Sermon 11/02/08 (Matt. 5:1-12; Rev. 7:9-17)

“Not Such Glorious Saints”
Matthew 5:1-12; Revelation 7:9-17
Rev. Désirée H. Gold
St. Mark’s United Church of Christ, Baltimore, MD
Sunday, 2 November, 2008
All Saints’ Sunday
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 What do we know about “inheritance”? Well, often the word is used to describe money or goods that are passed down from family member to family member. For example, I inherited a bunch of pots and pans from my Great Aunt Mart, and Ben inherited a toaster oven from his parents. Paris and Nicky Hilton will inherit millions (maybe billions) of dollars from the Hilton hotel business. Sometimes inheritance is used to describe certain physical traits or personality characteristics that show themselves throughout a family. For example, “She inherited her mother’s long legs,” or “He inherited his father’s sharp temper.” My dictionary defines “inherit” as: (1.) To come into possession of; (2.) To receive property from a person by legal succession or will; or (3) To receive genetically from an ancestor. So inheritance has something to do with things being passed down from one person to another, usually within a family, and often after death.

Inheritance, in these terms, frequently causes problems. I have known happy families who have been torn apart fighting over inherited goods after a loved one dies. Offspring contest the wills that their parents carefully prepared, and spouses or siblings argue that surely they should receive a better cut of the inheritance! Inheritance, in these terms, has the potential to become nothing but a mess. But it can be a blessing too. I think of my Great Aunt Mart every time I use the pots and pans or the jacket that I inherited after her death. I never knew my grandmother, but I rejoice in the physical characteristics of hers that I inherited, as made clear by photographs or stories that my parents tell me.

On All Saints’ Day we have the opportunity to think more deeply about what we have inherited from our departed loved ones, as we mourn their deaths. Yes, this is what we do in funerals or memorial services too. But anyone who has ever grieved knows that grief does not end the moment you leave the cemetery, and it is important to set aside times to express the grief we continue to feel. There is something special about sharing our grief collectively with one another too. This past year I lost two “grandparents.” You may have lost a sister, a spouse, or even a beloved pet. But the grief we feel is essentially the same, and there is something holy about recognizing it together, in one place. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

So, too, is it important to recognize together all that we have inherited from those who have come before us. We are not speaking primarily here of inheriting brown eyes, long legs, or even pots and pans, although those things may be important to us. We are not even only talking about loved ones we knew personally. We are speaking of the long line of people who showed us how to make the world a better place -- whether they were our Aunt Mart or some glorious saint celebrated throughout history. From these people -- all faithful Christians who have come before us -- we have inherited not only the stories of our Bible, but also the examples of early, and more recent, followers of Christ.

On the more glorious end of things, we have, for example, the 16th century mystics, John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila. Saints John and Teresa worked together to found the Carmelite order, and Teresa is known not only for her deeply spiritual writings but also for her leadership as a woman in the Medieval Church.

We have Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, who came to the United States in the 18th century and became a pioneer in health care. She serves as a namesake for many healthcare facilities today, including the hospital where I served as chaplain resident several years ago.

And, while we Protestants may not be familiar with some of these “Catholic examples,” I would venture that most of us are willing to embrace the legacy of Mother Teresa of our own time. Committed to working within the poorest segments of society, Mother Teresa proved herself a 20th century saint through her dedication, her faith, and her sense of humor.

There are many more whose life examples have hopefully given us inspiration and from whom many young people continue to inherit the legacies of faith and good works. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the Lutheran pastor who risked his life to resist Nazism and embrace his Jewish brothers and sisters. Rosa Parks, who, through her quiet decision to rest her tired legs at the front end of a bus, inspired many to resist segregation and fight for civil rights in this country. Sister Helen Prejean, who works with both the perpetrators of violent crime and with their victims. We have inherited much from these well-known saints.

But sainthood, as we are speaking of it here, is not limited to persons who have volumes written about their lives and whose veneration the whole world will uphold for centuries following their deaths. How many of you know, or have known, saints whose good deeds are perhaps known only to you? A parent from whom you inherited a particular care for the environment? A good friend whose strength empowered you? ... A stranger?

I still recall a young man I met several years ago. We met on a Friday night. My aunt (the same great aunt from whom I inherited those pots and pans) died two days later, and the young man I had met that Friday called just to say hello. When I told him my aunt had just died, he left the party he was attending and came to my house to comfort me. We saw each other a few times after that, but I will never forget his sudden kindness on that night.

These are the saints, and the inheritance, of the church, and these are the ones we are called to remember on All Saint’s Day. They may not be glorious in the same way that an officially canonized saint of the church is. But they are saints in the eyes of God just the same. On All Saints Day we are called to bring forth the memories of these loved ones who have died, or who are no longer in our lives -- those who, through their presence with us over many years or only a few moments, strengthened our faith and taught us the legacy of Christ’s compassion. These are the ones from whom we obtain a holy inheritance. Let us remember to give thanks not only to the persons themselves, but to the God who gave them to us. Now let us pray.