FOR ALL THE SAINTS

I think I always enjoyed studying history. I am not sure when I became fascinated with it and how it helps us understand the present. Perhaps it was sitting in my grandfather’s lap listening to his hilarious stories about his childhood or maybe it was in the fifth grade when Mrs. Hartwell was trying to get us to distinguish between the First and Second Continental Congresses and I guessed the answer, or maybe it was in my 11th grade English History class when Mr. Vannah announced that King Henry the 8th had died of a “surfeit of peaches.” (That means he took a peach overdose.)

In the history of the Church November begins on the very first day of the month with the celebration of All Saints Day (less remembered than the festival which immediately precedes it known as the Eve of All Hallows when a vigil is kept to remember and honor martyrs and our departed ancestors). On All Saints Day masses are said and prayers are offered commemorating the lives and the work of the saints. Traditionally followed on November 2nd by All Souls Day (when prayers are said to help move folks out of purgatory into heaven) the two days have been sort of rolled into one day by the Protestants.

This year we will celebrate All Saints on Sunday November 2nd and we will sing one of my favorite hymns “For All the Saints.” The words of the hymn written in 1864 by William H. How are based on the vision brought to mind in the exhortation (sermon) called The Letter to the Hebrews, chapter 12 verses 1&2: Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

How many of us have ever thought of our faith as a race, never mind one that has been set before us that we either run or give-up, something akin to a marathon the grueling pace and distance through which we must persevere. In the days when that letter to the Hebrews was written people who suffered for their beliefs felt like they were running an endless marathon. They hoped and prayed for the day when the promised Kingdom of God would come. They hoped and prayed for a day of radical change, for a day when they would not be made sport of or called names, in a new empire ruled by people of better character surely than these. They had been enduring abuse, prejudice, and religious intolerance for decades. They were anxious for God to intervene, to oust their political oppressors from power and to tip the scales at long last in their favor. There are those who would say that the early Christians were all praying for the end of the world, but I venture to say that in their more rational moments they were simply hoping for some relief to be able to worship without having to hide who they were.

Perhaps when we have experienced the most crushing grief imaginable in our lives, we were obliged to run after our faith and grab hold of it before it slipped away. But most of us would deny our relationship with our faith as being perpetually exhausting. Not to sound callous, but in this day and age if our faith experience was so exhausting, being the practical people that we are, we would probably trade it in on a more up to date model.

I believe we are people who are grateful for our faith, grateful for the freedom to embrace it, express it and share it. We are grateful for the saints who have gone before us, who endured much for our sakes. I believe we are people who are grateful for our faith, grateful for the freedom to embrace it, express it and share it. We are grateful for the saints who have gone before us, who endured much for our sakes. Some were martyred for their beliefs, others lived lives to be emulated, and still others whose lives were taken from them forced us to look at ourselves. We are grateful for those still living whose courage, commitment, faith and endurance strive to show us a new way: Stephen, Paul, Priscilla, Aquilla, Chloe, Barnabus, Euodia, Syntyche, Clement, Phoebe, Constantine, Quintus S.F.Tertullian, John Chrysostom, Athanasius, Eusebius of Caesarea, Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa, Julian of Norwich, Teresa of Avila, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Menno Simons, John Wesley, Sarah Crosby, William Wilberforce, Olauda Equiano, Jonathan Edwards, Thomas Coke, Francis Asbury, Alexander Campbell, Florence Nightingale, Abraham Lincoln, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Clara Celestia, Hale Babcock, Carrie Nation, Margaret Sanger, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucy Stone, Olympia Brown, Bill Wilson, Bob Smith, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Edith Stein, Jo Ann Robinson, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner, Betty Freidan, Ryan White, Mother Teresa, Matthew Shepard, Troy Perry, Gene Robinson and Geoffrey Farrow.

As that cloud full of witnesses watches us today, let us put on our sneakers and work up a spirited sweat. Let us have the guts to run at the elbow of those who still endure daily the effects of prejudice and intolerance, misunderstanding and abuse. Look up people, the heavens are full of saints who are clamoring in the company of the Christ to cheer us on toward radical change and a brand new day.

Blessings, Rev. Amanda

P.S. The list above is by no means exhaustive. They are people who came to mind as I thought about how the world has changed and who changed it. If you don’t know some of the people listed above, their stories are easy to find. I can help you if you like.     

WORSHIP WITH US AT 9:00am or 10:45am

Sunday, November 23rd at 4:30pm

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7TH 4:00PM IN THE SANCTUARY

Sunday, December 7th we will present "An Evening of Passionate Piano” with internationally recognized composer/performer, Jarrod Elmore. His 2006 CD release, Dance of Grace, has sold in the United States, Japan, Ireland, Russia, the Netherlands, Korea, Malaysia, China, Australia, Great Britain, Germany, France, and Denmark.   According to Elmore, international recognition as a solo pianist was an unexpected twist in the plot of his life.   “When I saw that my music caused individuals’ emotions to surface, I realized I had been chosen to comfort peoples’ hearts, inspire them to dream, and ultimately help them open up to feeling." Jarrod Elmore will appear live Sunday, December 7, 2008 at 4:00pm in the sanctuary.     

