Sermon – November 2, 2008

You Are Wholly Holy

I want to show you something, today.

[bring out The Manual]

This book is called the Manual, and next to the Bible, it often seems that this is the most important book there is within the United Church. This is the closest thing we have to a rule book for all United Churches. At Presbytery meetings, even at some Council meetings, it is not uncommon to hear, “Well, what does The Manual say about that?” There are rules in here for all the four levels of the United Church: Pastoral Charges, Presbyteries, Conferences and General Council. This book guides us as we make decisions.

Unfortunately, some people within the United Church seem to only see this book for the rules. As much as the rules are important, I think there’s an even more important part, tucked away right at the beginning of this book. It’s called “The Basis Of Union” and it is the historical document that the founding churches which came together in 1925 to form the United Church of Canada agreed on and used, just as the title says, as the basis of union.

Again, within the Basis of Union there are rules for how the church would function, but before those rules, at the very front, are 20 statements of belief that those uniting churches could agree on. All but two of the 20 begins with those two vital words, “We believe”.

Now you may be wondering what this has to do with worship today and it being All Saints Sunday in particular.

We’ll get there.

First, let me introduce you to a word. It’s a Greek word. “hagios” aJgio" It means holy.

Holy is an interesting word. It definitely has to do with religion; with the divine. Even Wikipedia recognizes that “holiness is an attribute of God, and holiness is always part of the presence of God.”

Harper’s Bible Dictionary also starts with the idea that only God is truly holy. Holiness has an aspect of separateness. However, by being associated with God, other things, which includes people and their actions, can become holy. (HBD p.400)

This makes sense when you think about it. Things like: The Bible, the Church building, communion bread and juice, a drum set, aren’t particularly holy in and of themselves. It’s their association with God; their use for God’s purposes and in God’s presence, that makes them holy.

It brings to my mind a science class experiment I expect we all have seen or done at one time or another. Take a bunch of iron filings. Place them on a sheet of paper. They lay there in disarray. Nothing special. Then, take a bar magnet and place it under the paper. Suddenly, those normal iron filings, start behaving differently. At least, the ones within the presence of the magnet do. They line themselves up with the magnetic field that surrounds the magnet.

Now note! Nothing about the iron filings has actually changed. And the filings don’t line themselves up. The presence of the magnet is what makes all the difference.

Again, a building, some bread, a book, a person, isn’t holy in and of themselves. It’s only when they are in the presence of God, aligned with God’s purposes, that we recognize them as holy.

Another of my books says “Holiness, in short, expresses a relation, which consists negatively in separation from common use, and positively in dedication to the service of God.” (International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia. vol. 3. p.1404)

Holiness, then, is a state of being which originates only in God but which can be extended to anything else, through its association with God and its use to help further the purposes of God.

For us as Christians, then, “a holy life is the fruit and evidence of saving faith” (The Basis of Union Article 12 Sanctification)

When any person comes to the point in their spiritual journey, that they make an intentional decision to commit themselves to discipling under Jesus, and therefore step further onto the path that leads deeper and deeper into God’s presence, then just like the iron filings, that person comes under the influence of God’s holiness. They become holy by their decision, and their holiness increases as they live out the life of Jesus. The more they do what Jesus did; the more time they spend in God’s presence; the more they choose God’s ways of love, forgiveness, justice, relationship, peace, servanthood, (and the list goes on) instead of greed, individualism, evil, hatred, selfishness (and the list goes on), the more holy they become.

Now, remember that word? “hagios” aJgio" (holy)

It’s used in one other way in the New Testament. aJgio" is the word the early church used to talk about itself and in that context it’s the word translated as “the saints”.

So, according to the Bible, the definition of saints, is “holy ones”. And who are these saints, these holy ones? It’s the church. It’s all the people who make up the church.

It’s us. According to the Bible, we are the saints. Just like all those who have gone before us in the faith.

Let’s go back, now, to the “Basis of Union” in The Manual. I know the language is old, so it’s a little difficult, but here’s what Article 15 says:

Article XV. Of the Church. We acknowledge one Holy Catholic Church the innumerable company of saints of every age and nation, who being united by the Holy Spirit to Christ their Head are one body in Him and have communion with their Lord and with one another. Further, we receive it as the will of Christ that His Church on earth should exist as a visible and sacred brotherhood, consisting of those who profess faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to Him, together with their children and other baptized children, and organized for the confession of His name, for the public worship of God, for the administration of the sacraments, for the upbuilding of the saints, and for the universal propagation of the Gospel; and we acknowledge as a part, more or less pure, of this universal brotherhood, every particular church throughout the world which professes this faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to Him as divine Lord and Saviour.

There it is! There is ONE church, worldwide, consisting of the saints; those alive and present now, and all those who have gone before us and are now dead (some of whom we remembered earlier today). All those within the Church are united by the Holy Spirit under one leader: Jesus, whose desire is that we should be a visible family of holy people; people living out their faith in God’s presence; people helping each other to grow in faith and practise; to grow in holiness; and to invite all and any who wish to, to come and journey with us. To become saints.

Like us.

Striving more and more to live like Jesus.

To be wholly holy.

And to help you in your sainthood, I have three things for you to think about and work on this week. As always, the ushers will have them for you at the doors as you leave.

Pushing Ahead:

1. How does hearing yourself called a Saint affect the choices you will have to make this week?

2. In what ways are those who have already died still very much among us as fellow Saints?

3. In your praying this week, remember someone who acted as a Saint to you, someone who helped you to grow in faith, and give thanks to God for them.

AMEN.