Sermon Title:  Called to be Saints

Sermon Text:  Romans 1:1-7

Sermon Date:  All Saint’s Day, October 29, 2006

 

I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

- Ephesians 3:18-19

 

 

            She was born on October 2, 1798 and died on May 14, 1856.  Born in France, she died at Saint Mary’s of the Woods, Indiana.  She knew from childhood that she wanted to serve God but it was not until a few months before her 25th birthday that she actually entered a convent in France.  Her father, who had served under Napoleon Bonaparte, had been murdered by bandits on his way home so her mother was, understandably, reluctant to allow her daughter to leave.  But finally mother realized that her daughter was called by God to do great things and sent her on her way to sainthood.  From then on she became known as Sister St. Theodore.

            Following a new call, on July 12, 1840, Sister St. Theodore and five other Sisters of Providence of Ruillé left France for a journey to the unknown. They were coming to America to begin a new convent.  They arrived to discover that no building, except a small frame house, existed. 

            By the time of Mother Theodore's death on May 14, 1856, the Sisters of Providence were running the schools at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods and Jasper plus these other schools in Indiana: Vincennes, St. Peter's (now Montgomery), Madison, Fort Wayne, Terre Haute, Evansville, North Madison, Lanesville and Columbus. Mother Theodore also opened two orphanages - one for girls and one for boys - in Vincennes. Additionally, the Congregation had grown from six sisters and four postulants to 67 professed members, nine novices and seven postulants.        

            On October 15, 2006, in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, Rome, the Pope canonized Mother Theodore as a saint.  If you didn’t know about this momentous event, you have not been watching the news.  This is Indiana’s first saint….or at least the first saint in Indiana to be canonized by the head of the Roman Catholic Church.

            There are plenty of saints in Indiana, both living and dead.  While we can celebrate with the 28 sisters who still reside at St. Mary of the Woods and the 1,500 Sisters of Providence worldwide, we American Baptists realize that canonization is not the only way to achieve sainthood.  Paul’s letter to the Romans tells us of another way.

Romans 1:1-7:

1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. 5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, 6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;

7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

            Paul took another road to becoming a saint.  He was martyred; beheaded.  That was one of the three ways to become a saint in Catholic history.  The other two were canonization and public acclamation of the faithful.

            In the language of the New Testament Greek, to be called a saint was to be a believer of Jesus Christ.

            In Acts 9, Ananias was concerned about what the man Saul did to the saints in Jerusalem.

            You probably remember Saul.  Saul was born a Jew in Tarsus, probably around A.D. 10, which means Jesus was ten years old at the time.  Saul was born a Roman citizen, probably attended the synagogue to be taught about Scriptures and the Hebrew language.  He was a tentmaker by trade but he is first known to us as the one who took care of the coats of those who stoned Stephen, a follower of Christ and saint.  We first learn of Saul in Acts 7.

            In the following chapters we learn about the Saul who went after other followers, dragging them out of their homes to kill them simply for being followers of Jesus Christ.  And this continues until he is on the Damascus Road and the voice of Jesus spoke to him.  In that moment he was blinded and transformed.  Ananias had a vision and was sent to get Saul who will become Paul and care for him.  But he is worried.  “I’ve heard about this man who has the authority from chief priests to do harm to your saints in Jerusalem.”  But he

obeyed and ultimately Paul become an evangelist to the Gentiles and was beheaded and martyred in A.D. 62.  Then he became known as St. Paul.

            Mother St. Theodore became Saint Theodore because of canonization.

            Saul became Paul who became St. Paul through martyrdom.

            And yet another I can think of another who earned sainthood long before his death this year through public acclamation.

Leaving behind the Roman Catholic definitions of sainthood, the American Heritage Dictionary defines a saint as: (1) A person officially recognized by the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches as being entitled to public veneration; one who has been canonized. (2) Any person who has died and gone to heaven. (3) Any baptized believer in Christ, according to the New Testament. (4) A charitable, unselfish, or patient person.

I don’t know if William Sloan Coffin was a patient person but there is plenty of evidence that he was a baptized believer in Christ, was charitable and unselfish.  I’m not alone in thinking of him as Saint Bill. 

            William Sloan Coffin, Jr. was pastor of Riverside Church, a well-known American Baptist Church in New York City.  He was also chaplain at Yale University, among other things.  He was a World War II veteran who helped spark the draft resistance movement of those days.  And while he opposed the war in Iraq he was not what one person quoted as saying, “one of those mud-slinging pundits or a critic of government in general.  He was clear about the fact that “despair was not an option.”

Once at a Yale commencement he prayed: "Oh God, take our minds and think through them, take our lips and speak through them, take our hearts and set them on fire."
            He also preached at the funeral of his son who died in a car accident.  For that alone I could recommend him for sainthood for I cannot imagine being in any shape to do so myself.

William Sloan Coffin, Jr. made a difference in this world because he lived out two great biblical mandates – to pursue justice and see peace.  (ethicsdaily.com, October 23, 2006)

            So there are the three ways one used to become a saint -- Canonization, martyrdom and public acclamation.  But that does not leave you and me out of the running for Paul says right in Romans 1 that those who believe and following the teachings of Jesus Christ are indeed saints.

 

            Do you wonder what you will be remembered for? 

 

            Last Sunday I was invited to participate in the memorial service for former television reporter Lauren Crowner.  If you had just walked into the room and knew nothing about Lauren you would have learned that she was a passionate woman who lived life by following her dreams.  She was going to be a star, everyone agreed.  She had a reputation for good and fair reporting.  She lit up a room with her energy.  She made a difference everywhere she went and if you didn’t know about her you would have stunned to learn she all of this before the age of 25. 

            I was asked to speak about following your dreams as a Christian.  I spoke of how no Sunday school teacher ever told me to follow my dreams.  I was told to follow Jesus and the commandments but I just don’t recall anyone telling me to follow my dreams.  And my thought was, “what a shame!”  If I am a Christian and I’m asking for guidance and wisdom from God, and I get a dream, well, it must come from God, right????  So let me share Lauren’s words with you – it is your responsibility to follow the dreams God gives you.  Plainly and simply that is the truth.  You are given gifts and abilities and the dream…so just do it. 

            St. Lauren had nothing going for her that isn’t available to you and me.   She had encouraging parents.  If you don’t, let’s get them for you.  Did you know you can get encouraging parents anytime you want?  We have plenty here to fill in for you.

            She had encouraging teachers and mentors.  We can help you find those if you need help.

            She had passion for life.  You can get it if you don’t already have it.  Did you know that?  God has given each of us a passion for living.  Are you using it?  Are you deeply aware that God is crazy about you and wants you to use the gifts you have been given?  Remember that God can’t ask too much of you because God won’t ask anything of you that you can’t give.   

            So if you don’t have a passion for life, let’s get together and pray for you to become aware of it.  Let God have his way with you.  Let God prepare you for all the good things that lie ahead of you.

            And don’t say “I’m too old” or “I’m too busy.”  As long as you have breath, you can do great things.  If you are too busy to do what God asks of you, it is time to ask God’s help in reevaluating your priorities.  If you have no energy for it, we can pray about that too.

            You are called to be a saint.  Today.  Because you believe in Jesus Christ.  You do not need a word from the Pope.  Thankfully you do not need to be beheaded.  You do not even need public acclamation.  You are simply called to sainthood by the grace and glory of Jesus Christ.