All Saints

Revelation 7: 9-17;  Matthew 5: 1-12

At the beginning of November each year we remember All Saints Day, and then All Souls Day – coming just before Remembrance Day (next Sunday) and at a time of year where, in this part of the world at least, days are getting shorter and perhaps we are feeling more thoughtful as we hunker down at home out of the wind, cold and wet.

And so we remember the saints and all God’s people who have gone before us – and our Bible Readings help us to reflect on what it means to belong to a church that contains people in heaven (what some people call the Church Triumphant) and people on earth (the Church Militant or the Church Pilgrim).

Our reading from the Revelation to Saint John gave us John of Patmos’ description of a vision of the people of Heaven- the church triumphant.

There is a huge multitude, from every nation, all tribes, peoples and languages. 

There is no room in John’s vision for an elite or selective heaven of just a few thousand  - as some people believe – there is instead room for a huge multitude and all kinds of people are there.

They are worshipping God – but look at how they are doing it – they have palm branches in their hands. There is a continuity here with the way in which people of Jesus’ time welcomed him into Jerusalem just before his death. This heavenly church worships the risen Christ – the Lamb on the throne – but it has a strong link with the earthly Christ and with the earthly church.

They praise God, and they are dressed in white, having come through the great ordeal – they have been saved by Jesus Christ and now they stand before God’s throne, released from hunger and thirst..and God will wipe away every tear from their eye.

The church in heaven – the saints – those we have loved and see no more – are granted eternal life and joy.. but they are not completely detached from the things of earth. They still love the earth they have left, and they need God to wipe away their tears cause by all they have seen and experienced on this earth.

The church of heaven still cares about the events of earth.

Meanwhile the words of Jesus in Matthew’s gospel describe those he calls the blessed, those who make up the church on earth.

In all the things that make the followers of Jesus blessed on this earth, we find an echo of heaven.

Blessed are the poor in spirit – theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn – they will be comforted – like the church on heaven, God will wipe away their tears.

The meek, the hungry and thirsty, the merciful, will all receive comfort and reward.

The peacemakers will be called children of God – and so surely they will ultimately go to be with God in heaven.

Of those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake (in other words, for doing God’s will) Jesus says ‘theirs is the kingdom of heaven’.

And finally, those who are persecuted on Jesus’ account are told ‘your reward is great in heaven’.

Jesus tells us what it means to be his blessed followers - The church on earth cannot help thinking about the things of heaven.

So the church in heaven cares about the church on earth and the church on earth cares about the church in heaven. This shouldn’t surprise us who follow the risen Jesus, and who know that love is stronger than death. We cannot be separated from those we love – not entirely – we will always be linked by love, for love never ends.

The first two verses of the letter to the Hebrews chapter 12 uses a sporting picture to describe this link between the church on earth and in heaven:

“…since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith”.

Just as we might call the top seats in a theatre “the gods”, so apparently the Greeks of Jesus times referred to the highest seats at the top of a sporting stadium as “The clouds”. 

So the picture of the great cloud of witnesses is describing the saints who went before us surrounding us on every side as we run the race of life. As we run in the stadium of this life on earth, the people of the church in heaven surround us and cheer us on. 

Many of the words in our communion prayers reinforce this link between earth and heaven for us. 

The words of the ‘Holy, Holy Holy’ part of the prayer of thanksgiving bring together heaven & earth.

First we join in the hymn sung by the choirs of heaven ‘holy, holy holy..’

Then we declare that ‘heaven and earth are full of God’s glory’.

Next we say ‘hosanna in the highest’ and are reminded ‘blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’ – we are reminded of the earthly worship of the earthly Jesus as we are taken back again to Palm Sunday and Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

And we conclude with hosanna ‘in the highest’ – we echo the song of the angels themselves who sing ‘glory to God in the highest heaven’ at Jesus’ birth.

We always repeat the words Jesus used at the last supper with his followers – we give thanks to God for loving us from the beginning of time – and we often recall those who meet with us at this table ‘past, present and to come’.

This table is a place of communion – but it is a place of communion with all the saints – the place where the body of Jesus Christ is remembered, is broken and shared – and the place where the body of Christ – in heaven and on earth – is one.

Linda Hogan, a Native American Writer, has written:

“Walking, I am listening to a deeper way. 

Suddenly all my ancestors are behind me. 

Be still, they say. Watch and listen. 

You are the result of the love of thousands.”

This can bring us great comfort when we grieve – those who have died are not entirely lost to us, because we share in God’s worship with them and they cheer us on in our earthly race.

But there is challenge here too. We have a part to play in sharing God’s love with those around us. We are just a part of the multitude without number who worship God – but we are a part and we have work to do in encouraging others, praying for them, sharing God’s love with all we meet. 

With all God’s people throughout all ages and to God’s praise and glory. Amen.