Happy Thanksgiving 2016

I love the Psalms. I do. I remember how surprised I was that David did not write all 150 of them (Bible Interpretation 101 with Dr. Valerie J. Bridgeman and Hebrew Bible with Julia O’Brien blessed my life, so I am thankful for that). I consider them Ancient Israel’s Hymnal, and I love the way they’re classified – lament, royal enthronement, wisdom and torah, entrance, prophetic exhortation, mixed form. Today, however, I want to talk about psalms of thanksgiving.

Today is Thanksgiving Day in America (I can’t call our country the United States, because we are not  “united”). I like this day, because it causes me to take a step back and reflect on my blessings and, like the name indicates, to truly give thanks to God for all that God has blessed me with.

This year, I am grateful for:

·      The four churches where I am licensed to pastor.  Because of them, I am able to actually do the work God called me to do, and they make it easy to be their pastor/associate pastor/clayperson:

o   Keysville Grace UCC

o   Mt. Pleasant Reformed UCC

o   Veritas UCC

o   Grace Reformed UCC

·      Dr. Minh Ta, my primary care physician. Because of his dogged determination to get my blood pressure under control, he discovered another problem that needed to be addressed immediately. He’s also a funny and nice dude. And I am REALLY thankful for the Affordable Care Act, because I am able to go to the doctor and manage my health effectively.

·      Landmark Global. I work for them, for as long as I want to. And while it is not my dream job, it DOES provide income to pay some bills, and like I said earlier last week, take Bob out to dinner every now and then. This job also helps me move more, which helps me manage my health more effectively.

·      Rev. Dr. Rob Apgar-Taylor. When I was looking for a church post-seminary, I remembered meeting him right before I graduated. I still say he was in the corner looking sad, and nobody puts baby in a corner! I’m thankful that my first choice was not the BEST choice. *(Note: I am especially thankful THIS year for him, as he had a horrible car accident the Monday before Thanksgiving, and walked away virtually unscathed. My Bapticostal side went into a Baptist Fit when he said he was ok.)

·      Friends. I have the best, and most loyal, friends on earth.

·      Family. Some of my friends have become family, and let me also tell you, I have the best blood/chosen/blended family ever. This has been a mixed year for me, and through the peaks and valleys, they have been there, no questions asked. My siblings, both by blood and by The Blood (Bapticostals, that’s your shout cue) listened to my joys and concerns, all while encouraging or admonishing me to be the best me I could be. Y’all rock.

·      Poppins Johnson Davis. On August 13, 2016, God blessed our family with the most perfect dog ever. Watching him adapt to us and our home, and us to him, is a sitcom in the making. Unconditional love, this fur ball gives. I tell people all of the time – we were a family, but now we’re complete. And yes, he’s spoiled rotten.

·      Robert Davis. 11 years later, and you still make me so very happy. I’m so glad you came into my life. You support me, even in my madness, and I can say that you’re the one for me. Thank you for all that you do to make our house a home, and for being an AMAZING parent to the 20 pounds of hair that sheds all over our house.

Make sure to show some love to the folks you love. Call someone you haven’t spoken to in a while. Fix some broken relationships.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Faithful

            12) I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. 13) I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:12-13)

            22) The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; 23) they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24)“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” (Lamentations 3:22-24)

            I was walking Poppins last week, and reflecting on my current level of under-employment. A seminary colleague of mine was announcing her new job, the third one since her graduation, and if I am honest, I got mad with God and started expressing my frustration. I started talking out loud to the wind.

“God,” I said, “I did what you called me to do. I followed your call into the wilderness and I am worse off than I was before I went to seminary. I have creditors calling me, and I can’t pay them. I can’t pay these student loans that I took out to do the work you called me to do. I can’t even take Bob out to dinner and worry about whether I can pay the bill. I need yet another car repair, and I cannot afford to have it done. God, I make too much to get government assistance, so what am I supposed to do? This is not right. I just cannot take much more. I need a job. Any job you arrange for me to get, I will do it with joy. But for real God, I need a job.”

And then I stopped, because I ‘d started crying out of frustration. And then the wind started talking back. It simply said, “I am everything you need.”

And I said, “But you don’t get it!”

And the voice said, as clear as day, “You have the man of dreams, with the dog of your dreams, in the house of your dreams. You get to go and do things you never thought you would be able to do. You have friends you never thought you would have. You are walking in your calling, and you have two, TWO congregations to serve. No, you don’t have the money you think you need, But I am everything you need.”

