For all the saints

Saints are people who patiently wait upon God

On this all Hallow’s Eve I simply bring this verse of scripture from James 5:7 “Meanwhile, friends, wait patiently for the Master’s Arrival. You see farmers do this all the time, waiting for their valuable crops to mature, patiently letting the rain do its slow but sure work. Be patient like that. Stay steady and strong. The Master could arrive at any time.

As you wait patiently today ponder the words of hymn by Clara H. Scott, 1841-1897 

1. Open my eyes, that I may see 

glimpses of truth thou hast for me; 

place in my hands the wonderful key 

that shall unclasp and set me free. 

Silently now I wait for thee, 

ready, my God, thy will to see. 

Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine! 

2. Open my ears, that I may hear 

voices of truth thou sendest clear; 

and while the wave-notes fall on my ear, 

everything false will disappear. 

Silently now I wait for thee, 

ready, my God, thy will to see. 

Open my ears, illumine me, Spirit divine! 

3. Open my mouth, and let me bear 

gladly the warm truth everywhere; 

open my heart and let me prepare 

love with thy children thus to share. 

Silently now I wait for thee, 

ready, my God, thy will to see. 

Open my heart, illumine me, Spirit divine!

A final thought from John Ortberg, Presbyterian church minister and author; “Biblically, waiting is not just something we have to do until we get what we want. Waiting is part of the process of becoming what God wants us to be.”

For all the saints

Saints are cross carriers

Traditional  histories of apostles have a number of them facing their death in a similar manner  in which Jesus was put to death outside Jerusalem. These include St Andrew crucified on a X-shaped cross, Peter crucified upside down and it is thought that Bartholomew and Simon the Canaanite met their death in a similar way; by crucifixion. 

But what of we ordinary saints? What are we to make of Jesus words to any would-be follower of him; “…..Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? Matthew 16:24-26

We are invited to follow in his footsteps. Like him, we are to be ready to take up our cross, whatever it may be, and carry it behind him. Notice, Jesus tells the disciples to take up their own cross, not his. The cross will be different for each person; it takes the form of some difficult thing. Something not chosen but clear.

Only by uniting our suffering in life to that of Jesus can we carry our crosses. Is there something in my life today or everyday that I am struggling under the weight of? It is then that we need to ask for the grace we need from God to follow Christ.

Must the Christian go around looking for a cross to bear, seeking to suffer? No, insisted Bonhoeffer. Opportunities for bearing crosses will occur along life's way and all that is required is the willingness to act when the time comes. The needs of the neighbour, especially those of the weak and downtrodden, the victimised and the persecuted, the ill and the lonely, will become abundantly evident.

Jesus makes it very clear that it is not an easy way to live. How we understand our life and give it value influences what we consider “saving” or “losing” our life. It also affects the decisions and actions we make.

It is too easy, God

      for faith to become an escape

           - a way to avoid the pain of being human and alive;

      or a path to success

           - a way to persuade the universe to give us the things we want;

      or a system of control

           - a way to bend others to our will

But the faith you offer is different, Jesus,

      more dangerous and compelling;

It's the faith that carries the cross,

      that embraces death

           and lays itself down for the sake of others;

It's the only faith that can lead us to resurrection

      to life renewed and overflowing.

We praise you for this faith, God,

      and open our hearts to receive it.

Amen.

For all the saints

Saints are people who follow Jesus

A father and son arrived in a small western town looking for an uncle whom they had never seen. Suddenly, the father, pointing across the square to a man who was walking away from them, exclaimed, “There goes my uncle!”

His son asked, “How do you know when you have not seen him before?”

“Son, I know him because he walks exactly like my father.”

In 1 John 1:5-7 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

Light is something that can have a dramatic effect on everything it touches. Light makes it possible to see. A lighthouse warns ships of the coastline; emergency lights warn drivers of a high-speed vehicle. Light speaks of security and reassurance. When we are in a dark house and hear an unfamiliar noise, we instinctively turn on a light because we want to be able to see and be seen. Jesus says we are to be like that to a neighbourhood that dwells in darkness. 

Ann Ortlund suggests that ‘day by day, morning by morning, begin your walk with Him in the calm trust that God is at work in everything....It is your personal business, as a discipline of your heart, to learn to be peaceful and safe in God in every situation. Remember, where your real living is going on. In your thinking, in your reacting, in your heart of hearts - here is where your walk with God begins and continues. So when you start to move into trusting Him, stay there. Don't wander out again into worry and doubt!’

We give thanks to you, Lord,

for you have done marvellous things!

When we were walking in darkness

you were there, you were there,

when we were kneeling in weakness

you were there, you were there,

when we drew near feeling worthless

you were there, you were there,

when we were needing forgiveness

you were there, you were there,

when we were searching for your grace

you were there, you were there.

