Last night I had a parade of spooky and entertaining visitors to my door. A mermaid dropped in, a cute little skunk sprayed me with air freshener from under her curled tail, a box of french fries and a bottle of ketchup thanked me politely for the chocolate bars I shelled out, and two tall and impressive dragons smiled from ear to ear as they held up their candy bags. It was a fun night and despite the dire weather predictions the promised deluge of rain turned into a scotch mist and the moderated temperature meant many layers were not required under the costumes.
Halloween falls on the day before All Saints Day. That is no accident. Many Christian festivals were built around already existing festivals. The Celts, sensitive to spirits and ghosts, had a practice of feeding and acknowledging their forebears at this time of year so as to insure a calm and peaceful transition from warm weather to cold. Feed the spirits and they won’t haunt you all winter! Christians layered on All Saints Day.
Today is the day set aside to think about the Saints, all those who have gone before and entered into the glory and mystery of God. Saints, people who helped others see God. Saints, who lived a life that pointed to God and brought new life to others. A saint, what I aspire to be but wonder if I ever will be!
Thinking about saints makes me think about sin. I think it is the combination of names … saint and sinner. We don’t hear the word sin too often anymore. It is one of those words considered old-fashioned and out of step. That doesn’t mean there isn’t still a lot of sinning going on. It just means we are too modern, too cool, too hip, to talk about it. I struggle with the role of the prayer of confession in worship because some, myself included by times, feel it brings us down when worship should be a place of uplifting. However, I vacillate because I know that if we don’t address our sin, our brokenness and separation from God, then we cannot fully engage in the beauty and wonder of God’s love and grace. To say I am a sinner, allows me to become vulnerable to the mercy and acceptance of God’s surprising and healing grace.
So, on this All Saints Day let me tell you … I have sinned and fallen short … and I hold before me, in my mind’s eye the amazing and powerful witness of so many who have gone before, many who were also sinners but who, despite their shortcomings, held out to others the love and graciousness of the One who calls us their own. May we all aspire to do the same.