And I let it go, because I had to write a eulogy for one of my members.

A little later, I remembered a story about Darlene Love: “Unable to secure gigs of her own, since promoters wouldn't often believe her ("They said, 'Well, you're not a Crystal, you're not a Ronette and nobody knows you did these songs'"), Love crashed. She stored her belongings in her Mercedes, moved from one relative's home to another and took a job cleaning houses for $100 a day in ritzy L.A. neighborhoods. Darlene Love, one of the greatest background singers of all time, cleaned houses to make ends meet.

And the voice spoke again – “Are you willing to clean houses if you have to?”

And I said the following: “God, any job you send to me, I’ll do it.” And I let it go.

I start working this morning, in a job that dropped into my lap. It’s a long-term temporary assignment, which gives me the flexibility to do my calling while still working full time. And I am grateful.

So, let me encourage you this morning – God is faithful, and will provide all of your needs. All.

Be blessed, but more importantly, be a blessing.

A Shepherd's Story

Originally preached on Christ the King Sunday, November 20, 2016, at the Keysville Grace United Church of Christ, Keymar, MD. Audio can be heard here.

Agricultural work is difficult. There is special calling for those who work the land, but more importantly, those who work with livestock. There is a special calling for those who work with livestock, and in particular, there is a really special calling for those who work with sheep. Let me go on and confess to you this morning, I would not want to be a shepherd. Mentioned more than 500 times, sheep, along with goats, were the most important domestic animals in the biblical world, so taking care of them was more than a notion.

I would not want to be a sheepherder, because, let me tell you, it is exhausting, thankless work. If you don’t believe me, listen to this job description as written by Dr. Gerald Mattingly from Johnson University of Knoxville, Tennessee.

Shepherds are responsible for the safety of the sheep. Yes, this is a simple concept, but there is more to it than just keeping the sheep safe. Keeping sheep safe involves vigilance, for it is monotonous work. They require constant care, since they are practically defenseless. Shepherds had to locate food and water for their flocks, and they often ranged far from home and went through numerous hardships. It was not easy being a shepherd.

Shepherds had to constantly guard against thieves, but more importantly, the greatest threat to sheep safety came from animals such as wolves, lions, and bears. It was not easy being a shepherd.

Sheep are naturally gregarious animals, and the shepherds had to watch for strays and count the animals as they returned to the fold at night. You see, sheep had a habit of just wandering off, and the shepherd was responsible for finding any lost sheep. It was not easy being a shepherd.

         A prime example of how defenseless sheep, for me, comes from, of all places, a Looney Toons. There were a series of cartoons based on two characters: Ralph E. Wolf and Sam Sheepdog. I’m going somewhere with this. The series is built around the idea that both Ralph and Sam are just doing their jobs. Most of the cartoons begin at the beginning of the workday, in which they both arrive at a sheep-grazing meadow, exchange pleasant chitchat, and punch into the same time clock. Work having officially begun, Ralph repeatedly tries very hard to abduct the helpless sheep and invariably fails, either through his own ineptitude or the minimal efforts of Sam (he is frequently seen sleeping), who always brutally punishes Ralph for the attempt. In many instances there are also multiple copies of Ralph and particularly Sam.

At the end-of-the-day whistle, Ralph and Sam punch out their time cards, again chat amiably, and leave, presumably only to come back the next day and do it all again. I would not want to be a shepherd, because it is monotonous, thankless work. You are responsible for the safety of the sheep, who cannot say thank you, and many times, are just off blissfully being sheep.

And don’t sheep sound like people? We are gregarious creatures, gathering among ourselves. We are often defenseless, and are off blissfully and peacefully being people. And that leads me to our Old Testament reading this morning. As we close the end of the liturgical year, I must tell you that I both love and fear this morning’s text from Jeremiah. Yes, I both love and fear them at the same time, because they hold leaders, especially political leaders in ancient Judah, accountable for their actions. It’s nice to see biblical passages that hold leaders accountable.

On the other hand, this text terrifies me because, by extension, it holds religious leaders, both in ancient Judah and today, accountable for their actions regarding God’s people. It’s not so nice to see biblical passages that hold religious leaders, including me, accountable.

Yes, there is a call for accountability on this Christ The King Sunday. God, through Jeremiah, issues a warning to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of God’s pasture. Sheep were important to the nomads and agricultural life of the Hebrews and similar peoples. Secondly, sheep are used throughout the Bible to symbolically refer to God's people. Now, while sheep are important, more important are the shepherds, for the shepherds are held accountable for taking care of the sheep.

