"THE BEAUTITUDES"

Here is a question for each of you.  Who are the people in your life that will always be in your memory?  Is it someone who drove the latest car?  Is it the person who wore the designer clothes?  Is it the person who had no winkles, or gray hair and perfectly straight white teeth?  I doubt it.  Friday was All Saints Day. This is the day that we are called as Christians to remember those people who lived among us whose lives touched our lives in special ways.  We remember people whose unique blessed spirit illumined God’s blessed love and compassion or shared God’s peace.  I’m not necessarily talking about how they may have made us happy, but more how their lives on this earth actually made a difference – possibly brought change or gave us hope. 

As we sit here remembering those special “saints” who presently live among us – and others who have lived among us, I would like each of you here today to think about how you individually first of all --- and also collectively as a faith community -- how YOU want to be remembered?

There is a story told about a situation that took place several years ago at the Seattle Special Olympics.  Nine contestants, all physically or mentally challenged, assembled at the starting line for the 100-yard dash.  At the sound of the gun they all started out -- not exactly in a dash, but with the relish to run the race to the finish and win. All began to run, except one boy who stumbled on the asphalt, tumbled over a couple of times, and began to cry. The other eight heard the boy cry.  They slowed down and paused.  Then they all turned around and went back -- every single one of them.  One girl with Down’s syndrome bent down and kissed him and said, “This will make it better.”  Then all nine linked arms and walked together to the finish line. Everyone in the stadium stood, and the cheering went on for 10 minutes. How will those 8 runners who returned to the crying boy be remembered by the crowed that watched?  How will the little boy who fell remember the 8 runners who came back to help him.  I suspect the little boy saw them – as SAINTS. 

Today’s scripture is one that Jesus wants each of us to hear as an invitation to live life in somewhat of a crazy way – at least crazy in comparison to how the world sometimes seems to see living life in relationship to each other.  And this call to live this crazy life is actually our call from Jesus to be saints.  The Beatitudes are not about nine different kinds of good people who get to go to heaven— rather they declare the blessedness of the faith community who are living out these Beatitudes -- and that would be all of you!  It is in this blessedness – if it is important to say – is where true lasting happiness is to be found. 

Hear them again as you ponder the question:  How do I want to be remembered? 

“I don’t want to depend on God for that keeps me vulnerable.  Vulnerable is weakness.  I’m self-sufficient.” Blessed are the Poor in spirit -- those of you who have a sense of your own need and dependence on God.

“Another 1000 people killed by air-strikes.  It’s another country – people I don’t even know.   I can’t feel sorry every single time I hear it on the news.”  Blessed are those who mourn -- those of you who grieve the present condition Of God’s people and the present condition of God’s desire and hope for the world.

“I want to be part of the in crowd -- you know what mean?  The people who have it all:  money and power – the person who calls the shots.”  Blessed are the meek -- those of you who recognize oppression who renounce the violent methods of the worldly powers. 

“I’ve got my own ideas about how things should be run around here -- none of this bleeding heart stuff.”  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness -- those of you who are actively doing the will of God -- that of justice.

“I’ve worked for what I have.  Let those other people do it.   I’ve rolled with the punches and picked myself up— let them to it too.”  Blessed are the merciful -- those of you who show concrete acts of mercy -- not just a merciful attitude.

“I can do this God-thing on Sundays and even sometimes during the week and agree with what is said ---- Most – of – the – time – but there are situations when I have to put aside that religious stuff and get MY piece of the pie!”  Blessed are the pure in heart -- those of you whose faith in one God is also expressed with your devotion to God with all your heart and having a singleness of purpose. 

“The only way to show them whose boss is to use force.  Blessed are the peacemakers -- those of you who focus on positive actions for reconciliation. 

Then there is --- Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake or when people utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account -- those of you who have been gifted with the stamina to commit to righteousness even when you are unjustly persecuted -- who are able to wear the joyful badge that belongs to the faith community God wants on this earth.

You see each Beatitude starts out with “Blessed are….” (which is Present Tense)  which expresses what is already true about the faith community.  What is happening right now among us – and the opportunities yet to be discovered?  Not every member of this community is able to claim to be:  meek, merciful or pure in heart.  But it is in each person’s presence and each person’s activity of meekness or mercifulness or righteousness or whichever Beatitude gift God has given to you, which blesses and calls each of us to a more common life of Kindom values.  If it’s the faith community saying and seeking to live the Beatitudes, then each of us here and the guests among us have the encouragement to go to this faith community for comfort knowing it will be found.  This doesn’t mean necessarily making everything right, but a community that will embrace you in the pain or confusion until it gives birth to the blessing. 

That is what this community we call Metropolitan Community Church of Greater St. Louis is all about.  As a faith community we are called to embrace the stranger -- the person who has not been accepted as a child of God just the way God created them.  We are called to embrace compassion, peace and embracing God’s call to each of us for justice.  This requires perseverance and discipline, receiving the truth and telling the truth -- but all of it being penetrated by compassion, mercy and love. Kindom life may not lead to happiness -- at least not the way the world defines happiness.  Kindom life will require perseverance, embracing each other as well as embracing the people who are seeking the blessedness of God’s Kindom.  Living out the Beatitudes brings about the opportunity for each of US to be someone’s “saint.”

If we take Jesus seriously folks, we will no longer be able to hate other people, but will instead have to ask for the grace to practice forgiveness.  We will want to seek righteousness instead of perpetrating injustices.  Risking this type of life might not even be worth it if we aren’t convinced that God is like this with each and every one of us.  The blessings Jesus names in this passage we call the Beatitudes is not so much an urging to be this or that, but a statement of how life IS for us in this faith community.  To trust in this vision is to see new possibilities.

I invite you to listen to a prayer called “The Prayer of St. Francis” which also points us in the direction of blessedness.

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

To be understood, as to understand;

To be loved, as to love;

For it is in giving that we receive,

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

I encourage you to pray for the grace to continue to create this kind of faith community and for the courage to live a life of “blessedness.”  So the question I leave with you is: How will each of you be remembered?  How will we as Metropolitan Community Church of Greater St. Louis be remembered? Folks, the opportunity is ours!

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