Seeing the Saintly Self

First Congregational Church – Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
22nd Sunday after Pentecost – November 6, 2005
Rev. Steven A. Peay, Ph.D.
[Texts: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 /Matthew 25:1-13]

 

            I’ve always liked cartoons. They’re a part of my daily newspaper routine and I enjoy the animated kind from time-to-time, especially the classics. I like cartoons because the imagination can run wild and profound things can be expressed in simple – if not hilarious – ways. Take good and evil, for example. When a cartoon character – Bugs Bunny or Jerry Mouse – is tempted to do something wrong, two little figures – a devil and an angel – will pop up on either shoulder. These little figures will then proceed to argue the case and seek to persuade the character to do good or ill. On more than one occasion these little figures will get into a fight. The angel – good – usually triumphs in the end. Thank God that happens somewhere!

            Life would be a great deal easier if those little folks would pop up for us, wouldn’t it? I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I’ve ever had a tutelary spirit – be it angel or devil – appear to tell me what to do or how to live my life. The issues I’ve had to grapple with had to be solved from within myself. And, when I’ve made decisions – whether good or bad – I’m not conscious of either a halo or horns popping up either! I guess I’m trying to say that seeing the saintly self involves our being intentional, self-aware, and disciplined. In short, seeing the saintly self is just like the rest of living out of the Christian life: it’s work.

            Both of our Scripture texts make reference to the end-times. Paul reminds us that those who follow Christ do not mourn or grieve as others might.  Because of the Lord’s resurrection we live in hope and are to encourage each other along the way with that hope. Matthew’s recounting of the parable of the wise and foolish virgins is designed to ask who will be ready and who won’t be ready when the time comes – the wise and the foolish. However, the “Left Behind” books and movie notwithstanding, we have to confront the reality that the Lord’s coming has been delayed – as some think – or maybe it’s just not time yet. I’m of the opinion that the Lord isn’t going to come back until we realize the truth of his FIRST coming! So I think we need to look at this story in a different way.

            When I look at this text, it speaks to me of how we prepare to live our lives and how we go about the task of living toward God and toward others day-by-day. Every day we’re trying to get ready for what could be the Lord’s coming for us, death is a part of human life and thus shouldn’t be ignored. For us it is not the ending of life, but a transition point from one side of it to another. This is why Christians have traditionally remembered those who have passed from the life we know now to the one that Jesus told us waits for us. We remember all saints and all souls because, as Paul says, “we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, thorough Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died.”

            I appreciate what the contemporary theologian and storyteller John Shea says about this parable, “The truth of oil is, you have to have your own. Although everyone has a lamp of consciousness, each person must supply oil from their living out of the teachings of Christ. One cannot develop spirituality by taking the consciousness and action of another as your own.” Later in the service we’re going to sing “Faith of Our Fathers” – a great hymn, but that faith of our fathers and mothers only becomes effective when we make it OUR FAITH. There’s that work point again. God gives us the gifts of family and friends, the church and all the experiences of our lives. Yet, we still have to apprehend the faith and the truth we find through them ourselves and then make it real in our own lives. Our lamps shine on our own paths and, from time-to-time, come together to brighten and illumine the dark places of our lives. Seeing the saintly self, then, is making the effort to light the lamp and to keep it burning brightly.

            God and God’s love for us is the true source of the spiritual oil for the lamps of our lives. One of the great spiritual writers of the Orthodox Christian East, Isaac of Nineveh, commented, “There is love like a small lamp, fed by oil, which goes out when the oil is ended; or like a rain-fed storm which goes dry, when rain no longer feeds it. But there is a love, like a spring gushing from the earth, never to be exhausted.” The one who lives life truly seeking God and loving others knows this and draws on this never-ending supply. They don’t have to run out and buy oil, in other words they don’t have to direct their consciousness outward, because they know God’s love is deep within them.

            Coming to that awareness of the saintly self involves several very practical things. First, there is the ongoing development of self-consciousness or self-awareness. Our Puritan forebears understood this and practiced self-examination on a regular basis. Thomas Watson said, “Make your spiritual accounts daily; see how matters stand between God and your souls (Psalm 77:6). Often reckonings keep God and conscience friends. Do with your hearts as you do with your watches, wind them up every morning by prayer, and at night examine whether your hearts have gone true all that day, whether the wheels of your affections have moved swiftly toward heaven.” Second, there is the need to inform our minds and hearts so that the conscience has something to work with – that involves study. Many of you have a regular physical work-out, and I should, but do you have a regular spiritual work-out? Is time set aside each day to read Scripture, to read from some good book or an article on spiritual growth and development? As our bodies need to be exercised, so do our souls. The third exercise is cultivating an awareness of God’s presence with us. That kind of God-consciousness comes only as a result of meditation and prayer. If you need counsel, assistance or encouragement in developing these practices don’t hesitate to call on one of your ministers – it’s why we’re here (and we’d much rather talk with folks about their spiritual lives than serve as “sanctified cruise directors” or administrators!).

            The lamps of our souls illuminate the saintly self we want to see. It may be a bit of work to keep the oil flowing and the lamp burning brightly, but we all know that anything worthwhile tends to take effort on our parts. The reward, however, is beyond our sight, for what we seek is union with the One. When that union is accomplished is hard to tell, but we know that God desires it as much or more than we do. Ultimately, it is the Bridegroom who looks to see the saintly self and to be seen we need to have the lamps of our lives burning brightly. As Matthew says, “you know neither the day nor the hour.”

            Seeing the saintly self is much like seeing Christ present to us in Word and Sacrament. We hear words, but know that we are listening for God. We see everyday food items – bread and cup – but we know that Christ has promised to be present to us and be joined with us each time we do this, “for the remembrance of me.” Seeing the saintly self requires that we look deep inside ourselves to see God at work in us. It’s not about cartoon ideas of good or evil, or even of holiness, as easy or attractive as they may be. Seeing the saintly self is about our working to keep the lamp of life burning brightly, which means we have kept the oil of God’s love flowing in us – always. May it be so.