So, Jeremiah, in the previous chapter, has done a chronological survey of Judah’s kings, and concludes with this warning against “shepherds”, a common metaphor for kings during that time, and a veiled reference to king Zedekiah, the last king of Judah. According to biblical writers, Zedekiah reigned over Judah during the most tumultuous and tragic time in that country’s history. He was 21 years old when he ascended to the throne, and he ruled for 11 years, and was listed as “one of a long line of kings who did evil in the sight of the Lord.” Zedekiah, according to the writer of Chronicles, “did not humble himself before the prophet Jeremiah who spoke from the mouth of the Lord.”

Outside of biblical literature, there is little knowledge of Zedekiah. The Book of Jeremiah portrays him as a weak and tragic figure who cannot master the faith and courage to prevent the collapse of Judah.

So, we have this king, this shepherd, who is a weak and tragic figure, unable to prevent the collapse of his kingdom, and the scattering of his sheep.

I would not want to be a shepherd. I would not want to be responsible for the safety of the sheep, and I definitely would not want to be responsible for the safety of the sheep in the Lord’s pasture.

But, remember I said that these verse hold both actual shepherds and the sheep of God’s pasture, the people, accountable? Then that makes all of us a shepherd. And we are in trouble. We are scattering sheep. We are driving people away with our stances on issues that really are no business of the church. We are driving people away with our attitudes and behaviors. Look at us. We are focusing on money as the message as opposed to the Messiah. Look at us. We are more concerned with maintaining our monuments to our ancestors than we are with maintaining a relationship with each other. There are some of us who have driven people away because we did not like them, or like their families, or because of some long-ago forgotten feud over a fried chicken dinner.

We are in trouble. God says that because of our scattering of the sheep, of God’s people, there’s going to be a scrutinizing punishment.

I really don’t want to be a shepherd, because shepherds are in trouble. I would be remiss in my duties if I did not mention the Gospel selection this morning, a retelling of Jesus’ crucifixion and the conversation between Jesus and the two thieves. It looks very dark for God’s people, the sheep of God’s pasture, because hope is hanging on a cross. The Shepherd is hanging on a cross.

But there is hope on the horizon. God, through Jeremiah, says that God will father the remnant of the flock out of the lands where they have been driven, and bring them back to the fold, and the sheep will be fruitful and multiply.

There is hope on the horizon. God says that there will be shepherds raised to take care of the sheep, and the sheep will no longer fear, and there will be no dismay, and no sheep will be missing.

There is hope on the horizon. The Lord will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely. This shepherd will be an amazing shepherd – he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. He will be called “The Lord is our righteousness.”

And on this Christ the King Sunday, we realize that Christ, our King, is on the way. God is raising up that Branch, that King.

So we look forward to Advent as the evidence of God’s loving intervention into human life, that gracious invasion which alone has the power to save us. Out anticipation, fueled by our own sense of inadequacy and failure begins to rise, and we sense that soon, very soon, God’s promises will be renewed. In this way we reiterate the experience of those so long ago who yearn for the birth of the Messiah. We also yearn for the consummation of God’s grace, that Second Advent.

The shepherd is coming to re-gather the lost sheep. Let’s be ready to be found.

Amen.

Who's To Blame?

This sermon was presented at the Keysville Grace United Church of Christ on Sunday, November 13, 2016 at the 8:00 a.m. service. Audio can be heard here.

This week, due to various circumstances, I was unable to wrap my mind around circumstances that happened in this country, and in my life. In looking for the words to present to you this morning, I was just…stuck. And let me just tell you – when as a wordsmith you cannot form sentences, you’re in trouble. So, I went searching for words that would help me stand here before you and present the good news. It was difficult, but I was able to find some. I give special thanks to Dr. Gilberto Ruiz of St. Anselm University for HIS words, because they spoke to me in a way that I hope they speak to you.

As humans, we always have to find a need to blame someone when life is not going well. We have to try and make sense of why something is happening to us, either as an individual or as a group. Whenever a disaster strikes, it doesn’t take long for some prominent Christians to blame it on the secularization or moral permissiveness of society. If we’d hadn’t take prayer out of schools, these people say, we would not be having these problem. If we returned to our roots as a “Christian” nation, they cry, there would not be bloodshed in the streets. These folks love quoting II Chronicles 7:14 – “If my people who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sins and heal their land.” If you don’t believe me, think about this:

On Thursday September 13, 2001, two days after the worst terroristic attack on American soil, the late Rev. Jerry Falwell blamed the 9/11 terrorist attacks on certain groups and organizations he characterized as promoting “an alternative lifestyle” and trying to “secularize America” during an appearance on the 700 Club. An Austrian priest, Rev. Gerhard Wagner wrote in a 2005 parish newsletter that Hurricane Katrina resulted from the indescribable amoral conditions of New Orleans. Recently, the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas has attained notoriety for this line of thinking.

