We celebrate all of the Saints who have proclaimed and who continue to proclaim that God's perfect revelation came to us in Jesus Christ, who was born, died, and rose again. These are the women and men, the black, the white, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT), the ordained, the lay people, volunteers, the martyrs, the monks, nuns, religious, the hard working family and so many more whom I have not named who have contributed to the work of the Gospel. This day is not only for the Saints who have already gone before us, it is for all those who today continue to live out the mission of Christ in the here and now.
The reading from the Prophet Isaiah says: "On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear. And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples; he will swallow up death forever. Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces, and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. It will be said on the day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation."(Isaiah 25: 6-9, NRSV).
Notice throughout this reading, how many times the word all has appeared. This means that God's graces are poured out in abundance to all people. The salvation of God for the human race is intended for all, without exception. But this is not the case for many people who come seeking God through various Christian churches. Instead of finding a place of worship that is inclusive for all, many people of color or LGBT individuals, people who are challenged physically, emotionally, psychologically find within the walls of many Christian communities, people who are cold, exclusive and with the attitude of "if only you were what we think you should be, we could accept you."
Many of the Saints who have served God's Church over the centuries, and those who continue to serve are people who are broken by sin in one way or another. Even with the great graces of Baptism and the Eucharist, our capacity to allow God to sanctify and change us by the power of the Holy Spirit is still limited. There are places in our lives, as there have been in the lives of the Saints, that need to experience conversion. That Saints who have made the Tradition of the Church what it is today, all experienced lack of understanding in one way or another. Just think of how the Church at one time used Scripture to defend the slavery of African Americans. Through the use of Scripture, tradition and reason, the Church has since come to realize that slavery of any group of people was an intrinsic evil. The Church has a completely different understanding of the role of women than we once did. So the Church is evolving it's understanding of the role and place of LGBT individuals.
In Psalm 24 we read in this processional Hebrew hymn those who climb the mountain of the Lord in worship. The Psalmist particularly encourages "Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully."(Vs 4). Yet, how many LGBT individuals are told to "hide" who they are? Look at the work of ex-gay ministries like Courage and Exodus that teach LGBT individuals to "speak falsely" of themselves not as men and women with a sense of dignity or integrity, but tell them to "change" who "God did not create them to be." In so doing such ministries contradict the very nature of Scripture. In the Wisdom of Solomon chapter 11 verse 24 we read: "For you love all things that exist, and detest none of the things that you have made, for you would not have made anything if you had hated it." God has created all people including LGBT individuals out of the depth of God's love. LGBT cannot offer anything to God other than who they are, and what they are. As LGVG people were created out of love, they must also offer themselves up in love. LGBT individuals are a delight in the eyes of God, when they offer up their loving relationships in healthy and wholesome ways. To pretend to be anything or anyone other than who LGBT are would be to offer up things that are "false" and "deceitful."
Our Gospel reading for today takes is the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.(See John 11:32-44). God sets Lazarus free from the grave that held him down and kept him from living his full reality. Jesus called for the stone to be rolled away, where Lazarus had laid dead for four days. And Jesus called to Lazarus as I believe he calls to LGBT people: "Come out." This particular image of the tomb can be an excellent example of the closets that many LGBT people live in. We hide dead in our closets with our real selves waiting to come alive in a new way. The communities that we live in, include our families, friends, churches and jobs make our staying in our tomb like closets a necessity. We place a linen cloth over our mouths made of fear. While in the closets we stifle the Holy Spirit's call to live our lives honestly and openly.
When we finally accept God's call to come out, we can finally embrace the reality of the life that God has given us. We can breath a new air free from our burial clothes. As we come out, we work to embrace new communities of Faith that embrace LGBT individuals. These faith communities can include the Episcopal Church, the United Church of Christ, the ELCA, the Disciples of Christ, and many United Methodist Church's. And there are many communities and organizations that embrace LGBT people and work to help them develop healthy attitudes towards themselves. Opportunities such as the Gay Men's Chorus, the Human Rights Campaign, Equality America, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Dignity USA, Integrity USA, Lutherans Concerned and PFLAG. All of these organizations have opportunities for LGBT people and their supporters to find others who will support them. LGBT people who come out, do not have to be isolated in the bars or promiscuous sexual relationships. Gay and lesbian couples do not have to feel like there is no place for them, accept in their homes away from building communities around them.
When we finally accept the call of Jesus to live our lives the way God made us to, we can work to improve not only our lives, but the lives of others who are marginalized. This includes speaking up for those without medical insurance, adequate housing and jobs. LGBT people along with all people of good will need to hold our national and religious leaders responsible when they seek the good of themselves rather than seeking justice and peace for the people they were elected to serve. This is how the work of the Saints made the Church what it is. Working for justice and peace for all is how the Saints of today carry the mission of the Church into the future.
Everyone is called to Sainthood. Everyone, every day has the opportunity and calling to participate in the mission of Jesus Christ and the Gospel. We will not always get it right. We will not always say the right things, do the right things, and get the message. However, we can accept the call to continue listening and at no time assume that we can just sit comfortably while others continue to experience injustice. The opportunities for becoming Saints comes in our work places, our churches, our political institutions, our homes, families and all kinds of relationships. How will we turn an ordinary moment into an extraordinary opportunity to do the work of the Gospel?
Redeemer,
you risked it all to love those who hated you.
You present us with a great cloud of saints
who have gone before us
as witnesses to your divine love.
Help us to love as you did, and they did,
with reckless abandon and holy wisdom.
Give us courage when standing for love's demands.
Provide us the strength to persevere
even in those times
when it means risking it all. Amen.
(Taken from Out in Scripture by the Human Rights Campaign for All Saints Day).
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