Let us pray: All praise and thanks to you, most merciful God, for adopting us as your own children, for incorporating us into your holy Church, and for making us worthy to share in the inheritance of the saints in light; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (BCP., p. 311)
In today’s gospel Jesus is pronouncing blessings on unlikely people and situations. They don’t really sound like blessings at all, do they? What is Jesus trying to teach us here? Sometimes language gets in the way. Here’s today passage from The Message by Eugene Peterson.
When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said:
“You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. When we are poor in spirit, at our lowest, when we’ve reached our limits, nowhere else to turn, we really do have to rely on God, putting our faith in God’s grace, mercy, and goodness. When we let go and let God. We WILL find God’s care.
“You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
When we mourn our losses: family, friend, job, house, physical, mental capability, relationship, who mourns with us, knowing fully well our human emotions? Who alone can comfort us in the darkest of times? From where does our help come? Our help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.
“You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.
This may be one of my favorites. When we realize that we are enough, marvelously made as psalm 139 says, then we can be content, resting in the comfort of who we are, who God created us to be. No more striving, acquiring, or working to measure up!
“You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God… food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.
When we hunger and thirst for God we are looking for the good stuff. The stuff that nourishes and gives us true life. The things that will fill us up and satisfy our deepest cravings and longingsl
“You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’
(FULL, F-U-L-L) you find yourselves cared for.
When we are merciful, caring for showing compassion to ourselves and others, we become fully aware of the mercy, grace and compassion that God has for every all of us.
“You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world. Our baptismal covenant asks: Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself? When we seek and serve Christ in everyone we meet, we start to recognize God in ourselves, and all around us, in everyone and everything. And we change the way to think and act accordingly.
“You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family. From our baptismal covenant: Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being? Working together to combat injustice and sow God’s peace in our broken world, we discover our identities as Christians, as saints, all of us!
“You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom. “Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.
Wow! It’s not easy to do all of these things, is it? To try and live out the Beatitudes? It can be uncomfortable, unpopular. We might face judgment or ridicule, and yet…when we work to fulfill the promises of our baptism, what rich and full lives are in store for us! When we work to bring God’s grace and love to our world, we join with all of the saints in bringing a smile to God’s face. Together with those who’ve come before us, we can get into the kind of “good trouble” U.S representative John Lewis talked about and showed, fulfilling our call to be followers of Jesus in this world.
This All Saint’s day, we celebrate and welcome our newest saints, at the 9:30 service, two children, Eleanor and Zoey, and at the 11 o’clock service an adult, Kyle, will be baptized. Blessed are you Eleanor and Zoey and Kyle and your families and friends. Today you are formally adopted as God’s children. Sealed with the Holy Spirit and marked as God’s own forever. And gifted with the Holy Spirit to guide, protect, and comfort you. Today there is much rejoicing at St. Mary’s, and there is much rejoicing in heaven, with all the saints surrounding us as we welcome the newly baptized. (Eleanor, Zoey) (Kyle) we receive you into the household of God. Confess the faith of Christ crucified, proclaim his resurrection, and share with us in his eternal priesthood.
Amen!