“We do this because we love to read and think everyone should.”

Nancy Jane Clark and Dorothy Nelson are the church’s book mavens. Now, you may be wondering what that means. A maven is an expert, a knowledgeable enthusiast in a particular area of interest to them, for instance, Sarah Jessica Parker (as Carrie) and shoes, Elizabeth Taylor (as herself) and jewelry, or Tim Gunn and fashion.

Nancy Jane and Dot are book enthusiasts of the first order. Nancy Jane has always loved to read. She first visited the library at the age of two and was thrilled when she was finally given the opportunity to pick out her own book to read. She remembers fondly how she and her mother read favorite poems to each other. Nancy Jane loved exploring libraries: public, private, elementary school, high school and college. Majoring in English at Stanford University she loved English literature. The best book she ever read was War and Peace. She loves maps and books with maps. Nancy Jane first became interested in running a library when she found out that her son’s elementary school had no librarian, no money for books and a principal who had locked the doors to it; even the teachers had no use for it. Tarzana was not exactly considered a depressed area, so the PTA members went to talk to a School Board member about re-opening the school’s library. His response was to say that a library was an unnecessary frill. (I hope he wasn’t re-elected.) Well, those PTA members took over the Nestle Avenue School library in Tarzana. They painted it, refurbished it, bought carpet, got rid of the books that were out of date, and held fund raisers to purchase new ones. Every year, the elementary school library, which was run completely by volunteers, improved, and Nancy Jane proudly served as the school’s librarian for 5 years. When they moved from the San Fernando Valley to the desert, Nancy Jane volunteered at the Palm Springs Public Library and was the library clerk at the Nellie Kaufman Middle School.

Dorothy Nelson also loved to read. She was a coal miner’s daughter and was too poor to even own a book. She envied the kids who were privileged enough to own their own books. She became friends with the library which was willing to let her read all the time. Her favorite book also happened to be the first book she could call her own: Heidi. Dorothy loved reading the boys mystery books, particularly “The Hardy Boys,” but she gave equal time to “Nancy Drew.” Dorothy says she truly went to the college of hard knocks. As soon as she graduated from high school she took a civil service job and worked as a secretary at the Mayo Hospital of Galesburg, Illinois. She worked over 20 years for Outboard Marine Corporation. The behind-the-scenes member of the library group is Katie Pettersen, graphic designer and all-around artistic person. She is responsible for all of the great signs that you see in the library.

Say Dorothy and Nancy Jane, “Jim Tom and Amy Bahnson were the driving force behind the creation of the PSUMC library.” Nancy Jane taught Dorothy the Dewey Decimal System for classifying the books, and the two have been a team ever since. “We work so well together we don’t have to be here at the same time. It takes 16 separate steps to process a book from the time it comes into the library until it gets to the shelf, and ours is a labor of true love. Managing this library is a two person job. We would love to train individuals interested in learning how to care for this wonderful venture. Because of the limited space we only have room for 1 copy of any book. Our books are terrific and in demand, so it is important that they be returned in a timely fashion. We have no fines, and issue no library cards. We don’t revoke the privileges of those who don’t return their books. There are wondrous books to be enjoyed by every one of all ages.”

LIVING THE QUESTIONS

Beginning October 19th, Sunday Night Live will be following a seven week video-discussion based study, “LIVING THE QUESTIONS” , developed by two Methodist pastors as a practical tool for attracting, educating and equipping their congregants to wrestle with basic questions often avoided by institutional religion.

Presenters in the videos are internationally recognized theologians, educators, scholars and authors. Many are familiar to S.N.L. regulars. They do not propose to create a new doctrine or dogma, but to perhaps crack open a door to the future.

“LIVING THE QUESTIONS” seeks not to provide easy answers, but to be a resource for people who are in the midst of a life-long conversation about the mysteries of faith and life. It is hoped that exposure to these ideas and perspectives will generate continued dialogue among the participants and beyond into their circles of influence. Please come learn more about this exciting program. It may be just what you are looking for.

In order to be a Methodist Pastor in full connection to the California-Pacific Annual Conference, Rev. Amanda is taking "United Methodist Studies" at Claremont School of Theology. The class runs from 1pm until 4pm every Friday, for two semesters, September to June. The commute to Claremont is one and 1/2 hours each way, so she has to leave by 11:15am to get there in plenty of time. Friday is usually Rev. Amanda's day off, so she will probably be taking some time off on another day of the week.

Dick Clapp, Chair of the Staff Parish Relations Committee