The Rev Melissa Remington

SERMON for 11-7-2021 Unbind each other and let's get going! Happy All Saints Day! On All Saints Day we often celebrate baptisms. This is a special day for baptisms because on this day we witness the outward sign of receiving the Holy Spirit of God during the baptism, and we welcome the newly baptized into the household of God; into our Christian community. We also recite our own Baptismal Covenant. Today Fr. Mark will baptize Jacob Gibson and Nicholas Rutter. One might be thinking, why is baptism central to the meaning of All Saints Day? If you look at the beginning of the bulletin the reflections for today connect the meaning of a saint to what our baptism means for all of us. This is directly from the bulletin: The term saint means "a holy person." The church's teaching about the saints is not that they are a few exceptional Christians who were holy in themselves; instead, it is that no one can become holy without the indwelling of God's Spirit. The saints are all those who have received the Spirit of God, and the Spirit leads them into holiness. Thus, the festival of All Saints' Day is the celebration of all baptized people, for we have all been given the gift of the Holy Spirit. During the reciting of the baptismal covenant we address the Holy Spirit: The leader says: Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit? People I believe in the Holy Spirit,the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Then during baptism these words are proclaimed by the priest as the priest anoints the candidate with Chrism oil. you are sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked as Christ's own for ever. Wow, if you think about it that is a powerful statement and act. Now one might be thinking, how do I live into the Christian promise of my own baptism and promise to receive the newly baptized into the household of God when a lot of the ancient language of the covenant leaves me wondering and questioning? It is ok to Wonder! It is ok to question. God wants us to wonder and to question. Our episcopal roots are founded on what we call, "the three legged stool". Scripture, tradition, and reason. We are given reason i.e. a mind to think with, to ask questions, to ponder. We are given a heart to hear, love and care with. We reason and think about things. And, our own experiences influence our belief. What do you think about the statement: you have the gift of the Holy Spirit; you are holy? You are sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked as Christ's own forever? One might be thinking, who me? No, not really, or Or one might be thinking, OK, there is a part of me that is holy. What gets in our way? What binds us up from knowing the gift of the Holy Spirit ? I think one of the coolest statements in today's Gospel story of the raising of Lazarus, is the last statement, "unbind him and let him go". IN other words, set him free from that which binds him to earthly things that get in the way of receiving the Holy Spirit and living eternally with God. Death does not have the final word in life; rather love and striving to be holy by being open to the power of the Holy Spirit working deep within us helps us live on even in the face of death. Like Death of a loved one or death of a relationship. Through the love of Jesus, Lazarus is set free to live on in God's love; through the power of the Holy Spirit Lazarus is holy, free and unbound by earthly restrictions. like doubt, pain and suffering. We too can be unbound by the things that hold us back from knowing we too are holy and can love God freely. We aren't guaranteed a life without pain or suffering or the loss of a loved one, but, with the gift of the Holy Spirit we are freer to live a life of love. Our faith in the power of God working in us more than we can ask or imagine can thrive. Simply being created in the image of God is holy. We look to the most holy of holy's to enlighten us and free us, Jesus. We find the teaching of Jesus through Christian tradition, reason, scripture and witnessing or our personal experiences. By studying about our tradition and scripture I think we become unbound or freer to follow Christ and begin to understand and experience the meaning of our baptism and what it means to have the gift of the holy spirit and be holy. Scripture is the Bible; Tradition includes our ancient statements of faith like the Nicene Creed and the Baptismal Covenant, the Ten Commandments, and the Beatitudes. All these traditional statements of faith stem out of the roots of scripture interpreted and codified by the works of our ancient fathers and mothers of the Christian faith. We use our reason to strive to understand Scripture, these statements of faith, our baptism and our holiness. And to question, ponder and ask how, and why are part of growing spiritually? We use our experience to witness to the Holy Spirit working as we share our stories with one another. So getting back to the beginning; The sacrament of Baptism is an outward sign of receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit and following the way of love, the way of Christ. Of being holy. What gets in the way? What bind's us up and causes us to to doubt or turn away from God? Remember, A saint is one who is holy by becoming more unbound by all that holds one back from loving God and allowing the Holy Spirit of God to work through them as they serve others-- even --with all their imperfections and questions. May you go forth knowing the power of the Holy Spirit is working in you more than you can ask or imagine. Celebrate your own baptism and look for those outward signs that show you the power of God's love and the gift of the holy spirit in you. Study Scripture and tradition together with your reason and most importantly know that God loves you no matter your doubts, imperfections, and fears. The holy spirit dwells in you and you are holy too. Happy All Saints Day! 2