Thought for Today
Psalm 31:23 Love the LORD, all you his saints. The LORD preserves the faithful, but abundantly repays the one who acts haughtily.
Romans 1:7 To all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 4:11 The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
Philippians 4:21 Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The friends who are with me greet you.
Greta and I watched a television show last night where one of the main characters was plagued by a persistent ‘earworm.’ “An earworm or brainworm, also described as sticky music or stuck song syndrome, is a catchy or memorable piece of music or saying that continuously occupies a person's mind even after it is no longer being played or spoken about.” (en.wikipedia.org) In the television show, the earworm was a song from The Beach Boys.
Not surprisingly, I awoke this morning with an earworm. Not a Beach Boys song; not a song from Taylor Swift, Beyonce or any other popular singer. Not even a song from one of the musicians or groups I have previously mentioned. When I got up this morning, the hymn I Sing a Song of the Saints of God. Maybe a song written in 1929 could be considered ‘modern.’ Some might argue that any post-Reformation hymn is ‘modern.’ But, it was not the modernity of the hymn that planted that earworm.
The first verse of that hymn ends with what I have always considered an ardent prayer to God, “. . . God, help me to be one too.” Do I really want to be a saint? Not in the most commonly understood definition of saint! “In Christian belief, a saint, also known as a hallow, is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term saint depends on the context and denomination . . . The English word saint comes from the Latin sanctus, with the Greek equivalent being ἅγιος (hagios) 'holy'. The word ἅγιος appears 229 times in the Greek New Testament, and its English translation 60 times in the corresponding text of the King James Version of the Bible. . . . The word sanctus was originally a technical one in ancient Roman religion, but due to its globalized use in Christianity the modern word saint is now also used as a translation of comparable terms for persons ‘worthy of veneration for their holiness or sanctity’ in other religions.” (en.wikipedia.org)
Another part of the first verse of that hymn more closely captures what I think of when I think of being a saint, “faithful their whole lives through, who bravely labored, lived, and died for the God they loved and knew.” That hymn rightly notes that “one was a doctor, and one was a queen, and another a shepherd in pastures green.” Saints come in all sizes and shapes, all ethnicities, all nationalities and all professions. Equally, there are true saints in all faith traditions. The second verse of the hymn continues, “They loved their God and they lived that love. It was loving that made them strong. They did what was right, for Jesus’ sake, lived justly their whole loves long.”
Why do we do what we do? Why do we act the way we act? Are we motivated by ethical principles, by fear of retribution or punishment? Some of you may remember the fad a few years ago around WWJD. “What Would Jesus Do?” There were bookmarks, wrist bracelets and other reminders. Does pondering WWJD qualify one for sainthood?
I know what Jesus did do. I don’t have to ask myself that question. My motivation is the consideration of what Jesus and God want me to do in every situation. If you have read these Thoughts before, you may have noticed how often I quote Micah 6:8 and Luke 10:27. I find my answers to what Jesus and God want me to do in those verses.
I have shared before that in one of my early seminary classes, the professor greeted us every class with , “Good evening, saints.” He knew that Greek word ἅγιος. My computer lexicon defines ἅγιος as “the quality of persons or things that can be brought near or into God’s presence holy. (Friberg, Analytical Greek Lexicon)
When I sing the hymn I Sing a Song of the Saints of God, when I consider what to think, say and do, when I pray that line in the hymn, “. . . God, help me to be one too” I am asking God to make me suitable to be brought near to God, to live eternity in God’s presence.
Stay safe, pray to God , trust God,
Pastor Ray