All Saints Day

All Saints Day is a day in the Christian Calendar that is not always celebrated or recognized. Especially in the Protestant Church. We tend to think of this holiday (if we think of it at all) as a very Catholic celebration.

Yet, All Saints Day offers us a chance to think about death in a Christian context. Usually, we only think about death when we have to go to a funeral. And, usually at a funeral, you are too busy grieving to consider what your theological understanding of death. But, on All Saint's Day we have the opportunity to think about and remind ourselves what the Christian understanding of death looks like.

Here are the Scripture Passages for this Sunday:
Isaiah 25:6-9
Revelation 21:1-6a
John 11:32-44

These passages tell us quite a bit about what heaven looks like, and they help us to answer some of the difficult questions that arise after someone dies.

The passage from Isaiah paints heaven as a great feast. It is a beautiful picture that helps us to see the lavish abundance of God's love.

The passage from Revelation is similar. It, again, helps us to envision what heaven will look like. It is a beautiful picture with no more crying and no more tears.

But, the passage from John is my favorite. This passage reminds us what life is like before we get to heaven. It is full of tears. But, the tears do not come just from the ordinary people, they also come from Jesus. In this passage, we see God's compassion during the funeral and grieving process. We see Jesus weep. It is a powerful passage that not only helps us understand death, but helps us to begin to understand the resurrecting power of God.

Here are some questions to consider...
Do I celebrate the fact that my Christian faith leads to eternal life?
What does it mean to me that God is preparing a lavish and heavenly banquet for us?
In the meantime, how do I deal with the tears? How can we see God in the midst of the grieving process?

And, last but not least, remember to celebrate on All Saint's Day the fact that we are connected to all of the people (or Saints) who have led us in the faith. Give thanks for the guidance that others have given you, and consider how you might be a guide to those around you.

A new look... and a renewed motivation

...so it would seem that I haven't posted anything since July!

It's true that life has been very busy. And yet, I cannot quite seem to remember what I've been doing with my time.

Lots of meetings, seminars, and other activities have caught my attention. I have abandoned this discipline of updating the blog. I thought, no one reads it anyway.

But, a few friends and family have noticed that the blog has gone without updates. And, I realized that even if no one reads it, it is a good way for me to begin thinking through the sermon.

All of this thinking leads me to a renewed desire to start blogging. I hope that others are reading and enjoying the posts. But, even more, I hope to start posting more regularly so that I can be more focused and motivated to write my sermons.

Sometimes, it's important to re-prioritize, and make room for the things that are important.