We give thanks to you, Lord,

for you have done marvellous things!

Amen

For all the saints

Saints reveal the beauty of Jesus

We don’t go around preaching about ourselves but about Christ Jesus as Lord. All we say of ourselves is that we are your slaves because of what Jesus has done for us. For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made us understand that it is the brightness of his glory that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:5-6

There is a  verse written by Albert Osborn that simply says:-

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me,
All his wonderful passion and purity,
O thou Spirit divine, all my nature refine,
Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.

If you look into a handheld mirror you will see your reflection. Your reflection is what the world sees (that’s why you look in the mirror to make sure your hair looks okay). It’s the same with our reflection of Christ. Are you reflecting the teachings of Jesus in your life? Are our churches reflecting the way of Christ? When people reject God, are they rejecting Christ himself or what we have reflected wrongly?

A minister was looking out of the kitchen window as he held his youngest son, Ephram. He was trying to get him to look at the birds on the other side of the window but he seemed consumed with something in the window itself. He realised that he could see his reflection in the glass and so could he. He was transfixed on his own image in the glass.

Often, so are we. If we are going to see things the way that God sees them in our lives, then we are going to have to look through the glass as it was intended to see what God has in store for us!

George Herbert phrased this well in his hymn with verse:-

A man that looks on glass, 

         On it may stay his eye; 

Or if he pleaseth, through it pass, 

         And then the heav'n espy. 

I wonder, how are we reflecting the beauty of the living Christ in our lives. 

Loving Lord, May the light of Your truth, love, and compassion, shine in me, and reflect from me the glories of Jesus, so that Your name may be glorified in all I say and do. This I ask in Jesus' name, AMEN.

For all the saints

Saints keep going when everyone else gives up

Galatians 6:9 “…..let us not get tired of doing what is right, for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t get discouraged and give up.”

There is a film called 'Faith Like a Potato'. It takes place in South Africa. It tells the  story of a farmer with an anger management issue who becomes a follower of Jesus. Needing to bring in money for his family, he decides to plant a crop of potatoes. The land is very dry. Most would think it was dead and no life could come from it. With no rain, he begins to question his decision to plant. So after a while of waiting, he and his farm hand decide to take a chance and dig, but first they pray.

As he begins to dig, what is revealed is astonishing. The seed yields crops twice the size of what is expected. How is that? He was looking for signs of rain, signs of growth above ground. All the while there was water running underneath the ground.

When Paul wrote this letter to the church in Galatia, he knew that they were feeling weighed down by the responsibilities of daily Christian living. Maybe you have felt this way before too. Paul writes the statement of not growing weary in doing good to uplift their spirits and give them encouragement. Even when the thought of keeping going seems pointless Christ calls us to cultivate an indomitable spirit.

Roald Dahl once wrote, “Some people when they have taken too much and have been driven beyond the point of endurance, simply crumble and give up. There are others, though they are not many, who will for some reason always be unconquerable. You meet them in time of war and also in time of peace. They have an indomitable spirit and nothing, neither pain nor torture nor threat of death, will cause them to give up.” 

As followers of Christ it is the indomitable Spirit of Christ within that enables the believer to keep going. Or in the words of Charles Wesley:-

Faith, mighty faith, the promise sees
And looks to that alone;
Laughs at impossibilities
And cries: It shall be done!

In the offering of our gifts,

as well as the living of our days,

may we not grow weary of doing what is right,

but commit to speaking up for the voiceless,

healing the broken,

feeding the hungry,

and all those mercies

which are such a part of your heart

and hopes for all your children.  

In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen.

For all the saints

Saints are people the Son Shines through

A young boy went with his parents touring around Europe one summer. Part of their tour included visits to the great old cathedrals of the past. As he visited cathedral after cathedral he was impressed by the massive stained glass portraits of the disciples and of other saints as he stood in their great empty halls looking through the beautiful stained glass windows.

Upon returning home, he was asked by his Sunday School teacher about holiday on the continent, and what he liked the most. He thought for a moment of those great churches and their grand windows and he said, “I loved the sense of awe and the hugeness of who God must be, and I loved the stained glass windows with their images of the saints.”

“And what is a saint?” his teacher asked. His mind went back to those beautiful windows and he said, “A saint is a person the light shines through.”

In John 12:35-36 we find Jesus saying, “For a brief time still, the light is among you. Walk by the light you have so darkness doesn’t destroy you. If you walk in darkness, you don’t know where you’re going. As you have the light, believe in the light. Then the light will be within you, and shining through your lives. You’ll be children of light.”

