All Saint’s Sunday!
(1) Focus
statement:
This
sermon will reflect upon the deceased persons who have been influential in our
spiritual formation and growth and will challenge us to run with perseverance
the race that is set before us, living a life that will be an example to others
whom we might influence.
(2) Function
Statement:
Because
of this sermon, the congregation will realize that Christianity came to us by
the dedication of many who have gone on before and will commit to being a more
positive influence to those in their circle of influence.
Heb. 12:1-2
Prayer
1st movement
I
would like to read a letter from a person who has been very influential in my
life. The letter is not dated, but it is
written on the same stationery as another one that I have dated in Mar. of
1969. Based on the contents of the
letter, I will say it was written in Dec. of 1968 or 1969. This would be about 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 years
before my grandmother passed away. I am reading it just like she wrote it! Bless her heart, she probably never dreamed
it would be read to a congregation 55 years after she passed!
Hello
Mikie, Stevie, and Dana.
Well
how is my little grandchildren by now?
Well as common I do hope. Well
old Santa is just around the corner, just weeks off now be good little boys and
girl. You can play your Christmas record
now and hear old Santa call your name, guess I'll fix up my tree this
week. I like to look at it and it brings
me good cheer and brightens up the Spirit, helps us to think of little baby
Jesus' birthday and what He means to us.
A little baby Jesus lay in a manger, no place to lay his little
head. He came into the world to bring us
happiness and loves us so dearly. So now
we show him by being good and celebrate the day in the love and always make him
happy; that's the sweetest gift of all - we can and ever have. Baby Jesus was a Christmas gift for the whole
world as the angels sing Glory to God a Savior is born come and let us adorn
him peace on earth and good will to men and away in the manger. Little Lord Jesus in the manger no place to
lay his little head, and when the shepards seen the bright star in the East
they knew the promised Savior was borned and went to search for him in
Bethlehem and him and his mother and his Joseph all cattle sheep chickens and
lambs in the barn and the light they followed guided them to where he lay and
they gave them gifts so see that's why the gifts come on Christmas. He was our
sweetest gift from God. His only
begotten son is Jesus and we love him so we want to make him happy. Some people goes out and does killing and
other bad things fighting, using curs words that don't please the Lord breaks
his heart. So grandma is so glad her
children loves little Jesus and won't do that.
When you all grow up, you will understand what it is all about, so go to
church and learn about Jesus. He loves
little children and wants to make them happy.
See God is our maker. He made us
all and He sent His son Jesus as a baby down to love us and teach us how to
love and live right, so that's He lived with all and preached and stayed with
all teaching and preaching and some grew jealous and crucified him on the cross
killed him Easter and he gave us the Bible to go by and read and churches to go
to and preachers to preach and teach but Jesus is still with us in our hearts
and in spirit. Well we will learn more
on him each and every day we live. So
all ways try to please Jesus at all times he knows every thing we do good or
bad he is always with us in the spirit.
So now just to try to show you the meaning of Christmas be good and
enjoy Christmas and come see grandma when you all can. By By
Grandma didn't have much education, wasn't
good at spelling or grammar, and
probably didn't know what a run-on sentence was. Christ wasn’t crucified on Easter, but he
arose on Easter! I know she probably
knew that, but I read it as she wrote it. She knew the love of God and took
every opportunity to tell of that love to her grandchildren or anyone else who
would listen. By this time in her life,
grandpa had already gone on to be with the Lord and she lived alone. Besides this, she was on crutches and
couldn't leave the house by herself, but she still lived a very influential
life. I wasn't the little angel at this
time in my life that it sounds like she thought I was , but I made a commitment
to Christ and was baptized before grandma passed away, probably about a year
after receiving this letter. I can't
help but think how influential this little lady was in that decision.
2nd movement
According
to our scripture today, my grandmother, the others whose names we will read off
this morning, and many others who have been influential in our lives and have
gone on to be with the Lord are among that cloud of witnesses this morning. I know that there is probably someone who has
been very influential to us all and who, perhaps, has already gone on to be
with the Lord. You have heard my story,
but I want you to think of that person who has influenced you and something
that they said or did that has made a positive difference in the life you're
living now. (Pause.) They too are among that cloud of
witnesses!
The
writer of Hebrews says, "Therefore," because we have all of these
people looking on, because they are still a part of the church but have only
moved on to a different place of existence, don't let anything hold us back,
but keep pressing on, living for Jesus, and living a life that can be a
positive influence to others. The
comparison the writer of Hebrews uses here is like we are the ones who are in
action now, and they are in the grandstands applauding and cheering us on. So the point is, because we have this crowd
of witnesses, we need to give it our best effort. But the
writer of Hebrews also exhorts us to keep our eyes on Jesus, the one who makes
living for God possible, the one who endured the cross, and the one who is now
at the right hand of God, making intercession for us. Because Jesus is there, we can live for God,
we can give it our best effort, and we can be a positive influence on those
whom we leave behind and to those whom we share life with today!
3rd movement
Today
is All Saints Day. We are reminded of
all those who have been a positive influence to us for Christ, but it shouldn't
stop there. It has been said that we are
not an island to ourselves, meaning that we all touch other people's
lives. No matter what stage of life we
find ourselves in, there is someone whom we can influence and there is someone
whom we are influencing with our lives today. My grandmother was a shut-in, but
she wrote letters; she still reached out with a witness, not unlike Paul in prison
writing letters. Our world needs some positive loving witnesses for Christ
today. It has seen enough of the
negative, hypocritical, judgmental side of Christianity! Let's make sure that our influence is one
that will influence people in a positive way with the love of God in Jesus
Christ. It's possible because of what
God has done and is doing through Christ.
As we encounter Christ at
the table this morning, let’s commit and determine to run the race with
patience, steadfastness, grace, and love so that we can be influential in
bringing others to know Christ! As you
come, after you have received communion, you are invited to light a candle in
memory of the Saints who have been influential in your life, especially those
you have named this morning! Then, you
are invited to go forth and be influential in taking the gospel to others! May
the words of Paul from our May the words of Paul from our 1st
reading be true of us today, II Thess. 1:1-4 & 11-12 (read again). Thanks
be to God!
Prayer of
Confession!
Service of
Communion
