Bible Reading: Luke 6:20-31
Dear Friends
Leslie Weatherhead in his book A Private House of Prayer tells of a conversation which took place in a university common room. Someone posed the question, “What do you want to be?” Many answers were given, academic distinction, an athletic prize, a professor’s chair. Then one quiet, shy, sensitive man spoke, ‘You fellows will laugh at me,’ he said, ‘but I want to be a saint’.” And then Weatherhead gave three definitions of a saint: one, a saint is someone in whom Christ lives again; two, a saint is someone who makes it easier to believe in God; three, a saint is someone who lets the light shine through.
On this All Saints’ Sunday, we will remember all who have lived in faith and died and faith and are joined to the whole company of heaven. We will remember those from our congregation, our own family members and friends, even those whose names we have forgotten but not by God. Saints are not just those for whom churches and colleges are named, whose likenesses appear in stained glass windows. These saints are recognized, and they have their own days in the liturgical calendar on which they are remembered, and their faith and witness celebrated.
But on this great festival Sunday all those who are faithful unto death and have received their crown of righteousness are remembered. This Sunday, those saints who are still living remember those who are in the great cloud of witnesses cheering us on in our life’s race, those who are clothed in white praising God day and night. Rejoice that your names are written in heaven.
Solomzi