All Saint’s Day, November 2 2014 Thanksgiving for
Happy People, Psalter 769, *Matthew 5.1-12 Jacqueline Hines
On this All Saints’ Day, we remember and rejoice in
loved ones with whom we have shared our very lives. [#1Hands
joining in cross] We have lived and served side by side and elbow to
elbow with these most precious people. [#2 Team to Target] Today, Jesus tells all of us
that we are blessed, that we are happy when we are poor in spirit. We are happy
when we know we are poor compared to God’s riches, when we know our dire need
and God’s abundant ability to provide for us. Blessed, meaning “happy” are the poor in
spirit. [#3 Jumping for Joy]
Do you know how poor you are today? Do you know how
badly you need what you can only receive from God’s hands? Do you need wisdom
for some important decision ahead? Are you a bit barren when it comes to one of
the fruit of the Spirit? Do you need a little more love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness (generosity), faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control? Do
you need to receive or to share? What exactly do you desperately need this morning?
[ #4 on knees ] Whatever it is, God has it
and only God can give it to you, so go to God. [#5
God’s hands]
Today we are reminded that many of God’s blessings come
to us through people. Many people shower[ #6
showers on man] us with God’s blessings and the flow goes on and on and never
seems to stop. On the other hand, some people bless us by giving us plenty of hard
times, but those hard times teach us valuable lessons that strengthen us. [#7 Lion] Hard times are the time to
fervently seek more of God’s love. ‘For the less we love, the more we judge.’ (Steve Arterburn)
It is true, in our lives we have blessing upon
blessing upon blessing. No matter what kind of life we have, when the sun rises
in the morning, we are blessed. It is also true that we do not have total
control over all our blessings. Job’s words rarely comfort us, “The Lord gives
and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
When our blessings come, we rejoice. [#8 rejoicing ] When our blessings are taken away,
we mourn, and well we should. [#9 angel mourning] For
as one poet says, when someone we love leaves us, it seems as if the music
stops. The music stops just when it was getting sweet, just when we were
learning the tune, the music stops.
When the saints die, they take a part of us with them.
Every pore of our being screams that something is not quite right. It is just
as C. S. Lewis said after his wife died too soon of cancer, "Joy's absence
is like the sky, spread over everything. There is spread over everything a
vague sense of wrongness, of something amiss." Our own tears and bated
breath bear witness to the fact that things are all of kilter and will never,
ever be the same.
God knows, we need to mourn for four reasons as Pastor
Bill Kincaid teaches. We need to mourn because mourning lets loving, faithful
people into our heart to share our pain. Afterall, the wise understand
that a burden shared becomes a half of a burden. Secondly, mourning brings instant healing by creating a
circle of loving space. It is a space to walk safely through our grief rather
than walk recklessly around the edges. Thirdly, mourning helps us to release
our anger, to get our strong emotions off our chest, to tell God just how mad
we are about our loss. Finally, mourning gives us a chance to remember,
reflect, celebrate, and give thanks. We are then comforted, not by having the
memory erased, but by having our pain soothed to the point that we can
remember all the ways we loved so deeply, which is why we hurt so deeply.
So what Jesus says is true, “Blessed or happy are
those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.“ [#10 Jesus hug man] Through mourning, our
comfort becomes just as strong as our love has been. [#11
Jesus hug woman]
In good times and tough times, we have a source of
happiness that comes from Heaven. It is a blessing that we may not always
appreciate. In spite of it all, blessed are the poor in spirit. They have God’s
abundance to make them happy. Blessed are the meek, the humble, the teachable
because the have a world of blessings at their fingertips when they are willing
to give their all up for the kingdom. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst
for righteousness, who are merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, or persecuted.
They can be happy in spite of the pain.
In our losses we are promised comfort.
“Comfort is not the erasing of a memory, but having our pain soothed to the
point that we can remember. Comfort is not a drying of the tears, but a peace
that allows us to remember and give thanks even while we cry.” ( Bill Kincaid).
In the past several weeks, besides
mourning the loss of loved ones, we are mourning the invasion of Ebola,
beheadings, terrorism, children killing children, not to mention the day to day
disappointments. Still, we are promised that in a certain corner of our heart
we will find a peace [#12 waterfall ] that
goes beyond any explanation and puts a smile in our heart. That’s what makes us
happy people. The whole world can give thanks for God fills it with happy
people. Bobby McFerrin put it this way:
Here's a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don't worry be happy
[#13 Don’t worry, bee happy]
In every life we have some trouble
When you worry you make it double
Don't worry, be happy
Ain't got no place to lay your head
Somebody came and took your bed
Don't worry, be happy
The land lord say your rent is late
He may have to litigate
Don't worry, be happy
AMEN! [#14 to do – be happy]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-diB65scQU (Bobby Mcferrin Don’t Worry)
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