All Saints Yr A

The celebration of All Saints day is a call to ministry. We celebrate all those who have died in the hope of the resurrection; we baptize and reaffirm baptism in that same hope. The reality is that we are brought into the tomb with Jesus, and we rise to the new life that is offered to us because God has done this amazing thing in Jesus. And we are equipped and empowered for ministry and discipleship. Each and every one of us is empowered for ministry. The littlest ones who are baptized all the way through the generations to Bernice, who is our honored woman. Ministry has no age limits, no physical limits, no time limits. Ministry is what we do, children of God is who we are.

So today I’ll tell a couple stories of ministry. First, Bernice’s ministry. I remember calling folks one time, not here, but at another church I served, asking them to participate in a particular ministry. I heard back pretty clearly “been there done that.” You never hear that from Bernice. She may say no, but not because she’s finished. Bernice is never finished. She comes to Bible study, she reads books and periodicals, she gives me the Anglican church magazine when she’s finished reading it. She keeps the checkbook for the Episcopal Church Women, and keeps track of the Church Response food certificates, and collects the Family Thrift Receipts, and then adds them all up until we reach $100,000.00 and can turn them in for $1000.00. Did I mention she’s 97? But the thing about Bernice is that she lives her baptismal covenant. Especially the one about respecting the dignity of every human being. Bernice has reminded me that every person is created in God’s image, and Bernice treats every person as God’s image. I have seen Bernice saddened because people can’t seem to understand that basic understanding of our humanity. On this celebration of All Saints, I am blessed by Bernice’s ministry.

Ruth Schutz’s ministry is astounding. Now, many in our culture would look at Ruth and feel that her life is diminished by her set of wheels. But not Ruth. I think Ruth especially lives the baptismal promise about seeking and serving Christ in all persons, loving her neighbor as herself. Ruth gets up each morning looking forward to who she can love each day; she contributes to her community at Meadowbrook by being a loving presence, sometimes needing to speak the truth in love. She calls us to live our lives fully and completely every moment we are on this earth. I am blessed by Ruth’s ministry.

Jaden Heintzman and his family attend Wednesday @ St. Andrew’s. Jaden is full of energy and vitality, oftentimes a handful for his family. But Jaden lives his ministry with no fear. On Wednesday nights for communion we are relaxed and casual, and we usually pass the bread and the wine around the circle and offer it to one another. One night, Jaden took the bread to each one of us, and offered each of us the body of Christ. Jaden reminds me that serving people doesn’t have to be about order and appropriateness, serving people is about offering Christ in all the ways we can. I am blessed by Jaden’s ministry.

All of you have stories to tell about the ministry that has been shared with you, and ministry you have witnessed others share. There is a great cloud of witnesses here at St. Andrew’s, all those who have gone before us, all of us who are here today, and all those who will come after us. I am blessed by your witness and by your ministry.

The Lord is glorious in his saints: Come let us adore him.