All Saints' Sunday

I sing a song of the saints of God,
patient and brave and true,
who toiled and fought and lived and died for the Lord
they loved and knew.
And was a doctor, and one was a queen,
and one was a shepherdess on the green;
they were all of them saints of God,
and I mean, God helping, to be one too.

That is the first verse of the hymn “I Sing a Song of Saints of God” which is a favorite song in our family. While it is not very familiar to we Methodists, it is a song from my husband’s childhood. It reminds us of the “everyday saints” that we meet each day.
On Sunday, I learned from parishioners from a former church that a dear saint of that church passed away recently. It brought a flood of memories to mind. I had served as her pastor when her husband died and while she recovered from several health problems. She was a powerful pray-er and strong spiritual presence in my life often challenging me to be more honest and prophetic in my preaching.
Who are the “everyday saints” in your life? Maybe a neighbor or family member? Maybe someone who has made the transition to eternal life or someone that still walks among the living? I would love to hear your stories.,

Matthew 22:34-46

My ballot is on the kitchen table waiting for me to take my pen and fill it out. I know how I am going to vote but I am not quite ready to make it final. The election is just two weeks away and I am very tired of the all the TV ads but I am still not ready to mark my ballot. I suppose that may sound strange. Maybe it is a little like Christmas. Many times the best part of Christmas is the anticipation. When Christmas finally arrives, it is such a letdown because we had such high expectations. I hope that my candidate or my position will prevail but I have been disappointed before.
I know that by Sunday many of you will have casted your ballots. So our conversation will be more about principles of voting as a Christian than about the specifics of this election. How do we apply the teachings of Jesus to the way we elect our leaders or decided on initiatives? I know that there are both Democrats and Republicans sitting in the pews. So I would pose some questions:

• The two great commandments from this week's scripture invite us into loving relationships with God and one another. How do we invite our leaders to create a nation where such relationships are of the highest value?
• In Matthew 5 Jesus invites us to be peacemakers. Do the people we are electing see war as a tool of last resort seeking peace instead?
• God calls us to be advocates for the vulnerable in our society. Whose policies and values seek to protect our children, disabled, and elderly?
• Creation is a gift from God for which we are to be good stewards. Do our policies and laws protect the environment?

There are many other questions to explore but this is perhaps enough to get the conversation started.

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Two weeks ago as part of a drama in worship, Charlene Edwards played the part of a homeless person who wandered into worship on communion Sunday looking for something to eat. As she was waiting for her entrance and exploring her character, she picked up a devotional magazine in the church parlor. She opened it to a first person poem in which a stranger – outsider – maybe a homeless person – is speaking out asking for respect and acceptance by the community of faith. Charlene has now asked to reprise that character and share that poem with the congregation.
In 1 Thessalonians Paul says that he doesn’t need to tell folks about that community of Christians because everywhere he goes in Macedonia people have already heard of their “work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness in hope.” Paul invites the people to be “living messages” for the gospel.
This Sunday we will be focusing on the work of laity and our three simple rules. In our 21st century world what does it look like to be a “living message?” How does it involve the words that come forth from our mouths? How does it involve the action of our hands and feet? What does it say to us about how we respond to those in need that we see along life's way?

Children's Sabbath Reflections

I first began observing the Children's Defense Fund "Children's Sabbath" in 1994. That year I worked with other pastors in the Sumner, WA area on an event to call attention to stopping violence against children. We hosted a rally and prayer vigil in a city park. In those days my own children were in elementary school and I suppose that to many folks I was just being a concerned mother. Now my children are grown - almost finished with college and graduate school. So some would say that I can now go on to other concerns - widen my interests so to speak. However, I find myself more drawn to the plight of children than ever. My heart grieves for the children on my community, our nation, and our world who go to bed hungry, who know only violence and war, who have no loving community to surround them.
This week we return to very familiar words in the Gospel of Matthew for our reflection on the children's sabbath, the plight of children and John Wesley's general rules. In Matthew 19:13-22 Jesus says, "Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs." What if this is a parable? What if Jesus is saying the kingdom of heaven is like a little child?
In keeping with those questions, I have been observing the children around me to see what glimpses of the realm of God that they can give us. What about the children in your life? How do you see the realm of God being lived out in them?
Now I am also realistic enough to know that children can also represent the worse of humanity as well. We must also ask ourselves how can we better model for our children and the children of the world what it means to do no harm, do good and stay in love with God. What are some of your practices that could help our children?