October 29, 2006 (All Saints' Sunday)

"See What Love God Has Given Us"

By Jeanette Brodersen

Jeanette Brodersen is a student at Pacific School of Religion and is our Minister-in-Training for the 2006/07 school year. This was her first sermon at FCC.

"See what love the Father-Mother has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are" So the writer of 1 John tells this community of late first century Jesus followers. 1 John was probably written 70 years or so after the death of Jesus, at a time when Christianity was very much in its infancy. The four gospels-Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John-had already been written and were circulating among early Christian communities at this time, most likely being heard rather than read as most people of the ancient Near Eastern culture could not read. These communities probably also knew the apostle Paul's letters, as many early followers of Jesus also looked to Paul's words as a source in their faith development.

In the tradition of Paul, many churches and church leaders communicated via letters, and so we have the letter of 1 John, which actually takes on characteristics more akin to a sermon or homily than a letter. Regardless, though, the writer speaks to this community of early Christians who seem to have experienced some sort of division among its members. One theme the writer continues to stress throughout 1 John is a theme of God's love and love among members of the Christian community. And this is what we hear today: "See what love the Father-Mother has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are...Beloved, we are God's children".

The writer writes the letter with obvious love and concern for the spiritual welfare of its recipients, and continues to stress this love and concern throughout the letter, especially in the context of God's love. The writer exhorts his listeners to love one another and reminds them that God is love by later saying in chapter 4, "Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God...for God is love"

To love one another and to know that God is love is not a new message for Jews and Christians. It's one we hear continually throughout the Bible, especially in the gospels as we read about the life and ministry of Jesus. Jesus even makes this love one of the great commandments, as we heard in last week's service: "The first [commandment] is, 'Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'" (Mark 12:29-31). We are challenged to love God and to love one another, a central concept of Christianity the writer of 1 John reminds that first century Christian community.

Yet, the message of the writer of 1 John carries a slight nuance to it, a change in emphasis in the message of love. The writer of 1 John first and foremost reminds his listeners to see what love God has given them...and given us. God is love and God gives love. Whereas a message we most often glean from the Bible is to love God and love one another, here the writer tells us to remember that God gives love, that God loves us, that we are beloved children The writer emphasizes the fact that God initiates love. God gives love. We are the recipients of God's love, and it's a love that can irreversibly change our lives, influence us in ways we can't imagine...it can transform us. See what love God has given us.

Today we are observing All Saints' Sunday-a day often associated with remembrance and celebration of the lives of faithful people who have died. Feminist theologian Elizabeth Johnson notes, "This is the day when the church recalls the great tribe out of every nation and people, proclaims the following of Jesus according to the beatitudes, and allows the subversive memory of the friends of God and prophets of all ages and the hope of our communion with them to take center stage." It is also a day to remember those close to us who have passed away, saints in their own way. In our denomination, the United Church of Christ, the tradition of remembrance of close family, friends, and congregants on All Saints' Day comes from our German Evangelical heritage and dates to the 1800s. From this stream of the tradition of All Saints' Day, remembrance becomes "a way of remaining related to deceased loved ones, as the process of grieving and remembering are vital to our spiritual health" (Worship Ways: Totenfest) and spiritual growth. In remembering, we not only recall and create memories of those who are gone from our lives; we also open pathways for spiritual growth...we open pathways for transformation

On this day, we are also reminded of mortality-our own and that of others. We are reminded that death happens for all living things; it is a part of the natural process of life. William Willimon, a United Methodist bishop, takes this sobering but inevitable part of life and offers a different perspective about the event: "[D]eath...is...seen as a final purging, final opening up of ourselves to God, a final relinquishment of ourselves so that we might be embraced, loved, forgiven by God." Death becomes that moment when we can fully break through into God's embrace, God's love, experiencing that love in a whole, unfettered, most complete way. We are flooded by God's love; we are bathed in God's love. When I hear people talk of near-death experiences, they often speak of experiencing a light and warmth. Might this be proximity to God's embrace, God's love? See what love God has given us.

So let's take these ideas-that God is love, that God initiates love, that in death we might fully know God's love-and use them as lenses through which to consider our own remembrance today. Might these ideas be lenses through which to know and remember the lives and love of those who have passed away from us? Might these ideas provide another way of thinking and remembering-a way to become more fully aware and to acknowledge the ways in which the love of those who have passed away from us still continue to influence us? Might their presence become manifest through remembrance, through memories, and thus lead us to new opportunities in life...to love, relationships, growth? Might we be lead toward transformation?

To provide some answers to these questions, Julianne is going to help us. Julianne and I both recently watched the movie "Akeelah and the Bee," and found its message poignant and hope-filled. Julianne...

[Julianne summarizes the movie.]

Akeelah's father, through his love of words, through his love of her, inspired Akeelah. Even after his death, his love still reaches her. At first, Akeelah's resists. The spelling bee challenges Akeelah; Dr. Larabee challenges Akeelah; her family, friends, and schoolmates challenge Akeelah. But Akeelah, despite the challenges, moves forward, being guided by her father's memory and love. And her perseverance through these challenges leads to transformation, for herself and so many others-her mother, Dr. Larabee, her school, her community, even her competition in the spelling bee. This transformation starts, however, in grief: for Akeelah, her grief of a lost father and his ever-present memory with her; for her mother, grief of a lost friend and husband; for Dr. Larabee, grief of a lost daughter and a devastated marriage. Grief brings them together, and their lives are transformed. Grief, though, is not the transforming agent; love is the transforming agent, a love which ultimately comes from God. See what love God has given us.

The apostle Paul writes in Romans 8 that nothing can separate us from the love of God, not even death. So, too, death cannot separate us from the love and influence of those family, friends, spouses, mentors, lovers who have passed away. Let us remember them, and let us remember that love which comes from God-a freely given, never ending love, transforming our lives in ways we would never expect. See what love God has given us. Amen.