Readings:
Sermon:
If not you personally, then someone you know, will be a complete news junkie. You know what news junkies are like. They listen to talk radio all day and never miss the current affairs and news programmes.
But there are times when even the most disinterested person will be glued to their TV waiting for the latest developments in a breaking news story - perhaps that was you as earlier this year, the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth was announced.
On social media they have a term for relentlessly searching the latest events - they call it doom scrolling. I suppose it’s doom-scrolling rather than joy-scrolling, because so much of the news is bad.
They used to say that only bad news sells newspapers, and it can often seem as if all the good news has evaporated.
There is good news around, but you need to look for it, and it is with looking for the good news that today’s Bible readings concern themselves.
In the times of Daniel and of Jesus, Israel was an invaded and plundered place. As Paul was writing to the Ephesians, he was imprisoned in Rome. Good news was in short supply. But in the midst of the disillusion and hopelessness for most people, came messages of hope from people of faith.
We have heard of Daniel’s terrifying vision, but he is reassured at the news that the holy ones of the Most high will possess the Kingdom
Paul reassures his readers that the inheritance of the saints, that is all members of the church, everyone who has faith in Christ, their inheritance is a sharing in the life of Christ, crucified and raised to glory.
Jesus encourages those who come to him with promises that the tables will be turned, the poor inherit the kingdom, and the abusers and oppressors will repent of their ways.
As I write I know that many of our churches have been adorned with chains - the work of the Mother’s Union and the Clewer Initiative to raise awareness of modern slavery. It is a valiant campaign, and I encourage you to find out more about it, and about the resources available to us to set people free from the bondage of modern slavery and trafficking.
I often wonder what those outside the church make of such demonstrations. The long chains of brightly colour wool and paper might easily make the uninitiated think that we’re having a party rather than raging against acts of injustice.
I hope you understand that I don’t want to disparage the campaign, but in a sense the party chains are exactly what we are seeking to do.
We want to encourage the oppressed, that with faith and hope, and a little patience, the chains of injustice will be turned into the bright ornamentation of celebration.
This is what the saints of God engage in.
We raise up the poor, we feed the hungry, we comfort the sorrowful, we silence the haters, and we invite all of God’s children to the party.
Many of our churches will be keeping today as “All Saints’ Sunday”
We celebrate the lives of all the saints - both the famous ones and the ones whose contributions are less well known.
But more than that, as the saints of today, we look forwards, beyond the bad news - the tales of misery and heartache, beyond the hatred and selfishness, beyond the murder and the warfare - we look forwards to the time when all people, irrespective of wealth or background, are valued as God’s children.
We look forward to the time when the promised inheritance of the Saints is revealed - as we gather around the throne of the risen Christ to praise his glory.
And until then, as the saints of today, we will serve the advancing Kingdom of God, full of hope, reaching out in faith, and empowered by the Spirit - to praise his glory.
If you’re meeting with others, or just on your own, perhaps you’d like to consider these questions…
How can you turn talk about present worries into conversations about hope for the future?
Can you list the ways that you and your fellow saints are working to support the poor, feed the hungry, comfort the sorrowful and to silence the oppressors? - I expect it’s a longer list than you first imagine.
And listen to the Spirit - what simple things is God prompting you to do that might grow your list - actions for love, compassion, justice and freedom?
You are the saints of today - Kingdom People - and our freely given inheritance, is there to claim in this world, as well as for the next.
May God bless you in building his Kingdom.