There will be two blogs about All Saints. Today's blog on the actual feast day and this coming Sunday when the Episcopal Church gives us permission to celebrate All Saints. Today's blog post will reflect on the New Testament Reading. Sunday's blog post reflection will be about the Gospel Reading.
Scriptural Basis
1 John 3:1-3 (NRSV)
Blog Reflection
This All Saints Day gives us a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the loving nature of God. The love of God is so immeasurable that there is nothing about any particular person, good or bad by which God deems anyone unworthy of God's love.
The love of God expressed itself most profoundly when God's perfect revelation in Jesus Christ gave his life, blood and body for the sins of all humankind. Even though God knew that humankind was slothful, greedy, hateful and full of violence and disobedience, it did not stop Jesus from loving us all to the point of offering his life on behalf of all God's people.
Jesus expressed God's love so completely that there was no one, not even those who plotted against him that Jesus did not love in some way. Even Judas who betrayed Jesus, was someone that Jesus loved very deeply.
Sainthood is really not about knowing and writing the mysteries of God eloquently. Though knowledge and articulation are gifts of God.
Being a Saint does not require total belief in only one religion that dominates all others and makes them untrue or insignificant.
The call to be a Saint is not answered by only those who are considered devout and especially religious as in rituals and through the practice of weekly, daily and yearly routines.
Being a Saint requires nothing more than love. To love God, neighbor and self. Even if you don't necessarily believe in God for whatever your reason, if you live your life with the ambition to love unselfishly and sacrificially for another person or any group of people, you are a Saint. And even if you find love very difficult, yet in your heart you desire to love in your own particular way, in God's eye's you are a Saint.
It is for this reason why I continue to devote time to this blog. Love is something that originates in the huge heart of God. Whether the heart that loves knows God's Name for as long as one can remember, or just cannot understand how God exists with all the violence and malice of humankind. The love that is within an individuals heart that desires to love another and be loved in return is among God's most precious of all Saints.
The love that is within the hearts, minds and bodies of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer people is there because of God's unique gift of love for all humankind. The desire to use that love to love another, and to dedicate one's life to equal justice and inclusion for all who remain marginalized by the Church and society, is a Saintly love.
In Sandy Patti's contemporary song: "In Heaven's Eye's" are the words; "In Heaven's eyes, there are no losers." LGBTQ people, immigrants, Native Americans, women, people of color, those who are without jobs, health care, elderly, sick, well, write and/or speak different languages and individuals of other religions and ways of life, are all Saints as they seek the common good of their neighbors as well as themselves.
As we go through this All Saints Day, perhaps we should ask ourselves about God's love. How do we experience God's love in our lives? How do we share love with other people as they are? How do we share the unique love that God has given to each and everyone of us, to those whom the Church and society considers unlovable? How do we put that love into action? How do we think of and/or treat others who love differently than ourselves?
We are all Saints. Oh Yes!!! You too are a loving Saint.
Prayers
Scriptural Basis
1 John 3:1-3 (NRSV)
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
Blog Reflection
This All Saints Day gives us a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the loving nature of God. The love of God is so immeasurable that there is nothing about any particular person, good or bad by which God deems anyone unworthy of God's love.
The love of God expressed itself most profoundly when God's perfect revelation in Jesus Christ gave his life, blood and body for the sins of all humankind. Even though God knew that humankind was slothful, greedy, hateful and full of violence and disobedience, it did not stop Jesus from loving us all to the point of offering his life on behalf of all God's people.
Jesus expressed God's love so completely that there was no one, not even those who plotted against him that Jesus did not love in some way. Even Judas who betrayed Jesus, was someone that Jesus loved very deeply.
Sainthood is really not about knowing and writing the mysteries of God eloquently. Though knowledge and articulation are gifts of God.
Being a Saint does not require total belief in only one religion that dominates all others and makes them untrue or insignificant.
The call to be a Saint is not answered by only those who are considered devout and especially religious as in rituals and through the practice of weekly, daily and yearly routines.
Being a Saint requires nothing more than love. To love God, neighbor and self. Even if you don't necessarily believe in God for whatever your reason, if you live your life with the ambition to love unselfishly and sacrificially for another person or any group of people, you are a Saint. And even if you find love very difficult, yet in your heart you desire to love in your own particular way, in God's eye's you are a Saint.
It is for this reason why I continue to devote time to this blog. Love is something that originates in the huge heart of God. Whether the heart that loves knows God's Name for as long as one can remember, or just cannot understand how God exists with all the violence and malice of humankind. The love that is within an individuals heart that desires to love another and be loved in return is among God's most precious of all Saints.
The love that is within the hearts, minds and bodies of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer people is there because of God's unique gift of love for all humankind. The desire to use that love to love another, and to dedicate one's life to equal justice and inclusion for all who remain marginalized by the Church and society, is a Saintly love.
In Sandy Patti's contemporary song: "In Heaven's Eye's" are the words; "In Heaven's eyes, there are no losers." LGBTQ people, immigrants, Native Americans, women, people of color, those who are without jobs, health care, elderly, sick, well, write and/or speak different languages and individuals of other religions and ways of life, are all Saints as they seek the common good of their neighbors as well as themselves.
As we go through this All Saints Day, perhaps we should ask ourselves about God's love. How do we experience God's love in our lives? How do we share love with other people as they are? How do we share the unique love that God has given to each and everyone of us, to those whom the Church and society considers unlovable? How do we put that love into action? How do we think of and/or treat others who love differently than ourselves?
We are all Saints. Oh Yes!!! You too are a loving Saint.
Prayers
Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen. (Collect for All Saints Day, Book of Common Prayer, page 245).
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for the Human Family, Book of Common Prayer, page 815).
No comments:
Post a Comment