Anyone who wants to justify their belief that God uses wars and natural disasters to punish people for “attacking” Christianity can find material in Luke 21:5-19 to support this view. This passage presents Jesus predicting the Jerusalem temple’s destruction (vv. 5-6) as well as more general catastrophes (vv. 7-10) that are preceded by an intense persecution of Christians (vv. 12-19). I propose, however, that we take a closer look at the different sections of 21:5-19 to see if other, more compelling readings are possible.

By the time Luke puts the finishing touches on these verses, the temple’s destruction has already happened. Luke’s Gospel is dated to about 85 ce, 15 years or so after the destruction of the Jerusalem temple by the Romans in 70 ce, which means that for Luke’s readers what Jesus says in Luke 21:5-6 is more a reflection on the temple’s destruction than a prediction of it.

Luke uses the destruction of this magnificent temple to make a statement on the impermanence of human achievement. In response to their wonder at the temple’s beauty, Jesus attempts to divert the attention of his audience from their fascination with “these things that you see” (21:6). Their focus should be on something else. What, exactly, is not specified, but immediately before this exchange Jesus drew attention to a poor widow in the temple (21:1-4). Perhaps Luke’s Jesus thinks his audience should focus their attention on the poor, not on the temple building.

Those listening to Jesus teach in the temple, however, remain concerned with what will happen to the building (Luke 21:7). In response, Jesus moves from discussing a specific catastrophic event to more general statements about the coming of false prophets, wars, and other calamities (21:7-12). Here Luke employs language and imagery that is conventional in apocalyptic literature from this period. As readers we now have to decide how we are going to interpret Luke 21:7-12. Are we going to read these as literal predictions of Jesus, or are we going to read this section in light of the aims of apocalyptic literature?

If a story begins “Once upon a time,” do we take literally the story’s events, or do we adjust our expectations because we recognize it as a fairy tale that is trying to entertain even as it conveys a moral or lesson? The decision we have to make in reading Luke 21:7-11 is similar. A specific genre (apocalyptic) is introduced, meaning we should adopt the interpretive lenses that help us understand this genre on its own terms.

Apocalyptic literature uses unsettling language and imagery as a means to assure the faithful that they should keep their trust in God even when facing the most challenging of circumstances. Sure enough, while describing the terrible events, Jesus tells his listeners not to be afraid (Luke 21:9). There is nothing particularly original or specific about Jesus’ “predictions” here. Every age has its own false prophets, wars, natural catastrophes, and so on. We will misread 21:7-11 if we think Jesus is describing a specific set of calamities. The point is that when bad things happen -- and they will -- we should “not be terrified” (21:9) or follow anyone proclaiming these are signs of God’s judgment and the end (21:8). Instead, we should trust that God remains present in our lives.

That assurance of God’s faithfulness to us in the face of difficult times is the real concern of this passage is confirmed by Luke 21:12-19. Jesus details the persecution that his followers can expect to face: arrests; persecution; trials before government authorities; betrayal by family and friends; hatred on account of Jesus’ name; and even execution.

Throughout his Gospel, Luke depicts Jesus as a prophetic figure who risks rejection and death as a result of his prophetic message. Anyone who follows Jesus can expect the same hostility that Jesus and Israel’s great prophets endured. Indeed, the Acts of the Apostles (written by the same author who wrote Luke’s Gospel) provides numerous examples of early Christian leaders facing precisely the sort of troubles that Jesus describes in this and other passages in Luke.

But does Jesus in Luke 21:12-19 tell his audience they should lay blame on a particular person or group of people, on their society, or even on their enemies, for such treatment?

No.

He says that persecution is “an opportunity to testify”. Just as God gave Moses and other prophets the capacity to speak to and confront their doubters and opponent, Jesus himself will provide strength and wisdom for such testimony. Jesus tells them that not a hair on their head will perish. Ultimately, their experience of persecution will not end in death but in a victory for their souls. Underscoring all of these statements in 21:12-19 is the importance of trusting in God even in the midst of hardship and persecution.