We are children of light, when your compassion radiates and pervades the world. When our minds are in higher consciousness and heart is full with compassion, our deeds will glorify the humanity and the Father in the heaven. Perhaps it is important to remember that in order to be lights, we must first be enlightened ourselves.

Heavenly Father, may we be light bearers for You; alongside those who are living in the shadow of pain, fear, loneliness or any other trouble. Let the beauty of Your life-giving light transform every aspect of our community and bring joy and hope to  everyone we meet. Please send Your Holy Spirit to guide us in our prayers for them and spur us into action to bless others. In the power of Christ. Amen.

For all the saints

Saints walk around in other’s shoes

Galatians 6:1-3 Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.

We can illustrate the idea of bearing one another’s burdens with the picture of someone staggering beneath a heavy load of grain. Somehow they must get this grain home to the family, but is about to crumble beneath its weight. Another sees the distress and rushes to their aid, lifting a part of the burden and thereby easing the weight of it. Although the supportive one does not assume the whole load, this help allows the struggling one to carry on to their destination.

Another way of looking at what Paul intended the Galatians to take away from this teaching is to see it in the context of a family.One of the marks of a family is that you help each other out. You stand by one another when others might walk away, and you look out for one another, keeping each other safe. If a member of your family was in an accident, you’d drop everything and do whatever you needed to do for them to get better. God designed families this way, and most of us feel that kind of commitment at least to the people living in our own house, and probably to everyone in our family.

This command implies that we have relationships with each other. We cannot help each other unless we are in relationship with each other and have fellowship with each other. This means we must open up to each other and welcome deeper relationships as family than just cursory, obligatory conversations. We must spend time together and speak to each other about spiritual things if we will have any opportunity to help each other grow and be able to restore each other.

This is a beautiful picture God has given us. If we walk by the Spirit, we will love one another more, and in loving one another more, we will bear one another’s burdens. 

Heavenly Father, I pray that I may grow in grace and live my life as You would have me live, in spirit and in truth. Help me to be kind, compassionate, hospitable, and gracious toward my brothers and sisters in Christ. May I love others in the same way that Christ loved me and gave Himself for me. Help me to exhibit a spirit of forgiveness and grace, honouring others above myself. Give me a spirit of gentleness and love in my dealings with others, especially those that are straying from the path of righteousness. Keep me ever humble before You, lest I am tempted to sin and so dishonour Your holy name. This I ask in Jesus' name, AMEN.

For all the saints

Saints know their place.

As we move towards the end of October we approach All Hallows Eve and All Saints days. How would you define a saint? In its most basic sense, a saint is a “holy one,” someone who is set apart for God's special purposes. As a result, every follower of Jesus Christ is a saint.

The late great German-born American Jewish rationalist intellectual, popular lecturer and writer, religious leader, and social reformer, Felix Adler (1851 - 1933), starts things off well when he said, "The hero is one who kindles a great light in the world, who sets up blazing torches in the dark streets of life for women and, men to see by! The saint is the person who walks through the dark paths of the world, as a light!"

Jesus encouraged his followers to Matthew 5:15-16 “Don’t hide your light! Let it shine for all; let your good deeds glow for all to see, so that they will praise your heavenly Father.”

Jesus seems recklessly confident of our potentialities: he calls us the salt and the light of the world, without whose witness the world will be a different place. Yet, we are always too ready to dismiss the influence our actions can have on others. But the life of the beatitudes gives flavour to our life together, and being a follower of Christ is not an individualistic choice, but one that involves the others.

There is a mere strip of sand called Castle Island near the eastern end of the Bahamas archipelago. Few people are aware of it - and, as tiny and isolated as it is, Castle Island is important for the lighthouse that is its sole source of humanity!

One day, a young man was sailing in the area. He anchored his sailboat off of the lighthouse and swam to shore to exercise his legs on the beach. The lighthouse keeper, Cedric Hanna, was surprised and delighted to have company; he invited the young man to join him for some fresh-caught lobster and a tour of the lighthouse.

The young man climbed the winding staircase to the lantern room at the top of the stairs; and, he was astonished at the size of the light that signalled safe passage through the maze of shoals and reefs! The light was a tiny kerosene flame - barely bright enough to read by - yet, with the aid of mirrors and reflectors, it was visible twenty-five miles out to sea.

Jesus, the Christ, has told us to "Let our light shine!" But, tell me, "even if our light is a very dim or our good works are few and small?" I believe that our little light is magnified in the immense mirror of Almighty God’s Love! I believe that His reflectors are human hearts - spreading the flame of kindness one to another! 

Perfect Light of revelation, as you shone in the life of Jesus, so shine in us and through us, that we may become beacons of truth and compassion, enlightening all creation with deeds of justice and mercy. Amen.