All Saints Sunday 2017
All Saints Day Sunday
" I sing a song of the Saints of God"
" I sing a song of the saints of God,
patient and brave and true,
who toiled and fought and lived and died
for the Lord they loved and knew.
And one was a doctor, and one was a queen,
and one was a shepherdess on the green:
they were all of them saints of God, and I mean,
God helping, to be one too."
Written in 1929 and published in England by Lesbia Scott,"
"Lesbia Lesley Scott (1898-1986) wrote pedagogical and inspirational hymns for her three children during the 1920s. Many were written in response to the children’s suggestions: “Mum, make a hymn for a picnic,” or “Mum, make a hymn for a foggy day.” Though these domestic expressions of family faith were never intended for publication, at least one of them appears to have had a life all its own.
Born in Willesden in 1898 and educated at Raven’s Croft School in Sussex, Lesbia Lesley Locket married John Mortimer Scott, a naval officer who served in two world wars, who later became an Anglican vicar (deacon, 1952; priest, 1953) and served a parish near Dartmoor. Lesbia Scott was active in amateur theater and wrote religious dramas. She died in 1986 at Pershore. Lesbia Scott also wrote religious one-act dramas or “pageant plays of the Church of England” including That Fell Arrest (1937), Then Will She Return (1948), and The Window (1951)." as in umcdiscipleship.org
As we observe the octave of All Saints from the 1st of November, the Epistle and the Gospel reading for this day from Rev 7 and Matthew 5 & Luke 6, first of all remind us of the character of true Christians. The Beatitudes from the Gospel are all too familiar to us, but all Christians are to be of this character. No these qualities are not just for a select few---every Christian is to be meek, a peacemaker, pure in heart, and poor in spirit.
Character is all important, is it not? Out of our character and ethical foundation flows our actions. We may call it "moral courage." " Courage is ' that quality of mind which enable one to encounter danger and tribulation with firmness ..without fear." as in Moral Courage by Kidder. John Wayne said " courage is being scared to death---and saddling up anyway." The word blessed in the beatitudes means " happy".
We will find that in this life we have plenty of opportunity to extend our pleasures, but to indulge in life without a moral compass is to be satiated, full to the brim with nonsense and have no directon. We need to be inspired by these words of Jesus that call us to have a moral compass different than the world.
The rewards of modeling our own lives after the Beatitudes of our Lord are in the words we read. " Blessed are the merciful, for they shall find mercy" " Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall God." " Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God." You get the thrust .
Secondly , Character may be the root of the Christian life, but the expression of it is in as we heard in Rev.7 , " These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. " Suffering and difficulty are marks of the Christian life, and there is no getting around it. James reminds us , " the trying of your faith worketh patience." 1:3
But the encouragement and thirdly is that the Saints have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb. Great difficulty has its reward at the end. All of our lives are coming to an end here one day unknown to us. The service to come is that God shall dwell among us . "Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."
Conclusion:
"The Church of Christ never ceases to follow in the footsteps of her Lord. Like Him, when faithful to her high commission, she never ceases to bear the cross. The unredeemed world must always be her enemy; and in it she must always have tribulation. But not less continuous is her joy. We judge wrongly when we think that the Man of sorrows was never joyful He spoke of "My peace," "My joy."1 In one of His moments of deepest feeling we are told that He "rejoiced in spirit."2 Outwardly the world troubled Him; and huge billows, raised by its tempestuous winds, swept across the surface of His soul. Beneath, the unfathomed depths were calm. In communion with His Father in heaven, in the thought of the great work which He was carrying to its completion, and in the prospect of the glory that awaited Him, He could rejoice in the midst of sorrow. So also with the members of His Body. They bear about with them a secret joy which, like their new name, no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it As the friend of the bridegroom who standeth and heareth him rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom s voice, so their joy is fulfilled.3 Nor does it ever cease to be theirs while their Lord is with them; and unless they grieve Him "lo, He is always with them, even unto the consummation of the age."4 The two visions, therefore, of the sealing and of the palm-bearing multitude embrace the whole Christian dispensation within their scope, and express ideas which belong to the condition of the believer in all places and at all times." Expositor's Bible Commentary
2 They loved their Lord so dear, so dear,
and God’s love made them strong;
and they followed the right, for Jesus’ sake,
the whole of their good lives long.
And one was a soldier, and one was a priest,
and one was slain by a fierce wild beast:
and there’s not any reason, no, not the least,
why I shouldn’t be one too.
3 They lived not only in ages past;
there are hundreds of thousands still;
the world is bright with the joyous saints
who love to do Jesus’ will.
You can meet them in school, or in lanes, or at sea,
in church, or in trains, or in shops, or at tea;
for the saints of God are just folk like me,
and I mean to be one too."
