All Saints Sunday: Go!

This weekend marked our statewide synod, the Oklahoma Diocesan Convention, and we were truly blessed by the presence of the Most Reverend Michael Curry, our Presiding Bishop.  His buzz word was "Go."  He reminded us of the many biblical and post-biblical scenarios in which someone was called out of the comfort zone, into a new, often scary future making a difference in the world or, as our bishop says it, changing the world from the nightmare it often is into the dream God has for it.

Bishop Curry spoke of the calls of Abraham and Moses, which reminded me of the later call of Saint Francis of Assisi who was young, handsome, very wealthy, and well connected politically.  He had it made and yet, once called, denounced the family fortune, gave away all his possessions, and started afresh in ministry, as his response to God's call, "Francis, rebuild my Church."  Nothing has changed in our day; we are still called from where we are to where we ought to be in the building of Kingdom which the bishop describes as "the Jesus Movement."

But how do we get there? We need a map, a spiritual GPS. The Beatitudes serve such a purpose.  In today's gospel reading from Matthew, we hear the spiritual version of those injunctions (compared to the social justice version in Luke).  In the Middle Ages, the Church considered them in light of the "counsels of perfection" meaning the beatitudes were binding on ordained clergy and on professed religious like monks and nuns, but not ordinary people.  Martin Luther, in contrast, said they apply for everyone but are unattainable, so don't bother, just believe in salvation by faith alone.

I think both are wrong.  I believe the rebel monk was so right in applying the Beatitudes to all of us Christians, but incorrect to finding them unrealistic and unattainable.   They are doable and intended to be sorted out in community, serving God and nieghbour, and indeed that is the essence of Catholic Christianity.  While the Church holds up the canonized Saints as models to emulate and as prayer- partners, we need to remember that all of us are 'saints,' called to true holiness of life.

I would commend every Christian to regular examination of Matthew's Beatitudes, but also Luke's Beatitudes and the accompanying Woes. Honest self-examination allows us to move forward. Serious engagement of self sets the stage for being conformed to the image of the Son of God, embracing the kind of Christianity that actually imitates the way of Jesus instead of reinventing him to conform to the values of our sick culture.  If your Jesus likes war and violent resolution, jingoism, imperialism, and greed, looks down on the poor and oppressed, the marginalized and the outcasts, start over and look for the real Saviour.

Where is God calling you to'go'?