What's your role?

All Saints 2011


On 39th Street heading south, each weekday as I drive my youngest to high school, I see a well-decorated house. The decorations have nothing to do with Halloween or any other seasonal holiday. This man has his house tricked out in solidarity with the Occupy movement. Along with the other challenging statements is a pair of hand-painted signs. They ask, “What is your role?”

I am haunted by this question ever since the signs appeared before Halloween. I am one person who has been moved and drawn by the Occupy movement, and as the Portland Occupiers have continued their vigil I still ask myself “What is my role?” Other clergy and church-people have expressed their support. To be neutral, to not choose, is to take a role. It is inevitable.

The question “What is your role?” haunts me today, on our Feast of All Saints.

Today we celebrate the great company of Christ, those whose names are famous and those who are known only to us, and those whose names are known to God alone. Today we feel their presence, crowding around us whether or not our eyes see the pews and aisles filled. We see the images of those who look upon us each time we gather here—Peter and Paul, Mary the mother of Jesus in several different manifestations, John the Beloved who stands with Mary beside Jesus’ cross, Brigid and Columba elsewhere in the building. They have run their race and they have kept the faith. They ask us, “What is your role?”

Our local saints are here too, those whose names come to us when we tell tales of the “old days” whether the old days are 50 years ago, or five, or even one. Some of their names were read aloud, the hall has other images on our altar of the dead. Our high altar is filled with the ashes of many of them. They were not perfect and probably none of them will have a statue or an ikon made for them. But among us they have run their race, and here where they prayed and served and laughed and cried and sometimes fought but hopefully reconciled they too ask us, “What is your role?”

Is All Saints a day only to honor others? Or is it a day when we sing, with the old hymn, “And I want to be one too!”

So then, “what is our role?”

A saint is not someone who is perfect, who doesn’t make mistakes. A saint is someone who says “yes” to God, and then tries to live like they mean that “yes.” Remember last week the two definitions of “hypocrite”? One of course is someone who does other than they say. But I remember the second one today—a hypocrite is someone who is undecided.

Sometimes all of us are hypocrites. But a saint acknowledges that and tries to be more, with God’s help.

Here in this community of saints, this gathering under the protection of Saints Peter and Paul, we are in the season of harvest and stewardship. We have the great gift of the company of all the saints who help us ask ourselves, “What is our role?” We only thrive as a community if we do our best, with God’s help, to say “yes” to God, to decide for Christ, to embrace our role as the church here and now and give ourselves to the life we share.

This involves every aspect of our lives. Stewardship heals us in Christ, because stewardship brings together the separates pieces of our lives in an act of gift and joy. Our minds, our hearts, our hands, and yes our money, that which we earn by our work—all is healed and brought together by our “yes” of faith, our belonging to that community of saints.

We all have room to grow in Christ. Inserted in bulletins today is a simple chart showing estimates of percentages of income and giving. The word “tithe” means ten percent, and is still regarded as a standard of Christian giving. For many of us it is still a goal. But it is a good goal, one that people who do tithe say sets their faith free in surprising ways. Accept this card as a gift from the saints today, many of whom lived by this standard or exceeded it.

The saints of God both set a high bar and accompany us as we journey on into Christ. They encourage us, surround us with their prayers and protection, but above all else ask us that challenging, loving question: “What is your role?” I speak to you, the living saints of Saints Peter and Paul: what is our role? What is our role in this season, which teaches us how to live our whole life? And how will we say or sing of the saints of God: “And I want to be one too.”