I believe, though, that in every era people have felt uncomfortable
and uncertain about the future; and the people of God have always faced
violence and upheaval. Many of the world's conflicts of today have roots
that are centuries old. The early days of Sacramento and the stories of
the gold rush of one hundred and fifty some years ago show us days of greed
and violence. The times in which Jesus lived also were times of conquest
and many of our Bible stories tell of violence and unrest. While there
have been times of peace and prosperity, history nearly always records
their end with upheaval.
But through all these times there have been who have faced the difficulties
of this world and in many cases have overcome them through their own desire
for change and peace and their own love for God's creation. These were
people who have lived lives worthy of their calling to care for the world
and one another. We each know people who live their lives with a sense
of calmness and hope, even when surrounded by danger, deprived of their
livelihood, threatened by pain and injury or beset by enemies. As we think
of our own examples, and give thanks for their presence in our lives, it
enriches our souls and strengthens us as we try to understand evil and
death among us.
Who are these saints that cling to faith in the midst of turmoil?
We read an ancient listing of them in Ecclesiasticus today which includes
"famous people, our ancestors who received great glory. The saints are
those people who ruled in their kingdoms, showed valor, gave intelligent
counsel, were knowledgeable of people's lore were wise in words of instruction,
composed musical tunes, put verses in writing, lived peacefully in their
homes and were honored in their generations." In other words the saints
include famous rulers, heroes, judges, teachers, musical composers, and
authors. But also, the saints include the "others of whom there is no
memory; they have perished as though they never existed; they have become
as though they had never been born...but their righteous deeds have not been
forgotten."
This Old Testament understanding of saints remains valuable today. This
listing of the famous and the unknown, of those who were rewarded for their
actions and well as those totally unrecognized strongly makes the point
that our lives and our world is built upon and strengthened by the actions
of all God's people who have preceded us.
This brings us to the Beatitudes. These passages proclaim a great reversal
destined for those who are not recognized or valued by society. Jesus speaks
of those who hunger or mourn while others rejoice. Jesus tells us about
righteousness, mercy and peacemaking. Exercising these virtues requires
courage, because showing mercy, or doing what is right, is not always popular.
The history of the Christian faith is a history of people who love mercy,
justice and peace so much that they have been willing to die for those
things. It has been the history of people who have given shelter to the
poor, worked to free slaves, treated women as equal to men - in short people
who have believed that God created everyone and everything and are willing
to treat all as members of God's family.
The history of the church is a history of great saints but it is also
the history of nameless saints. It is a history of current day saints who
routinely give of their time to feed the hungry or visit the sick, of those
who write their newspapers or elected representatives when they see injustice
in our social and political systems. The nameless saints are people who
work to produce goods and services to sustain our lives and who try to
do it in a way that respects the earth as God's precious creation. They
are the people who simply take time to teach a child or to comfort someone
in need. These modern saints are the nameless people who work for what
is right, and good and fair for all people, rather than just for themselves
or the people most like them. The saints of God are among us and touch
our lives every day.
These passages about the "blessed ones" though, are
troubling reminders that we still live in an unjust world where those who
cry out for justice (the saints) are often mocked and dismissed as unrealistic
or as trouble makers. Sainthood in not just for nice people, it is for those
who labor for justice and peace for all people, often with no recognition
but large amounts of ridicule.
All of this challenges our ideas about what it means to be
a saint. We often have the vision of saints as people who lead some extraordinary
life doing good things for others. We believe that saints live their lives
in near perfection and godliness. We see saints as people who have a lot
of faith and can talk easily about God. We often grab hold of this concept
and apply to ourselves - "I must be a saint because I live a good life
- at least a life better than those others." Or we grab onto the opposite
notion - there is no way that I can ever be a saint because I am not good
enough.
In our baptismal vows we are called to be and become saints. If we concentrate
on the idea that saints are very, very good people, nearly perfect, then
we miss the point. We ask the wrong question and get the wrong answer.
We ask whether we are good enough to be saints when we should be asking
whether we are dedicated enough to be saints. Dedication means single-mindedness
and that is what we do in baptism - dedicate ourselves (with God's help
- we don't have to do anything unassisted) to bringing the reign of heaven
on earth.
Saints seek not to be spoken well of; they seek rather to serve God's
greater good that demands justice and righteousness in the world. The saints
of God are among us and touch our lives every day. The saints of God are
among us. We are some of the saints of God. God has a purpose for each
of us and has given us unique abilities to employ for the care and nurturing
of the world. We should feel discouraged because our part doesn't seem
very big - it is our part chosen especially for us and for no one else.
I believe that this parish is here, that St Paul's church and this community
is here in downtown Sacramento for a purpose. That purpose is to strengthen
God's presence at this location at this time. I also believe that your
ideas, your energy, your financial support and your participation in the
life of God's church are essential to that purpose. I pray and invite each
of you saints; from the most long-term parishioner to those who may have
discovered this parish very recently; to participate fully in the future
of God's church at this place in this time by signing up to use your unique
talents after this morning's service. There are lists of some of the ministries
and activities currently performed that you can join. Maybe you have a
new idea or feel called to use your abilities in a different way. New and
fresh ideas are always welcome.
We also have cards to pledge your financial support of the ministries
of St. Paul's for the upcoming year. Your financial support is also important
so this church community can continue to have a positive spiritual impact
in this corner of God's creation.
There is a postscript to the Gospel lesson today if we read
past the portion assigned for today. It is the call to action that I feel
completes the beatitudes. Matthew continues, "You are the salt of the
earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?
It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by
others. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put
it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same
way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds
and praise your Father in heaven.
Amen