Sermon

St. Philip's Episcopal Church, Durham, NC

November 5, 2006 - All Saints Day

The Rev. Vicki L. Smith

Today is All Saints Sunday — in some senses, the church’s Memorial Day.  Just as, at the end of May each year, our nation remembers those who have died in the service of their country, so we, on the first Sunday of November, remember our dead.  With fondness and gratitude, we remember all the saints who have touched our lives over the years.  This is our special opportunity to name them before God and to give thanks for their lives and ministries among us.

But All Saints Day is much more than simply a time of remembering and looking back; it is also a time of rejoicing, of looking around and looking forward.  On this day, more than any other, we celebrate the communion of saints, that great cloud of witnesses of which we are all a part.  Not only do we remember those who have gone before us, we acknowledge those who are journeying with us, and we look in hope toward those who will follow us. This is our day to rejoice in our connectedness as God’s elect across time and space; we rejoice that we are all part of this communion of saints that is greater than ourselves. 

This wonderful, mysterious, mystical whatever it is, is described several ways — the communion of saints and the great cloud of witnesses being the most common.  While I appreciate the nobility of these descriptions, I have a hard time getting my hands around what they mean.  When I picture a great cloud of witnesses I see lots of ghostly, but benevolent, figures all sitting in bleachers in the clouds, looking down on us here below. Somehow, that’s not all that helpful. 

What is helpful is the image from our prayer this morning — that we are knit together in one communion and fellowship in Jesus. That I can get my hands around!  Perhaps it is because I grew up in the frozen north, but I have a real appreciation for home-knit mittens, scarves and sweaters.  I know how valuable knitting can be.  So the idea that we are knit together across time and space — that makes sense to me. 

When I imagine God’s elect all knit together I see something beautiful, intricate and variegated; something carefully knit by God with never a stitch dropped, never a person lost; each new row growing out of and building upon the rows before it. 

All the varieties of the people of God are included, with all their gifts and all their legacies.  Ecclesiasticus reminds us that some of these people did wonderful things and were honored in their time — they’re knit into this communion.  But those less memorable, who were not honored — they’re there too.  Those whose lives were long and fruitful are knit in with those whose lives were sadly shortened or terribly tragic. The day’s favorite hymn tells us that one was a doctor, one was a queen and one was a shepherdess on the green and they’re all knit in there; as are the soldier, the priest and the one killed by a fierce wild beast.  Those who are remembered still and those whose names have been lost in the mists of time — they’re knit in as well.  In this wonderful communion of saints no one dies unremembered and no one stands alone — we are all part of this greater whole, forever and ever. 

And that’s what makes us strong — strong in life and strong in faith.  No individual stitch, no single person, stands alone — we are all interwoven and integrally connected one to another.  Because we are knit together with those who have gone before, their strength, their witness and their faith in us gives us strength.  Because we are knit together with those all around us, we give strength to one another — receiving and giving as we each need,  and because we are knit together with those who will come after us, hope in the future gives us strength for today. 

In just a few minutes, we will read the list of our departed loved ones, that part of the communion of saints that we knew and remember.  Every one of those people that we name is with us still in a very real way.  In memory, of course, but also as part and parcel with us in that greater whole — God’s elect knit together in Jesus.  Death severs earthly ties, but not eternal ones.  We are at the same time connected to the great, great grandparents we know only from pictures and the great, great grandchildren that we will probably never see.  In our individualistic, self-reliant society, it is wonderful to know that though we may be by ourselves, we are never alone.  We are always surrounded by that great cloud of witnesses, knit together over time and space, across boundaries of family, race and nation.  We give thanks today for those who have gone before us, those who will come after us and those who walk with us — the communion of saints, forever and ever.  

© 2006, Saint Philip's Episcopal Church
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 218, Durham, NC 27702
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