Living life unafraid of death
Gate Pa – All Saints/All Souls 2012
Readings:
Hebrew Scripture: Isaiah 25:6-9
Psalm: 23
Epistle: Revelations
21:1-6a
Gospel: Mark
12: 28-34
What I want to say:
Explore All Saints/All Souls
as a day to celebrate the lives of those who have gone before us, and to do
that facing our own mortality, so that we can live each day as a gift both from
God and those we celebrate.
Use Mark as mean to explore
how we might live each day as a celebration
What I want to happen:
People to not be afraid of
their mortality, but to live embracing their mortality, rejoicing in every day
The Sermon
1. Introduction:
today celebrate both all saints and all souls day
refer to pew sheet
what are
All Saints -
NT –saints– everyone
with
persecutions and martyrdom, became martyrs
then
wider all those great people of faith
look
up to
inspired
by
@C8th
day to remember them all -> continue being influenced by them
Halloween is All Hallows (or
All Saints) eve – day before all saints.
All Souls –
arose later, through influence of
Benedictine reform movement based in Cluny in France
remember all people of faith
acknowledge and celebrate role they had in our
lives
today we remember all saints of God,
great saints,
little saint,
nameless ones who have
lived their faith
today also we remember saints of God
we have known and loved
who helped shape who we
are today
whose passing we remember
and mark today
2. DÃa de los Muertos
lucky enough to go to Mexico couple of years ago for a
meeting
time of DÃa
de los Muertos – or Day of the Dead
origins are in indigenous celebration across Central and South
America
time when
people believed the dead returned to earth to visit with and to give advice to
family and loved ones
altars set up with dead’s favourite
foods, drinks (hungry and thirsty from long journey back)
Favourite
items
items
associated with them
Catholic missionaries (particularly Franciscan missionaries) arrived
– noted festival fell around same
time All Saints +All Souls
incorporated it into Christian cycle
of festivals
as way Christianising
what people were already doing, and in all truth would keep doing
Today in Mexico huge huge festival
whole place shuts
down
huge street
parties
people out
plethora costumes
city centres taken over with markets
and altars remember, celebrate and honour all
sorts of people who have past
founders
political parties and variety organisations
revolutionaries
from revolution 200 years ago
prominent
citizens
remembering those died over last year
churches altars for significant parishioners
patronal saints, etc…
it is huge
also time families gather around graves loved ones
tidy them
place candles, flowers, photos and the favourite foods of the deceased
family eat, sings and tells favourite
stories about those who have died.
honour
and remember them
what we are doing here without elaborate altars
opportunity
to remember, celebrate and honour.
we
will soon have opportunity to mark those passed in last year
3. Our Mortality
Day of the Dead not only about those who have died
is also day remember that we all die
we are all mortal
Here in Western have become afraid of death, especially our own
death
I am susceptible of that as anyone
surprised lately taken aback by
how old I am
how soon
retirement will be upon me
am aware I
am same age as when met parents in law
one whom died, and one
mid 80’s
doesn’t seem that long
ago
suddenly faced with my own
mortality
taken me aback
not always comfortable
with that
Day of dead reminds us all we will all pass on from this life
one day
rather worry about that (as I can do)
invited me, invites us we are treat
each day as a gift
gift from God
gift from both those gone
before us
not mean it will always be easy or full of joy
our own
experiences as people who have lost someone we love testifies to that
while some scriptures
we heard promise end to death and suffering, that end is not yet.
we live in world where pain and suffering continue
we are to remember, as Psalm promises
(in hymn we sang based 23rd Psalm) that we are not alone in this
God is with us
will continue to be with
us through darkest times
what then does it mean to live life as a gift?
4. Mark
I think passage from Mark has some clues
extraordinary conversation between
scribe and Jesus
remember this story set as Tuesday of
Jesus last week
entered Jerusalem manner contrasts
with Roman governor
cleared out temple, and through all
Mark baiting and provoking Jewish leaders, Judean elite
end with
Jesus arrest and death
Scribes are among Judean elite provoking
in light of all that, surprisingly
warm and cordial conversation
Jesus asked identify greatest commandment
love God
with everything
love your
neighbour as yourself
here is interesting thing about these
oten read as
separate things
children’s
talk invited me to discuss with children how love God
going
church
prayer
etc..
then how love neighbour
all of which ignores Scribes outrageous response
loving neighbour is more important
than all religious activities usually associated with loving and honouring God
whole
sacrificial system
loving neighbour as oneself is how
love God with everything
Mayor’s prayer breakfast
Mark Powell (CEO Warehouse Group) suggested we can understudy
this to mean secular context
be involved
in something much bigger than yourself
work so that
others can flourish
that is pretty good way living life in way that celebrates
each day
celebrates those who have gone before us
when do that, we will be able to embrace out own end
in this way
celebrate All Saints and All Souls Day
honour and celebrate our loved ones
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