All Saints Day

Lord God, please send your Spirit to open your Word to us today we pray. AMEN

All Saints’ Day is on the real date today, 1 November. This afternoon @2.15pm there will be a service to commemorate All Souls where we may light a candle to remember people dear to us. From its earliest days, the Church recognised as its foundation stones, heroes of faith whose lives excited others to holiness, showing a link between the Church on earth and the Church in heaven.

Did you know? Celebrating the feast of All Saints began in the fourth century. At first, it was observed on the Sunday after Pentecost; this linked the disciples who received the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the foundation of the Church, with those who were martyrs, giving their lives as witnesses to the faith. In the eighth century, a pope dedicated a chapel to All Saints in St Peter’s at Rome on 1 November. Within a century, this day was observed in Britain and Ireland as All Saints’ Day.

As you know we have many saints, here in Rustington – St Peter – the leader of the disciples, St Paul whose conversion led him to be the foremost apostle to the Gentiles. The Roman Catholic Church has a process of canonisation that beatifies folk whose special ministry has healed others, or whose lives show a particular example of faith like Mother Theresa or Oscar Romero. But is this Sainthood? We certainly have some saintly folk here, our vicar Natalie, the many priests who are retired or moved who come back and celebrate for us, the 100+ volunteers, surely, they are SAINTS?

The Bible speaks of us all as Saints, people sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, holy people, together with all who call on the name of Jesus. Our Reading from 1 John speaks of us all being Children of God, not because of anything we have done, but because God’s love has been lavished on US.

Under training at Southwark, our tutors insisted on at least 6 weeks of chaplaincy. I volunteered to go to a school, shopping centre, the airport, prison, a police station… anywhere but a hospital because I hated them. Everyone laughed and told me I had to face my fears…. So, in 2016 I started at Croydon University Hospital (everyone still calls it Mayday!) terrified. Every time felt like tightrope walking clinging on to God lest I say or do something wrong. It always was a bit like that, but amazingly, God so often stepped in. Younger people there truly struggled, stuck in a bed unable to rush about doing stuff. Aren’t we all a bit like that?! I can’t tell you how many times I said: “You are a human BEING not a human DOING.”  I wish I could hear my own advice at times. Our Gospel passage was what we know as the BE attitudes. Jesus as usual turns our understanding of what is important upside down. The first BE attitude is “blest/happy are the POOR in Spirit.”  Not those who are spiritual, not those who recognise that they are not that well off, but people who are spiritually bankrupt, truly poor, in need of God to fill and enrich them. ‘The poor in spirit’ says one commentary ‘recognise that they have no spiritual assets… they must beg for whatever they have or get.’ It certainly felt like that when I visited folk in hospital. There were moments that were profoundly moving. I kept going til COVID!

I have two bowls here, both identical. What makes one ‘sanctified’ and the other not? Both are empty. Perhaps it is the start of ‘poorness of spirit’ to recognise that we are emptied, ready to receive GRACE from God… God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense’ as the old saying went. The Kingdom of Heaven is not achieved by anything we have earned “What can I DO to attain eternal life?” Asked the rich young ruler… “I kept all the commandments, I have lived a moral life, but I sense there is more that I should ACHIEVE…. Jesus what can I DO…’ ‘For it is by GRACE you have been saved, THROUGH FAITH – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.’ Eph 2: 8-9

We are human BEINGS.  Our attitude should be gratefully to BE, and as today’s Psalm 34:8 goes – ‘O taste and see… that the LORD is gracious; blessed is the one who trusts in Him.’

God’s GRACE poured into one bowl, empty of self, set aside for His Riches. If you would like at the end of the service to take one of the wrapped treats, please feel free, come TASTE and see that the LORD is GRACIOUS. If we fear HIM we lack nothing-those who seek the LORD lack nothing that is good.

All our days we will sing this song of gladness. Give our praise to the Fountain of delights. For in our helplessness, you heard our cry, and waves of mercy poured down on our lives.  Beautiful Saviour, Wonderful Counsellor, clothed in majesty, Lord of History, you’re the way, the truth, the life.  Star of the morning, glorious in holiness, you’re the Risen one, heaven’s champion, and you reign overall.

We wish you, the Rustington Saints, a very happy All Saints Day.

Amen