In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

     It's always a blessing to have visiting clergy with us. Pastor Paul Messner, who was here for Saint Luke's Sunday, told me later in the day how blessed he was in being here, and how noticeable was the piety of our members. Of course, I wanted to know more, so I asked, "Tell me more-what, in particular, did you notice?" "Well", Pastor Paul began, "I noticed the devotion and attentiveness of your acolytes-not only were they well-trained, but they participated in the liturgy, seemed to actually be praying, and acted as faithful leaders of worship. Also", said Pastor Messner, "your members exhibit an obvious devotional piety-many make the sign of the cross, they know when to kneel, and when they come for communion-they're focused on what they're doing-not talking, not distracted, they seem to be focused on the Lord's presence in the Sacrament."

     I have to tell you, it warmed my soul that Paul should say such things, and it made me-not proud, but thankful, and appreciative of the sincerity of our acolytes, the devotion of our assisting ministers, the faithfulness of all our members who take worship so seriously. I've been thinking, what a wonderful bunch of "saints" we have here at Saint Luke's! I realize, the only difficulty is-we are not-may not be so saintly as we appear. Yes, we come to church and look all "gussied up"-our acolytes wear clean and white robes, our assistants, for the most part, know when to bow, and where to stand, and how to look, focused and attentive. But we all know, saintliness is not about outward appearances. Saintliness is not about appearing, disciplined and together. Saintliness is not about an apparent piety. Oh, it's important to be disciplined, and focused and pious-sometimes, outward actions can transform the inner being. But looking like saints, doesn't make us saints. Just as acting saintly, doesn't make us saintly. And you know, and I know-that underneath, we don't feel very saintly at all-preachers and lay people alike! Maybe the dirty, torn-up tennis shoes peeking out from underneath the acolyte's cassocks remind us of the fact that in spite of how we look at church on Sunday, down deep inside, most of us are troubled, worried, full of doubts and disobedience, not always sure we should be here at church--at all! And it's not that most of us are greater sinners than anyone else-it's that we are sinners, and we know it. We are, as we say in one of our confessional prayers, in bondage to sin; we are by nature, sinful and unclean-and that sinful nature-keeps us in bondage, and yes, sometimes it keeps us from feeling very Christian, at the least, not to mention, not very saintly. And so, we live life doing the best we can to present a Christ-like exterior-a Christian-looking façade, while inside, we know we don't measure up, we can feel beaten down and defeated, we can be, yes, in bondage to our own brokenness and disobedience. And maybe that's why it's so easy on All Saint's Sunday to focus on those saints of God who have died in the Lord and gone to their eternal rest. We like remembering them, we need to remember them, yes-but it's also easier to think of our beloved dead, as saints, rather than confront the fact that All Saint's Sunday, is not just about them-it's about us, too! This is one Sunday in the Church year when we can rightly say, in a sense, it is about us, today! Normally, I'm saying it's not about us, it's about God-but the Festival of All Saints, includes us-you and me, the living as well as the dearly departed. And why is it important to take one Sunday out of the Church year to consider our saintliness? Because we, too, need to be resurrected! And we need resurrection, not just at the hour of our death-we need resurrection, now-in the midst of life-now, as we struggle with sin, death and the devil-now, as we struggle with our bondage to lust, and greed, and vanity, and lying, and covetousness, and all the other things we are in bondage to.

     Granted, our lessons each speak, at face value, about eternal life: our first reading from the Apocrypha, proclaims, "the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, they are at peace."; our second reading from Revelation describes the heavenly city, the New Jerusalem, where God will live with the saints for eternity, wiping every tear from their eye, for death will be no more."; and then, in our gospel reading, Jesus raises Lazarus from death, proclaiming not only Jesus' resurrection, but the good news that all who die as friends of Jesus, will be raised unto eternal life. The overarching theme of our lessons today, is resurrection unto eternal life. But with that, is the theme of resurrection, today-new life, now! And in fact, that may be the more pressing theme, because while we remember our beloved dead-there's nothing we can do for them. They are at peace in God-they are in God's love and care. We, on the other hand-need, daily to be resurrected. We are not so much at peace in life. We are as much in bondage, as was Lazarus who was, hands and feet, bound with cloth and left for dead. And Jesus' words are meant for us, as much as for Lazarus-Jesus commands us to come out of our living death, to be unbound-let go, so that we might be free to live, resurrected lives-lives that are full, and faithful, because Jesus is, as he tells Martha and Mary, "the resurrection and the life". The one who was seated on the throne, in Revelation, said, "See, I am making all things new." And that means, He is making you and me, new-right here, right now. He doesn't say, "behold, I WILL make all things new", but "I AM making all things new." These words were not prophesy, but words of proclamation that John was to take back to earth with him, to speak to those still struggling with earthly life. That's why the one on the throne, God, also said, "write this, for these words are trustworthy and true." God intended us to hear this-God wants us to know that now, He is at work making all things new-making you and me, new. Which is why, we come back to the fact that, it's not about us, after all. All Saint's Day might be aimed at us, but All Saint's Day is about, God, making us new-it's about God, making us saints, even though we're not very saintly. It's about God declaring us righteous, not because we're all that good and righteous, but because Jesus is righteous, and Jesus died in our place on the cross, and Jesus will stand in our place on judgment day, that we might be pronounced righteous, for Jesus' sake, not for our own. Which is why we call our righteousness, an "alien righteousness"-because it is not our own-it is alien to us-foreign to us, but given to us, by God, because He loves us.and wants us to be free, wants us to be saved, wants us to see ourselves as saints, not because of who we are, but because of who Jesus is. And that's why we are saints, after all-because of who Jesus is-because Jesus is the resurrection and the life-because Jesus can unbind us, and break the chains, and bring us back to life, not just then, but now-so that we can leave here, this morning, resurrected-made new, ready to live life as the saints we are-loving, serving, ministering, with the power and the presence of Jesus-who is even now, living with us; who is even now dwelling with us; who is even now, wiping every tear from our eyes, healing our mourning and our crying and our pain-who is even now, giving water to the thirsty, as a gift from the spring of the water of life.

     Now surely, not everyone of us came here this morning like Lazarus, dead or dying inside, lifeless, feeling corrupt like we're stench-ing up the place-but some of us are at just that place in life, entombed, buried by life, and its worries and burdens. And it is to you, that Jesus speaks today-it is for you that Jesus came-to make you new-to raise you up, to set you free, for life, and for living! So-in the name of Jesus, be free! In the name of Jesus, be fully alive! In Jesus, be the saint you have been redeemed to be!

     In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen!