NOTE:
There are a few things to know about the context of the preaching of this sermon.
- It was Confirmation Sunday in which three young men made affirmation of their Baptism.2. We dedicated new individual pottery communion cups3. As part of our All Saints Commemoration worshipers who lost a loved one in the past year were invited to come forward and light a candle in their memory.
In our first reading for today from the book of Revelation, the apostle John got to do what many of us would love to do: get a peek into heaven.
“I saw a new heaven and a new earth,” John announces. “There will be no pain, no tears and no more death.” He reports. Don’t you wonder what that would be like?
Most of us have a lot of questions about what we call heaven. More questions than certainties probably. How do we get there? When exactly do we get there? What is it like there? What will we do there? Whom will we see?
All Saints’ Day does not answer all these questions for us nor does it give us a neat and tidy description of life after death, but our Scriptures today do give us our own peak into heaven.
Let’s for a minute try to erase the images that come to mind when we think of heaven – puffy clouds, pearly gates, harp players, and angelic registrars checking people in. These are images not really supported by Biblical promises about heaven, but they kind of stick in our minds anyway, reinforced by popular notions.
What we see in our All Saints peek into heaven is a community – a community that Paul says is made up of people who believe . . . who are marked and sealed. A community of people whom Jesus says are “Blessed” not in the usual “we finally get everything we’ve always wanted” way, but in a way that defies worldly definitions and goes beyond usual expectations. Our peak into heaven shows us the home of God among mortals where God is with his people and lives with them.
Sounds like church, doesn’t it? THIS is a community of believers. We are marked here in this community with the cross of Christ in Baptism – a Baptism Parker, Riley and Jacob are affirming today. This is where we receive God’s blessing, right? This is where God and his people live together. This is the place where Christ is over all and in all.
THIS is heaven . . . or at least a peak into it. THIS is the heavenly banquet table . . . or at least a foretaste of it. THIS is who we will see in heaven . . . plus many who have gone before and countless who will come after. THIS – what we are doing right here — is what it means to live with God and with his people.
Now you may look around and think: THIS is a little disappointing. I mean, no offense but, If this is what heaven is like, I’m not sure I’m as excited to get there. Where’s the endless hot fudge sundae I’ve been waiting for? But friends, life with God starts NOW and continues forever. It is found here and extends into eternity. This is our peek . . .imperfect as it may seem and as ordinary as it may feel. It’s a glimpse into what is coming for us . . . and there is more to come . . .more to this community than we can see now or even imagine.
In the creed we confess, I believe in the holy catholic church, the communion of saints. Now we might think, why do I have to believe in the church? It’s right here! I can see it. We believe in the church because it cannot be seen as it really is. It is hard to discern sometimes a communion of saints in a band of sinners! Just like it is hard to understand how Jesus’ body and blood are hidden in bread and wine. We sometimes have to squint very carefully to recognize who we are in Christ and what this community really means. There are moments of pure joy . . . moments of deep love . . . moments of transcendent peace here in this community. And in the new heaven and new earth – in the new Jerusalem — there are all those moments and more.
One of the new TV shows this fall . . . and my personal favorite . . . is a show called “THIS IS US.” The show runs along two time lines and shows us the interconnection of a family many of whom share the same birthday.
One character, Kevin, is TV actor trying to find a new career on stage. He likes to paint to help him visualize his role. He visits his two young nieces who have questions about heaven and life after death. Questions made very personal because their grandfather is dying.
Now we cannot expect our TV shows to give us any accurate information about heaven or life after death. And this particular character is not in any position to provide theological insight or biblical truth. In fact, as this scene was about to unfold, I found myself bracing for something that would echo some popular misconceptions about heaven. I was expecting him to say things like: “when people die they are in a better place” . . . “they are looking down on us.” But this is what he gave them . . .and it wasn’t bad.
I was pleasantly surprised and honestly quite moved by his attempts to help a couple of confused girls sort it all through. And I think he gives us something we could work with as we celebrate All Saints – remember those who have gone before – and as we celebrate Confirmation – welcoming those who are taking their stand.
We are connected to each other not by accident of our birth but by holy design.
We belong to him not because of what we have done or who we are but because he chose us from before we were born. And because Jesus died, we know that whether we live or die we belong to the Lord. In him we are joined to a life that begins now and is brought to perfection in the life to come.
We live forever not in some cloudy, ethereal world way up high, but here in community with each other and someday in communion with ALL the saints. No dying! Just living.
These individually fashioned communion cups remind us of our own unique place in this community of saints – each ready to be filled with the life of Christ. Parker, and Jacob and Riley – you remind us today that we each add our own colorful, delightful, flawed distinctiveness to this sloppy eternal communion. And these candles on the altar today remind us that the life we get a glimpse of today will never end.
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