Dear Friends in Christ,
Depending on when you are reading this, we have either just celebrated All Saints Day, or we will celebrate it the next day or two. Al Saints Day is an important time for us to look back at our past. To be clear, this is not an exercise in nostalgia, rather it is about entering into a deeply Lutheran paradox of hope, grief, and resurrection.
Each week when we confess the Apostle’s Creed, we say we believe in, “the holy catholic church, the communion of saints…” these are more than just nice-sounding words. When we confess these lines, we are confessing a trust that all who are in Christ share life together; those who live now, those who have passed, and those who will come after us. We all share in the same, unifying hope of new life in Christ.
A deeply important ritual that we observe each year on All Saints Day is naming those in our congregation who have died in the past year. It is certainly to remember; to keep the memory of our loved ones alive. But it is more than that. It is also to remind us about the reality of the world we live in. Death is an active pervasive force; it hurts our community. In those moments of our service, we grieve. The loss is painful. But honoring our past is important.
Even though we feel the full weight of the loss, we find comfort in the promise of God. 1 Corinthians 15:54 tells us, “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” It is quoting Isaiah 25:8, which states, “he will swallow up death forever. Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces” This is what resurrection is all about. Resurrection isn’t some new life that only happens sometime after we die. New life has already begun. Resurrection is rooted in the water and word of baptism. We live into the promise of resurrection each and every day.
Every act of mercy is resurrection. Every kind word is resurrection. These are resurrection because they embody Christ and stand in defiance to the power of death. As we name the saints that have past, we are reminded that their lives mattered. They show us how faith takes shape in a broken world. How serving others and living a life filled with God’s love embodies God’s kingdom breaking into our world.
As we remember those who came before us, let us ask two questions: What in our history inspires us? We have a rich past, filled with faithful people working toward mercy and justice. A heritage overflowing with love and hope. We do well to remember and honor that past, because in that past we see resurrection.
The other question we should ask is: What aspects of our current faithful living do we want to pass on? Our world is still broken. And we still share God’s love in defiance of the powers of this world. As we tend our faith practices, it is good for us to know that someday people will look back to us to find inspiration and hope. They will turn to us looking for resurrection- for the way God’s kingdom is breaking into our world right now. So, as we read out and remember each name on Al Saints Day, we are boldly declaring that death isn’t the final word, God’s love is.
Glory be to God!
Pastor Dustin Haider