Walking Beside the Saints Who’ve Gone Before
By Chris George, Senior Pastor
Fall is my favorite season of the year as the foliage is transformed into a vast array of colors and the smoldering temperatures of summer are swept away by cooler breezes. As a child, I loved the celebration of Halloween with costumes and candy, but it was only later as an adult that I discovered what has become for me one of the most meaningful days on the entire Christian calendar.
On All Saints Day, we remember those who have passed away from us in this place and gone before us into God’s presence. We pause to give thanks to God for their good lives. Christians have celebrated this day since at least the 8th century. It comes as a reminder that the bond between those who are there and those who are here, those who have passed and those who are present, has not been broken. In theological circles, we talk about the “Church Triumphant” (those in heaven) and the “Church Militant” (those on Earth.) But, All Saints Day reminds us that we are still really one church. Death divides us physically, but not spiritually.
At Smoke Rise, we celebrate All Saints Day on the first Sunday of November as we honor and give thanks for all those who have gone before us into God’s presence, but specifically those in our congregation who have passed in the previous year.
Traditionally, All Saints Day falls on November 1. The day before—October 31—was called All Hallows Eve, which over time has morphed into what we call Halloween. In the past, many Baptists decried Halloween and entirely ignored All Saints Day.
Baptists have “saints,” but we don’t like to use the word. Some Baptists act as if Catholics have the trademark on the word “saint.” If you visit a Catholic cathedral, you will see stained glass and statues that celebrate the saints. Catholic churches sell books about the collected lives of the saints. If you visit a Baptist church, you will never see statues and rarely stained glass. Baptist churches sell books of the collected recipes of the congregations. Baptists say Catholics are too concerned with the saints. Catholics say Baptists are too concerned with the casseroles.
Of course, for Catholics and Baptists, saints are those who have shown us the way to faith. They are not otherworldly beings, but people just like you and me. Saints simply allow God’s light to shine through their lives. Contrary to popular beliefs, saints are not solely focused on bringing people from Earth to heaven, but rather bringing a bit of heaven down to Earth. Saints are seeking to reflect God’s glory and God’s grace in our world through their words and actions. So, when we are in the presence of one of these saints, we recognize that we are on holy ground.
If you want to see a list of some of the Smoke Rise Saints, I would encourage you to go to the small room just outside the narthex. On the walls, you will see plaques entitled, “Our Beloved Dead,” that include the names of every Smoke Rise member who has passed from this world into God’s presence. Reading those names may bring a tear, but it will often bring a smile as well. Their lives continue to inspire us.
Strange thing about the saints. They never wanted to draw attention to themselves. They shone because they spent their lives loving God and loving others, committed to something bigger than self. They lived a faith grounded in grace and love. They gave and gave and gave.
Most saints are extraordinary in an ordinary kind of way. So, this fall as we prepare for All Saints Day, let’s not only give thanks for those who have gone before, but also recommit to walk beside them and to be the people of God in our world.