“Messy Saints”
All Saints Sunday
NOvember 3, 2024
Saints and Sinner: A Reminder of Who We Are
Isaiah 25:6-9
John 11:32-44
Children’s Message:
I have a lot of these things left from Halloween. We didn’t get as many kids as we used to. And I’m wondering what to do with them. Do you know what they are? Yes, mini packages of Playdough. What kinds of things can you do with Playdough?
· Roll into a snake
· Make into a ball
· Form into different animals
Wow. That sounds interesting. Let’s see…try to role the package into a snake. I don’t think it’s working. Oh, I have to take it OUT of the package. I see. You know, that reminds me of today’s gospel story. Jesus’ really good friend, Lazarus, died. And Jesus went to the tomb. Do you know what he did then? He told them to open the tomb.
And Lazarus’ sister warned him that it would be smelly. The body was already decomposing. Have your pumpkins started to rot and get mushy. Well, kind of like that. But they opened the tomb, and Jesus called into it, “Lazarus, come out!” And Lazarus came out, all bundled still in what they wrapped him in for burial.
And Jesus told them to unwrap him and let him go. Now, we know that everyone dies someday. Even Lazarus died again. So, the important thing for us to remember is that God is already calling us out of fear, and out of anger, and out of all the things that keep us from being made into who God calls us to be. And when we step out into God’s light, we see that God is molding us and transforming us and making us into people who will tell the world about God’s good news of Jesus—how he rose from the dead and changed the world with hope and love.
Let’s pray. Dear God, we are your children. Shape us into the Body of Christ for the world. Amen.
Message:
What is a saint? I asked the Catechism students that question, and here’s what they thought. A saint is someone who has lived a good life, has been especially devout, is a holy person. And yet, when we say the creed, we say we believe in the ‘communion of saints.’ And today, as we pray, we will lift up the names of all who have died this past year—regardless what kind of life they led. And we call them saints. So then, what is this day about? What are we doing here? Why do we have All Saints Sunday at all?
In 2015, a priest by the name of Junipero Serra was canonized as a saint. He had founded the first 9 missions from San Diego to San Francisco. But many people—especially Native peoples—were horrified by his canonization. He had participated in atrocities over the Native people as he established the missions. At the very least, his practices were anything but Christ-like. But even after some consideration, his sainthood was maintained.
Here’s the thing. The way I see it, no one is simply a saint—not in the way many people think about saints. Not even the most faithful and giving—not even the ones who were martyred because they spoke out against injustice and protected the vulnerable. Not even Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Or Martin Luther King, Jr. Not even Oscar Romero. Or Mother Teresa.
Because at the end of the day, we are ALL still sinners. And yet, we are ALL saints—simply because God said so. We are messy, complicated individuals who trip over even our best intentions. Not one of us is perfect. Not one of us is truly ‘good’—as Jesus tells the rich young man, “Only God is good.” And not one of us is truly ‘bad,’ either. Even as actions and words can be so very evil, I believe that there is good—somewhere, deep inside.
I like the idea of being a messy saint. It gives me permission to be imperfect. Martin Luther is often quoted as saying, “Sin boldly.” And yet it challenges me to do better. His quote continues, “but believe in God even more boldly.” His point is that if we worry so much about making mistakes, we will never take the risks necessary to impact the world for good. So, trusting in God’s good grace, we step out in faith, knowing that we will often get it wrong. We are messy saints. And that’s good news.
For years, there was a small sign in the Founder’s Room that said, “The Church is a hospital for the sick, not a museum for the healthy.” Or something like that. We don’t have to have ourselves all put together in order to show up. Or, as Pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber puts it, “The Church isn’t ABOUT us; it’s FOR us.”
So, I want to close with a blessing that Nadia created based on the Beatitudes in Matthew 5.
Blessed are the agnostics.
Blessed are they who doubt,
those who aren’t sure, those who can still be surprised.
Blessed are those who have nothing to offer.
Blessed are they for whom death is not an abstraction
Blessed are they who have buried their loved ones, for whom tears could fill an ocean.
Blessed are they who have loved enough to know what loss feels like.
Blessed are they who don’t have the luxury of taking things for granted anymore.
Blessed are they who can’t fall apart,
because they have to keep it together for everyone else.
Blessed are those who still aren’t over it yet.
Blessed are those who mourn.
Blessed are those who no one else notices,
the kids who sit alone at middle school lunch tables,
the laundry guys at the hospital, the sex workers,
and the night-shift street sweepers.
Blessed are the forgotten,
blessed are the closeted,
blessed are the unemployed, the unimpressive, the underrepresented.
Blessed are the wrongly accused, the ones who never catch a break, the ones for whom life is hard, for Jesus chose to surround himself with people like them.
Blessed are those without documentation.
Blessed are the ones without lobbyists.
Blessed are those who make terrible business decisions for the sake of people.
Blessed are the burned-out social workers
and the overworked teachers
and the pro-bono case takers.
Blessed are the kindhearted NFL players
and the fundraising trophy wives.
And blessed are the kids who step
between the bullies and the weak.
Blessed is everyone who has ever forgiven me
when I didn’t deserve it.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they totally get it.
You are of heaven, and Jesus blesses you.
Nadia Bolz-Weber, July 3, 2018
Pastor Tobi White
Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church
Lincoln, NE
