All Saints

This weekend we celebrate All Saints Day at Prince of Peace. This is a day when we remember all those who have come before us in the faith, and specifically, those saints from our congregation who have died in the past year.

Saints, or “Holy Ones” in the Greek, are those who have been blessed by God. When I was young, I used to think that saints were those holy people who lived incredibly holy lives and did very saintly, holy things. Saints were the stars of the Christian life, MVPs of faithfulness, the GOATs, the best and the brightest that served God.

And then as I began to look more closely at the Bible, I suddenly realized that’s not really quite the case. 

In Romans, Paul writes his letter to “all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints.” (Rom 1:7)  In Second Corinthians, Paul addresses the church of God in Corinth and includes “all the saints throughout Achaia.”  (II Cor 1:1)  In Ephesians it’s to “the saints who are in Ephesus” (Eph 1:1); in Philippians “to all the saints in Christ Jesus (Phil 1:1); and in Colossians “to the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae” (Col 1:1).

Or maybe another way of saying it is that when Paul talks about God saints, he simply means the whole church.

Back when newsletters were actually mailed from the church to people, my home congregation would always address their newsletter this way:
            
To the saints at:
Name                Address            City, Zip
        
When this arrived at our home at 304 Scott Avenue in Vandalia, Ohio, 45377, I thought it must be some sort of mistake. My three brothers, two stepbrothers, and I were hardly saints.

And yet that’s the point isn’t it.

Being a saint isn’t about being perfect or having to meet some standard set by the church. To be a saint, a holy one of God, is simply to know that you are loved by God.

Happy All Saints Day!

St. John D. Morris of POP