The Communion of the Saints

Dr. Michael Browder, Pastor

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Today is All Saints Sunday, when we celebrate the “Communion of the Saints.” Perhaps you remember this phrase from the Apostles’ Creed, which we recite most Sundays. “I believe in the Communion of Saints.”

To understand this belief, we must ask: What is a saint? In our day-to-day parlance, we think of a saint as a special holy person, perhaps someone with extraordinary powers to do good. We often think of someone like Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

The word, which is translated “saint” in the Bible, simply means someone who is holy. The early Christians referred to one another as saints, that is, people who have been made holy by the power of Jesus Christ.

One distinct sign of holiness and of the strength given by Christ was the willingness of the early Christians to face persecution, even the willingness to die rather than to give up their faith in Christ.

To be willing to die was a strong witness for the faith. In fact, the word “martyr” originally meant witness. These early followers of Jesus were willing to lay down their lives as a witness to their faith in the Lord.

The early Christians believed, in accordance with the Bible (Ps. 116:15 ), that these deaths were very precious to God. These martyrs were considered to be extra holy persons, or Saints. Their deaths, taken in union with the death of Christ, were considered to bring special blessings to the church. Since these martyred Saints were so precious to God, people began to ask them to intercede with God on behalf of the church still here on earth.

Through this process, the cult of the Saints was born. The veneration of Saints and the intercession of Saints is still an important element of the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Churches.

This is one explanation of the word “saint.” Let me pause here and say a bit about the word “communion.” The word “communion” means fellowship or close relationship. The Catholic Church believes that we have a close relationship with the martyred saints in heaven, just as they have close fellowship with God.

The word “communion” also refers to our restored fellowship with God, which is made possible by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. Sin separated us from God, but the death of Jesus on the cross restored our fellowship with God. The sacrament of the Lord’s Supper remembers what Christ did on the cross. So “communion” is another name for the Eucharist or Lord’s Supper.

On All Saints Day, both meanings of the word “communion” come together. We celebrate Holy Communion at the Lord’s Table, and we remember our relationship with the saints who have died and who are now with the Lord in eternity.

You can see how this is a very special day in the Roman Catholic Church. They already celebrate Communion with a capital “C” and “Saints” with a capital “S”. All Saints Day is the day when they have a roll call of each of their Saints and Martyrs.

In the United Methodist Church and among Protestants, we have a little bit different understanding of the word “saint”. When we read the Bible closely, it says that we are all “called to be saints.” What does this mean? It means that all people who have faith in the Lord are meant to be made holy by the grace of God through the power of Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit.

This is basic Methodist theology, basic beliefs. Sanctifying Grace is one of the three types of grace that we Methodists talk about. What are the three types of grace? Prevenient. Justifying. And Sanctifying.

Unlike other churches, Methodists have always emphasized sanctification and holiness. God’s will is for each of us – you and me – to be holy. But only God can make something holy. (We cannot make ourselves holy.) Yet God does not force you to be holy. He will only sanctify that part of yourself which you entrust over to him and allow him to make holy. The more of yourself you trust to him, the more He by his grace will make you holy.

So, when we allow Christ to sanctify us, we are made holy people by the grace of God. We are literally saints. The Lord means for you and me and all his people to become saints. All followers of Jesus Christ are saints by the grace of God.

So when we come to All Saints Day, we celebrate the “communion of the saints.” To us, this signifies the fellowship, which exists between all believers. There is a special bond between people who believe in Jesus Christ. I have found this all over the world. I have never been anywhere in the world and met with fellow Christians, but that they welcomed me like one of the family. We have a special bond, a special communion because of our relationship with Christ.

And that is God’s will for this church, First United Methodist Church. Jesus said, “This is how people will know that you are my disciples; that you love one another, just as I have loved you. This is how others will know that you are my people – by how you love each other.” This needs to be what we are all about as a church. This should be who we are. There should be no divisions among us.

So today we are celebrating our communion, our bond with each other in Jesus Christ. It is the perfect time to celebrate the Communion of the Lord’s Table. Holy Communion reminds us that just as the elements come from one loaf and one cup, we as God’s people are the one body of Jesus Christ.

So this is a great day to celebrate our new members. They are officially a part of the one body of our congregation. They share the fellowship of Christ’s people with us. We rejoice that we are one body in Jesus.

And think about this: The fellowship of Christ’s people is so strong, our communion with the Savior and with one another is so great, that even death itself cannot break the bond which we have with each other. We not only have communion and fellowship in this world, we keep having it beyond death and into eternity. Today we celebrate eternal life, made possible by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

That’s why we pause and take a moment today to remember the saints who have gone to be with the Lord. They are still part of our eternal fellowship. They are still part of our communion.

All Saints Sunday is a special day to me. I always have a heart full of memories of people who have died during the past year who were truly God’s people. It is always a special time to me when we read their names as part of the All Saints Communion service.

This year I am fairly new as your pastor. Most of the people on our list are people who were not well known to me. But they were well known to God. And they are remembered well by their family and friends who are here today.

There is no rule that says we can only pray for people who are on the list. I always lift up a little prayer for my family members and friends who have died through the years. Today I added a dear friend whose funeral I preached last July: Jenny Tiffany. Jenny was a dear Christian. She loved the Lord and she loved people. She was at worship and Sunday school, and at the church every time the doors opened. Once she got to know you, she never missed your birthday, and she prayed for you every day. I miss Jenny. I will be praying for her with a heart full of love today. I know she is with the Lord and happy in the communion of God’s eternal saints.

I know that your heart is also full of memories today. You are remembering people also. It is good to have a time, a little sad, but also happy, when we remember the people we have loved. Let us thank God for them. And let us thank the Lord for the fellowship and communion we have with the people here on earth. It is great to be a part of God’s family – his people, made saints by his grace.

Let us pray: O God, we thank you for this special holy day. We thank you for the communion we have to be joined to one another and close-bound to you. Thank you for all your saints, your people. We are grateful to be surrounded by people who touch us with your love. We thank you for the departed saints who have loved us in times past. Let us continue in their legacy and in their example. Dear Savior, Jesus, let us trust you with every aspect of our lives, so that by your grace we may be made holy. Amen.