November 2008 Message from the Pastor

Saints

When I was in seminary, a visiting professor gave a series of lectures about saints. I don’t know why I still remember some of his comments after 30+ years, but I do. It could be that he was a skilled speaker and a noteworthy figure. Stephen Neil had helped to form the Church of India, blending, I think, Episcopal and other denominations into a unified protestant communion. Also, as an older man, he had personally known some of the prominent religious leaders of our times, including Mother Teresa.

He said the saints he knew had some similar traits. He might have mentioned more but I only remember three. One common trait was that these saints all spent a lot of time on their knees. It was a powerful image that conveyed not only an active prayer life but a determination to engage God from a position of submission. I don’t know if they literally prayed on their knees but if they did, they knew how powerless you feel (and sore after just a short while) and how fragile we are (easily having our legs knocked out from under us) and dependent on God for our very existence.

A second trait they shared was that they didn’t think of themselves as saints--far from it. Despite the acclaim and praise they had experienced, they were humbly aware of their shortcomings and failures.

And the third quality commonly held was their great senses of humor. They could laugh and find joy in life despite challenging circumstances. Isn’t it true that strong faith often brings a sense of perspective and even light-heartedness?

I am thankful for the saints I have known here over my years with you. This past year we lost 12 of them, too many for any one year, to be sure. Different qualities about them will live on in my memory. Most had some of the traits mentioned above and others as well. Their blessed traits helped us to see them as saints (of course we consider a saint to be anyone baptized, even though we/they are also sinners).

What a blessing it is (and we must count our blessings this month!) to know exemplary saints. The joy of church life is discovering them in our very midst and learning from them. For all the saints of the past and of the present, we thank you, O God.


Pastor Jim Friedrich