A close reading of Luke 21:5-19 shows that using this passage as a springboard for proclaiming God’s judgment on society would miss the point. Rather, the passage warns us about becoming too fixated on temporary human institutions, perhaps with the implication that we should attend to the poor in our communities instead, and it exhorts us to be firm in our trust in God when calamity and persecution strike. Despite its language and imagery of destruction, Luke 21:5-19 is ultimately a passage grounded in hope -- in the hope that God remains present in the world and in one’s life even when things have gotten so bad that it feels like the world is closing in on us.

And before I take my seat, I need to quote another prolific writer, Edward Mote, who wrote these words that provide medicine for my soul this morning:

“My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness

I dare not trust the sweetest frame

But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

When darkness veils his lovely face,

I rest on His unchanging grace

In ev’ry high and stormy gale

My anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, His blood

Support me in the whelming flood,

When all around my soul gives way,

He then is all my hope and stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,

O may I then in Him be found,

Dressed in His righteousness alone,

Faultless to stand before the throne

On Christ the solid Rock I stand

All other ground is sinking sand,

All other ground is sinking sand.

Amen.

History Will Teach Us Nothing

Originally preached on October 30, 2016, at the Keysville Grace United Church of Christ, Keymar, MD. Audio Available here.

“History will teach us nothing.” These five words, paraphrased by the acclaimed philosopher, author and scholar Gordon Sumner, better known as the musician Sting, are a paraphrase of the quote “Those who fail to remember history are doomed to repeat it,” which itself was paraphrase of a quote from George Satayana. This is one of my life quotes.

“History will teach us nothing.” We continually make the same mistakes over and over, and learn nothing. We KNOW that we should not depend on someone to keep their promise, but we believe they’ll change, so we give them another chance, and they break their promise again.

We know we should not eat certain foods, because they make our ankles swell, but when they are presented to us, we scarf them down with little regard to what will happen 3 hours later. We know we should not drink coffee after 2 pm, because the caffeine will have us all night, unable to sleep. Can I make this personal? I KNOW I should not eat Popeye’s spicy fried chicken, because it upsets my stomach, yet there is something tempting and seductive about smelling that hot chicken, fresh out of the fryer, and me saying “This time, I will be sure to take two Tums immediately after eating it,” only to have an upset stomach because it’s TOO spicy.

History, my friends, will teach us nothing.

If you don’t believe me, look at what’s going on in the political arena in this country as we speak. Politicians declare before every election cycle that they are going to run a clean campaign, free of personal attacks. Within three days of making such an announcement, they start running attack ads, and by the time the actual election rolls around, watching the ads causes me to need to shower sometimes. The venom and vitriol in these “informational blurbs” of 30 seconds are just horrible. Men dismiss women as unable to lead simply because they are women. Women reduce men to brainless troglodytes who fail to realize that not all men fit that category.

We declare that we want “reform” after every election, because, well, “we, the people” declare that we need our voices to be heard, unless, of course, we have an unpopular opinion. History, I declare to you this morning, will teach us nothing. ‘’

This call for reform, of course, does not exist solely in politics. There have been reform movements in this country, from social work to housing to women’s rights to civil rights. We, as humans, are always seeking to make situations better when necessary. Even today, we are calling for reforms in the church.

And those reforms are necessary, because the church, even today, needs to correct some wrongs. We declare that “all people are welcome”, yet let a stranger walk in. While some of us are “friendly”, we are not welcoming. We need to reform that behavior. Some churches, which declare that all are welcome, still exclude people based on their skin tone, socio-economic status, or sexual orientation. We need to reform that behavior. Some churches, thankfully not this church, are still battling on whether 51% of their members can actually serve in leadership roles in their buildings, whether it’s as a deacon, trustee, or pastor, based on misinterpreted biblical translations. History, truly will, teach us nothing, and we really DO need to call for reform.

And that’s exactly what the prophet Habakkuk tells us this morning. We don’t know much about this prophet, because the text does not give us the customary information about family, home, and composition date are not provided

However, we do know that Habakkuk has a complaint about Judean corruption. To start, Habakkuk draws attention to crimes in his society, not by an indictment as is customary for Israel’s prophets, but by a lament. His lament begins with an address to God followed by a description of the distress. Strife and contention describe a breakdown in Judah’s legal and judicial systems, and Habakkuk is calling for reform.

And like so many other calls for reform, Habakkuk wonders whether the Babylonians’ injustices will go unpunished or whether God will respond.

And let’s look at God’s response: God’s rule is reliable. I go back to the text. God tells Habakkuk to write the vision. And don’t just write the vision. Make it plain on tablets, so that the runners can carry and announce it to the people. Look at God’s response.

