Sermon Notes: 11.02.25 All Saints Sunday Holy Trinity Lutheran Church

I think I’ve told you in previous years that All Saints Sunday is one of my favorite high holy days of the year. I love the music, I love our slideshow, and most importantly, I love a time set aside to remember those people that I love who have passed.

This year is no exception. It’s an especially poignant time in the life of this congregation as we remember and celebrate two of our beloved members, Carl and Don.

This year, we also remember Kenny, who is the son of one of our treasured members, Betty.

When doing research for the sermon today, I discovered something I had never known before! Originally All Saints Sunday was really a time to celebrate the saints of the church. The day after All Saints Day was called the Day for Remembrance of the Dead, and was always on a Monday.

Over the years, churches began to celebrate the dearly departed at All Saints Sunday because, let’s face it, no one ever went to church on Monday.

This year we have a regular service devoted to remembering our dearly departed. That will happen after the Prayers and right before Holy Communion.

Right now, though, I want to talk about one idea surrounding this special festival day.

I want you to remember that all of us are saints! Nadia Bolz Weber is a Lutheran pastor who has a church in Colorado called For All Saints and Sinners. I’ve spoken about her before, and in Better Reflections we have read at least one of her books.

Nadia is a very different pastor. She a recovering addict, she is covered in tattoos, and she uses very colorful (shall I say) language. She started this congregation for folks like her who were the outcasts of society. Interestingly enough, though, the church grew and soon more mainstream folks began to attend.

Nadia loves All Saints Sunday and says, “… in the Lutheran tradition saints aren’t a special category of people who happen to be the opposite of sinners; in the Lutheran tradition saints are just regular sinners who happen to be forgiven!” Isn’t that awesome?

Let me say it again…

So that includes all of us.

How can we live up to that title of saint? We do it by living our Christian identity. And to do that, we need to follow the teachings of Jesus.

Arguably some of the most important teachings of Jesus are found in his famous Sermon on the Mount, especially in the introduction of that sermon -- The Beatitudes, which was our gospel reading for today.

To live like Jesus, we must come alongside the people who aren’t like us…the people who feel they are less than…the people who are poor, not only in terms of material wealth but also are poor in spirit.

We are all saints, sometimes even without realizing it. There are many ways we can be a saint. One way is by lifting up or affirming others, whether or not we know them. How many times a day do we come in contact with a person who might need a friendly smile?

We may never realize how our actions or words might help someone.

Just think about this idea for a minute … to whom are you a saint?

The story about Bishop Mark Eddington:

American Episcopal Church in Paris.

How he dressed

Subway

Young, well-dressed Frenchman

Why do you hide your cross

Asked a question

Bishop Edington realized that he had lost a chance to be a saint to that young man. He took his pectoral cross out of his pocket and never put it back in.

Every day we have a chance to be a saint to someone…to live like Jesus…to help the downtrodden.

In a few moments we will continue our All Saints celebration by remembering those who have gone on before. But the message for those of us still here is to remember the impact our lives make in the lives of others … and to live like the saints that we are.

Amen!