ascension.)
It’s not a day that celebrates the holy spirit (Like Trinity Sunday)
And it’s not a day that celebrates the fullness of the triune God (like Trinity
Sunday)

All Saints day is the only principal feast that’s about mortal PEOPLE.
LIKE US.

All Saints day where we recall the faithful servants of God:
Both living and departed:
And we profess that somehow,
We are mysteriously bound together with them across time and space
through our common spiritual heritage.
All Saints’ day is like reflecting on a family:
Filled with different personalities:
Each living into their respective lives and callings:
Yet bound by shared histories, customs, and relationships.

You could also think of All Saints as a team:
(I don’t want to say like the Green Bay Packers: But I feel sort of obligated
to say that here in Wisconsin)
But you know: a team of people: with participants from different
backgrounds:
Who play their different roles, but all for a common purpose.

OR: I like to think of it as a quilt.

(Because I love making quilts)
All saints is like a quilt: where all different patterns and colors of fabric are
carefully stitched together:
Over a LONG TIME (Quilts take forever to make!)
And then: when it’s all together:
All the pieces combine to form a source of warmth:
And comfort: and home.

None of these images are perfect:
Because All saints is still a sort of mystery.
But what they all do:
Is show us the reality of being “knit together”
With the whole company of the faithful:
Even those who worship God in another time, or in another place:
In a greater light.

Our collect today literally says “Almighty God you have KNIT together your
elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your son
Christ our Lord.”
Today is the day that we celebrate that knitting.
That tie that binds all of us, and all those who came before us, and all those
who will come after us: into one common, mystical, body.

Today: All Saints: is the day where we truly celebrate the line that the priest
says at every Eucharist:
“Joining our voices with angels and archangels and ALL the company of
heaven.”
We are united to all the saints:
Knit together as a team:
A quilt:
A FAMILY:
Of God.

Over the centuries, the church has identified the lives of the saints as
tangible expressions of the beatitudes:

The faithful who are poor in spirit:
Who mourn, who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
Who pursue peace.
It’s why we read the beatitudes for all saints day.

But let me be clear.
All Saints is not a celebration of self-righteousness.

These saints that we honor are NOT self righteous.
And some of them aren’t even famous.
They’re humble:
And at the same time:
Might speak profound prophetic truth.

They’re life long learners:
Hungry: thirsty: to know more about God’s amazing love.

They’re peacekeepers:
Not doormats.
But those who strive to make connections and build relationships.

They’re people who mourn and grieve:
Who see the brokenness in our world:
And lament those deep losses.

All Saints day is not a principal feast because it lumps all these faithful
together:
In an additive equation that makes it “big enough” to be principal.
All Saints is the celebration of the faithful:
And those that aren’t SPECIFICALLY remembered by name in the history
of Christianity.

It’s about those saints that we’ve experienced and known in our own lives.
Those who mourned and grieved with us:
Those who spoke truth to us (even when the truth was hard to hear)

Those who taught us: and encouraged us to keep learning and growing.

And those people:
Those faithful disciples who had direct contact with us in our lives:
Are the ones that have shown us the work of God in the world.

Who are those people for you?
Who are the ordinary, yet saintly people who showed you that God’s love
can seep into the cracks and crevices of the human condition?
Those people who showed you that God’s love can be visible even in
lament and despair?
Those people who showed you that God’s love can be spoken through the
most un likely person?
Who are the people in your life that encouraged you to see yourself in a
new way?
Or to see God in a new way?

And what’s crazy is:
That the people that were that for me:

Are knitted to you.
And the people that were that to you:
Are sewed into a quilt with me.
And the people that were that to your daughter or son:
Are members of your team.
And the people that were that to another Christian across the globe:
Are a part of your spiritual family.

And today is the day to celebrate that.
The mystery that is the communion of saints.
The angels, and the archangels, and the company of heaven:
Woven, and sewn together with us: who are still living:
Into the team:
The family:
Of God.

And someday:

Maybe not today.
But SOMEDAY:
May we be those ordinary faithful saints to someone else:
Through lament that ultimately leads to comfort.
OR
Through hunger and thirst for righteousness,
OR
Through speaking prophetic truth:
OR
Through reconciliation, and relationship building that brings peace.

With the angels and archangels, and all the company of heaven:
Let us rejoice today:
Remembering the ordinary saints in our own lives:
And let us strive to be those saints to others.
Amen.

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