And not only is God’s rule reliable. God emphasizes the reliability of Habakkuk’s revelation: For there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end, and does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay.

Finally, the main point is that the righteous live by their faith. “Faithfulness” is a better translation, since the Hebrew “emunah” means “firmness, steadfastness”, or “fidelity.” So, write the vision, wait on it, and live in faith.

Like Habakkuk, we too, must write our visions, make them plain, and live in faith.

Even in our own church history, we see that calls for reform DO teach us that we can change unfair systems simply by standing up and saying “enough.” If you don’t believe me, let’s just look at the way we worship. Today is celebrated as “Reformation Sunday” in Protestant, mainline churches, and 499 years ago on October 31, Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the church door at Wittenberg to dispute the power and efficacy of Papal Indulgences. This document, which explains why Luther believed that you could not pay your way out of Purgatory, documents the abuses of the church at Rome.

And, I would be remiss in my duties if I did not tell you that Luther did not intend to start a religious revolution. He only wanted to address the religious injustices of his day. But like so many revolutions, his words sparked action, and even to this day, we worship the way we do because of Luther’s call for reform. Luther did not intend to break away from the church, but wanted to make it better.

We, too, must call for reform when we see injustices. We, too, must call for changes, and not just for the sake of being cantankerous, but to better the institutions we love and serve. History CAN and WILL teach us something – we can make a difference, even if we don’t see it in our lifetimes. Habakkuk and Luther, I am sure, never thought their words would still be quoted all these years later. But their words and calls for reform still ring true, even today.

History WILL teach us something.

All Saint's Day

For all the saints who from their labors rest,

Who thee by faith before the world confessed,

Thy name O Jesus, before ever blest.

Alleluia! Alleluia!

-       For All The Saints, William W. How, composer

Today is November 1, otherwise known as All Saint’s Day. As a child, I only knew it as the “Day of the Sugar High” or for the uninitiated, the day after Halloween. It had no significant meaning, as the Baptists and Pentecostals I knew did not acknowledge these holy days.

However, as I have broadened my religious horizons, and have become more mainline Protestant, All Saint’s Day serves as a day of remembrance for my personal saints – my loved ones who now sleep eternally. You know, they’ve died.

Without exception, the first saints I honor are my mothers and fathers. I had two of each, and yes, while they were not perfect, but they were good people. I celebrate my family members who loved and nurtured me, even when they were not especially adept at performing those acts. I’ve come to learn that they only did the best they could with the tools they had, so for that, I give thanks.

I also celebrate the saints of my friends and family, because their saints have had a direct impact on my life. A prime example of that is I celebrate Bob’s dad as a saint. I never met Arthur Davis, as he died when I was 4 years old and had no idea that 30 years later, I would meet and fall head over loafers for his younger son. I celebrate Arthur because he was a good husband to Saint Roz, and an amazing father to his six children. He is the reason our house is climate controlled in the summertime, as he was an air conditioning salesman. He’s also the reason his son is such an amazing financial manager, for Bob quotes him all the time: “Robert, you have champagne tastes on a beer budget.”

I celebrate saints like Dr. Laurence Hull Stookey, who recently transitioned from time to eternity. I never met Dr. Stookey, or Larry as I know of him, but his words are with me daily. You see, he was one of the authors of “The New Handbook of the Christian Year”, and I used that reference source to plan worship. Oh, and his son happens to be my pastor and mentor. Larry’s funeral is coming later this week, and I will be there to celebrate this man I have never laid eyes on, but who has, and still, impacted in a real way.

I celebrate saints like the Reverend Mother Siobhan Patterson, another of my mentors. Siobhan believed in me when I didn’t, and was just an amazing woman, who left us far too soon. I celebrate her because she was a pioneer in so many ways, and left a legacy that will never fade.

I celebrate saints like Jim Ridgley, who was one of the nicest men I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. Again, he has had a direct impact on my life – he signed the letter declaring that I should be admitted to the Members In Discernment Process. I celebrate saints like Sergeant Sara Tresselt, who brought child sexual predators to justice while fighting cancer.

What’s amazing about all of these people is that they developed and maintained relationships with the people around them, as well as with God. They ensured that they lived out both beams of the cross, for you cannot have one without the other. They showed me that love for your fellow human is a necessity if you are going to claim that you love God. They lived out these verses:

“Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.” (I John 4:20)

Love for God, and love for neighbor. For me, that’s the embodiment of a saint.