Poetic Pictures of Sainthood
Blake Heffner November 5th, 2006
“Poetic Pictures of Sainthood”
November 5, 2006 Texts: Ephesians 1-3 (sel.)
INTRO: This morning we celebrate sainthood, in several forms. The Confirmands have just begun this journey, and they are about to receive their first Holy Communion. We have invited veterans of this journey to be our special guests this morning - members of the Confirmation Class of 1956. Two of them are here: Ruthann Murray Lutes and Carol Wagner McIntosh. We are so happy to have you, and we truly want to honor you today. Thirdly, we have remembered the saints who have gone to be with the Lord this past year.
Sainthood, in the Bible encompasses all these dimensions. So, for our scripture lesson this morning, list to several texts from Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians: 1:1; 2:4-10; and 3:14-20:
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:
Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Let us pray.
This morning I’m going to depart from the ordinary sermon mode. Most of the words of this message have been written by others. They are poetic. And they portray vivid pictures of the manifold nature of sainthood.
The first poem was written by Maya Angelou, a woman who is still writing profound poetry. This one is deceptively simple. It’s all about what it means to be a saint, or in her words, a Christian.
I. Christian by Maya Angelou
When I say… “I am a Christian”
I’m not shouting “I’m clean livin.”
I’m whispering “I was lost,”
Now I’m found and forgiven.
When I say…”I am a Christian”
I don’t speak of this with pride.
I’m confessing that I stumble
and need CHRIST to be my guide.
When I say… “I am a Christian”
I’m not trying to be strong.
I’m professing that I’m weak
and need HIS strength to carry on.
When I say… “I am a Christian”
I’m not bragging of success.
I’m admitting I have failed
and need God to clean my mess.
When I say… “I am a Christian”
I’m not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible
but, God believes I am worth it.
When I say… “I am a Christian”
I still feel the sting of pain,
I have my share of heartaches
So I call upon His name.
When I say… “I am a Christian”
I’m not holier than thou,
I’m just a simple sinner
who received God’s good grace, somehow.
My young friends, and everyone else for that matter, this is the essence of what it means to be a saint – not someone who is perfect, but just forgiven, by the grace of Jesus Christ. This is why we come to his Table today, to confess we have been lost and weak and a mess – but here we meet the One who can fix us up and put us back on the road.
II. The Wizard of Oz
Speaking of the road – the journey of faith – I was wondering how best for us to appreciate being on that road for fifty years. 1956 was quite a year! Elvis Presley made his national TV debut, as did “The Price Is Right” and “As the World Turns!” NBC introduced its peacock logo and brought in Chet Huntley and David Brinkley to anchor its nightly news. Dwight David Eisenhower was our President and it only cost 3 cents to mail a first class letter! Baseball fans marveled as Mickey Mantle won the rare Triple Crown. And Rosa Parks quietly, but firmly, took a seat in the front of a bus in Birmingham, Alabama – sparking the Civil Rights Movement.
There’s one other first worth mentioning. Maybe you caught it in this week’s paper. “The Wizard of Oz” made its TV debut too. And it has been shown every year since, capturing the imagination of all ages. That story in many ways connects with the journey of faith we call “sainthood.”
First of all, it is a journey. Our 50-year veterans will tell you that living our faith is a journey that takes you where you never imagined going. Like the “Yellow Brick Road” it is not easy. We encounter dangers and troubles; yet, there is a destination to which we are headed. You remember how the ragtag group with Dorothy was not very impressive. As Maya Angelou reminds us, we are not so very impressive either. We have plenty of shortcomings; yet the Lord has accepted us and even has work for us to do.
The Scarecrow needed a brain. The Tin Man wanted a heart, and the Cowardly Lion desperately desired courage. When they get to Emerald City, they discover that the very things they were seeking have been with them all along. We all have needs – real ones. And the Bible assures us that God is able to supply every need we have, on the way, according to his riches in Christ. I would invite you to interview our veteran saints, and ask them how the Lord has provided for their needs.
Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3 is really a prayer for all of us – to equip us to run the race set before us. Whenever we come to worship God, we gain guidance and encouragement for the journey. Whenever we come to the Lord’s Table, we receive food and empowerment for the journey.
III. Go Down, Death
The choir’s anthem this morning told us about the destination of this journey. Heaven is not just “somewhere over the rainbow,” (as Judy Garland sang). It is “Where eyes don’t cry and hearts don’t break. [Where] we’ll never ever wonder why again. Our questions here He’ll answer there. Where eyes don’t cry and hearts don’t break.” Every saint is guaran-teed an eternal home in heaven. I’ll close with a moving picture of our journey’s end. Listen to this poem by James Weldon Johnson, entitled “Go Down, Death.”
Weep not, weep not,
She is not dead;
She’s resting in the bosom of Jesus.
Heart-broken husband–weep no more;
Grief-stricken son–weep no more;
Left-lonesome daughter –weep no more;
She only just gone home.
Day before yesterday morning,
God was looking down from his great, high heaven,
Looking down on all his children,
And his eye fell of Sister Caroline,
Tossing on her bed of pain.
And God’s big heart was touched with pity,
With the everlasting pity.
And God sat back on his throne,
And he commanded that tall, bright angel standing at his right hand:
Call me Death!
And that tall, bright angel cried in a voice
That broke like a clap of thunder:
Call Death!–Call Death!
And the echo sounded down the streets of heaven
Till it reached away back to that shadowy place,
Where Death waits with his pale, white horses.
And Death heard the summons,
And he leaped on his fastest horse,
Pale as a sheet in the moonlight.
Up the golden street Death galloped,
And the hooves of his horses struck fire from the gold,
But they didn’t make no sound.
Up Death rode to the Great White Throne,
And waited for God’s command.
And God said: Go down, Death, go down,
Go down to Savannah, Georgia,
Down in Yamacraw,
And find Sister Caroline.
She’s borne the burden and heat of the day,
She’s labored long in my vineyard,
And she’s tired–
She’s weary–
Go down, Death, and bring her to me.
And Death didn’t say a word,
But he loosed the reins on his pale, white horse,
And he clamped the spurs to his bloodless sides,
And out and down he rode,
Through heaven’s pearly gates,
Past suns and moons and stars;
on Death rode,
Leaving the lightning’s flash behind;
Straight down he came.
While we were watching round her bed,
She turned her eyes and looked away,
She saw what we couldn’t see;
She saw Old Death. She saw Old Death
Coming like a falling star.
But Death didn’t frighten Sister Caroline;
He looked to her like a welcome friend.
And she whispered to us: I’m going home,
And she smiled and closed her eyes.
And Death took her up like a baby,
And she lay in his icy arms,
But she didn’t feel no chill.
And death began to ride again–
Up beyond the evening star,
Into the glittering light of glory,
On to the Great White Throne.
And there he laid Sister Caroline
On the loving breast of Jesus.
And Jesus took his own hand and wiped away her tears,
And he smoothed the furrows from her face,
And the angels sang a little song,
And Jesus rocked her in his arms,
And kept a-saying: Take your rest,
Take your rest.
Weep not–weep not,
She is not dead;
She’s resting in the bosom of Jesus.
Let us pray…
O Lord, fill us with awe at the mystery of life in Christ. It begins in such simple ways, with a profession of faith. It continues as we grow in faith, as we face life’s challenges and discover that you are indeed with us. You never leave us alone, and you graciously hear our prayers for help and guidance, for encouragement and wisdom.
As we come to your Table this morning, touch us with your Holy Spirit. May Christ dwell in our hearts through faith. And may we become so rooted and established in your love that, together with all the saints, we may grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Rekindle in our hearts the zeal to stay on the road that leads us through the narrow gate to eternal life with you in heaven – in Jesus’ name and for his glory we pray. Amen.
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