I Am Here - 11-03-19

Ian Reed Twiss Sermons

The promise of All Saints' day, captured in the John O’Donohue poem we read, is that those we've loved are here in some metaphysical way as well--a cloud of saints who have entered into joy, watching and praying for us on our own way there. I always think of the "cloud of witnesses" passage in Hebrews 12, which is oddly never assigned on All Saints Day. That passage also compares life to running a race, and if you've ever run a race, you'll know that all these spectators line up along the sidelines shouting words of encouragement, telling you you're looking good (even when you're not), cheering you on. That stuff really matters. You're miles into the endurance event, and you feel buoyed up by their words. You feel seen and heartened. It's a comfort to think that all those we've known and loved are doing that for us. Or even, depending on how God has wired you, to sensethat they are, to feel their presence. But I know that God has not wired all of us for such an experience. Some of us are more tied to tangible reality than others. And in this most concrete sense, the note that my friend's father wrote, "I am here," is only true in the past. He was here, and now he's not. And yet even this approach to remembering the dead has something spiritual to remind us: all we really have is right now. So the deepest and best way to live is to be with those we love while we are with them. To truly appreciate the presence of one another. To be fully here while we are here. For more information about the life of the church where this sermon was preached, find our website at www.holycrossnovi.org or our facebook page under the name “Holy Cross Episcopal Church.” Or join us for worship, Sunday mornings at 8:00 and 10:00 at 40700 W. Ten Mile Road, Novi, MI 48375