" I sing a song of the Saints of God"
" I sing a song of the saints of God,
patient and brave and true,
who toiled and fought and lived and died
for the Lord they loved and knew.
And one was a doctor, and one was a queen,
and one was a shepherdess on the green:
they were all of them saints of God, and I mean,
God helping, to be one too."
Written in 1929 and published in England by Lesbia Scott,"
"Lesbia Lesley Scott (1898-1986) wrote pedagogical and inspirational hymns for her three children during the 1920s. Many were written in response to the children’s suggestions: “Mum, make a hymn for a picnic,” or “Mum, make a hymn for a foggy day.” Though these domestic expressions of family faith were never intended for publication, at least one of them appears to have had a life all its own.
Born in Willesden in 1898 and educated at Raven’s Croft School in Sussex, Lesbia Lesley Locket married John Mortimer Scott, a naval officer who served in two world wars, who later became an Anglican vicar (deacon, 1952; priest, 1953) and served a parish near Dartmoor. Lesbia Scott was active in amateur theater and wrote religious dramas. She died in 1986 at Pershore. Lesbia Scott also wrote religious one-act dramas or “pageant plays of the Church of England” including That Fell Arrest (1937), Then Will She Return (1948), and The Window (1951)." as in umcdiscipleship.org
As we observe the octave of All Saints from the 1st of November, the Epistle and the Gospel reading for this day from Rev 7 and Matthew 5 & Luke 6, first of all remind us of the character of true Christians. The Beatitudes from the Gospel are all too familiar to us, but all Christians are to be of this character. No these qualities are not just for a select few---every Christian is to be meek, a peacemaker, pure in heart, and poor in spirit.
Character is all important, is it not? Out of our character and ethical foundation flows our actions. We may call it "moral courage." " Courage is ' that quality of mind which enable one to encounter danger and tribulation with firmness ..without fear." as in Moral Courage by Kidder. John Wayne said " courage is being scared to death---and saddling up anyway." The word blessed in the beatitudes means " happy".
We will find that in this life we have plenty of opportunity to extend our pleasures, but to indulge in life without a moral compass is to be satiated, full to the brim with nonsense and have no directon. We need to be inspired by these words of Jesus that call us to have a moral compass different than the world.
The rewards of modeling our own lives after the Beatitudes of our Lord are in the words we read. " Blessed are the merciful, for they shall find mercy" " Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall God." " Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God." You get the thrust .
Secondly , Character may be the root of the Christian life, but the expression of it is in as we heard in Rev.7 , " These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. " Suffering and difficulty are marks of the Christian life, and there is no getting around it. James reminds us , " the trying of your faith worketh patience." 1:3
But the encouragement and thirdly is that the Saints have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb. Great difficulty has its reward at the end. All of our lives are coming to an end here one day unknown to us. The service to come is that God shall dwell among us . "Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."
Conclusion:
"The Church of Christ never ceases to follow in the footsteps of her Lord. Like Him, when faithful to her high commission, she never ceases to bear the cross. The unredeemed world must always be her enemy; and in it she must always have tribulation. But not less continuous is her joy. We judge wrongly when we think that the Man of sorrows was never joyful He spoke of "My peace," "My joy."1 In one of His moments of deepest feeling we are told that He "rejoiced in spirit."2 Outwardly the world troubled Him; and huge billows, raised by its tempestuous winds, swept across the surface of His soul. Beneath, the unfathomed depths were calm. In communion with His Father in heaven, in the thought of the great work which He was carrying to its completion, and in the prospect of the glory that awaited Him, He could rejoice in the midst of sorrow. So also with the members of His Body. They bear about with them a secret joy which, like their new name, no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it As the friend of the bridegroom who standeth and heareth him rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom s voice, so their joy is fulfilled.3 Nor does it ever cease to be theirs while their Lord is with them; and unless they grieve Him "lo, He is always with them, even unto the consummation of the age."4 The two visions, therefore, of the sealing and of the palm-bearing multitude embrace the whole Christian dispensation within their scope, and express ideas which belong to the condition of the believer in all places and at all times." Expositor's Bible Commentary
2 They loved their Lord so dear, so dear,
and God’s love made them strong;
and they followed the right, for Jesus’ sake,
the whole of their good lives long.
And one was a soldier, and one was a priest,
and one was slain by a fierce wild beast:
and there’s not any reason, no, not the least,
why I shouldn’t be one too.
3 They lived not only in ages past;
there are hundreds of thousands still;
the world is bright with the joyous saints
who love to do Jesus’ will.
You can meet them in school, or in lanes, or at sea,
in church, or in trains, or in shops, or at tea;
for the saints of God are just folk like me,
and I mean to be one too."
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