Category: Uncategorized

Today is “All Saints Day”, and I figured with all the evil I was involved in last night (evil in the form of my daughters dressing up like incredibly cute little girls and going to neighbors houses asking for candy…so…not really evil at all), I should probably make up for it.  There are a wide variety of contexts when it comes to celebrating “All Saints Day”.  In fact, there are several different theories and stories about how it began, and who decided who was honored on that day.  From Mary, to the Martyrs, to those the Catholic Church has declared “Saint”, to even being combined with Nov. 2nd as “All Souls Day” (those who celebrate “All Souls” believe most people who died have to go through a period of “cleansing” before they’re worthy of joining those in Heaven who are celebrated on “All Saints Day”).

So from this buffet of traditions and theologies, what do we take from it, and what do we pass on to our children?

The word “saint” is not actually found in scripture, but what we do read is the plural form “saints”.  A group of people being described by a word connected to Holiness, Sacredness, being “set apart”, purity, and something “awe-inspiring”.  In both Old and New Testament, this is used to describe groups of people following God and Christ.  Most often, it seems the word (hagios) is actually translated “holy”, so that Acts 9:13 “..the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem.” could actually say “..the harm he has done to your holy in Jerusalem.”

With that in mind, today is a great day to talk with our kids about people who have made a Holy impact on our lives, and the world we live in.  That may actually be Saint Peter, or Saint Augustine, or a martyr who has given their life in a way that has transformed yours.  But it may also be Grandma Jones, Pastor Steve from when you were a teen, or Jim from down the street.  People who have been used by God to reveal a Holy Love that transforms the world in a given situation.

It’s a difficult, but necessary thing, to hold these two things in tension.  On one hand, the humility of not desiring labels like “Saint”, and reminding our children that every believer stands on equal footing before God’s presence – both now and when we come to be with him (or He returns to be with us finally).  On the other hand, recognizing that we are “the light of the world”, encouraging our children to show God’s Love in such a way that He is revealed and “carried” into all creation.

And not that our children will do this all “someday” when they are grown.  But that they can be speaking and acting from God’s Holy Love even today, and the world can be transformed by such “saints”…

“But dad, you said ______”

         There were a lot of things I’d planned on about having children.  One of the things I don’t remember thinking much about, was the fact that any word I speak out loud around them, if needed, will find its way back to me.  Thankfully I never really picked up the desire to talk “like a sailor”. (not to offend any sailors that may stumble upon my blog)  So I don’t worry about my kids going around saying PG-13 words to other kids.  (unless they hear them from other kids….has happened.)  But once in a while I do say something my kids want to hear, simply to get them to do what I’m asking.  When they were younger, this was no big deal.  Give them a handful of KIX, and they’re golden.  But now, they are lightning fast to catch me when my words and my actions are not in line. And yes…once or twice my daughter has caught me throwing a wrapper from our van onto the parking lot and immediately yelled, “DAD!!! Did you just litter!??”  I shamefully pick it up, and thank her for reminding her forgetful father.  She smiles, and buckles up.

But this is good.   It’s also a great reminder, that we need friends who will be this in our lives.  There are many scriptures that talk about encouraging one another to do good.  Many also talk about “correcting/restoring” a brother/sister who has made a wrong choice.  Even the verses that are usually used to “get someone off our back”, aren’t always taken for face value:

 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?  How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:3-5

What usually gets tossed aside, is that final bit “then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”  It’s important for us to have people in our lives who will help us, when our words do not match up to our actions.  To meet regularly with someone with whom we share life with, and open ourselves up to correction from.  Do you have someone like that in your life?  It can definitely be your spouse, but I would even recommend a friend of the same gender – so that you can be held accountable for how your doing with your marriage as well.  We could all use someone who spots the specks….with love, of course. 🙂

John 13:35 “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Okay, so it’s an imperfect illustration. Jesus doesn’t ask us to love one another to the point of getting cuddly. Neither do my daughters always perfectly embody family-love toward one another. But in this moment, everything before and after faded away. They were sisters, family cuddling up together, a deep sense of hunger being satisfied simply by the close presence of each other.

But Jesus does ask/say something of us as members of the family of God. “..As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” It’s something we can easily lose sight of in the midst of many other efforts to “be the local church”.

There are so many desires we have. We want the music just right, and to fit our personal preferences in style and volume. We want the coffee to have some “ooomph”. We want to point at something our church is doing, and prove to our friends and family who attend other churches that says, “See, we’re a church worth attending!”  We want to interact with people who are like us, and who like us. We want to leave feeling encouraged, needed, and like we’ve gotten a good “R.O.I.” (return on investment) from the time we’ve spent there.

The problem is, Jesus never said they will know we’re his disciples by our programs. He doesn’t point to the music we use, the cleanliness of our facilities, the freshness of our donuts, or the dress-code we either live by or avoid.

So the question is – if someone were to visit your church this week, would they know you are disciples of Jesus Christ, simply by the Love being shown? How has “un-love” in the local church impacted your life? How did you respond? We cannot control the actions or words of others, but we can make a huge impact on the church our children will inherit. Will you begin a new movement of God’s Love?

And now for the kicker – what about your home? It begins there. Would someone visiting your home on a given night, know that you are disciples of Jesus, simply by the love that’s being spoken, acted out, and felt in your family’s presence? How can you be a part of increasing the presence of Love in your home?

A good start = 1 John 4:7-8 – A dangerous realization.  Love is not simply an emotional feeling meant to warm our hearts.  Love is the transforming powerful presence of the Creator God, of whom we have a Holy Fear and Reverence.