All Saints’ Sunday 11/05/23
The Still Point…
A Time of Meditation and Reflection
All Saints’ Sunday
... At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless;
Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is,
But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity,
Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards,
Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point,
There would be no dance, and there is only the dance...
T.S. Eliot, Burnt Norton
Peace on each one who comes in need;
Peace on each one who comes in joy.
Peace on each one who offers prayers;
Peace on each one who offers song.
Peace of the Maker, Peace of the Son,
Peace of the Spirit, the Triune One.
Opening Prayer
O God, you show your glory throughout your Creation, calling it very good: Grant us the fullness of your blessing, that we, stewarding your garden, may become partakers in your joy; through Jesus Christ the Wisdom of Creation, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.
The Gospel Matthew 5:1-12
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
"Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
Poem: “Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit” by Alice Walker
"Blessed are the poor in spirit (for theirs is the kingdom of heaven)."
Did you ever understand this?
If my spirit was poor, how could I enter heaven?
Was I depressed?
Understanding editing,
I see how a comma, removed or inserted
with careful plan,
can change everything.
I was reminded of this
when a poor young man
in Tunisia
desperate to live
and humiliated for trying
set himself ablaze;
I felt uncomfortably warm
as if scalded by his shame.
I do not have to sell vegetables from a cart as he did
or live in narrow rooms too small for spacious thought;
and, at this late date,
I do not worry that someone will
remove every single opportunity
for me to thrive.
Still, I am connected to, inseparable from,
this young man.
Blessed are the poor, in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus. (Commas restored).
Jesus was as usual talking about solidarity:
about how we join with other
and, in spirit, feel the world, and suffering,
the same as them.
This is the kingdom of owning the other as
self, the self as other --
that transforms grief into
peace and delight.
I, and you, might enter the heaven
of right here
through this door.
In this spirit, knowing we are blessed,
we might remain poor.
Meditation
Today's reading of the Beatitudes reminds us of the context in which we honor the departed saints on today's feast day. Within that context, a saint is meek, hungers for righteousness and mourns in the face of loss, is merciful and pure in heart, makes peace, and, most importantly for today's poem, is poor in spirit. Alice Walker's meditation on this phrase adds a good-natured, rebellious comma to broaden the scope of Jesus's blessing. She also invites us into Jesus's vision, asking us to "join with other" and to own "the other as self, the self as other." Ultimately, too, she asks us to consider that we, too, belong to the company of the saints.
Questions for Reflection
What phrases in the poem stand out for you as spirit-filled?
Alice Walker's great novel The Color Purple takes the form of a series of letters to God. Here, Walker 'corrects' the punctuation of God's word. What acts of rebellion have you found holy in your faith life?
During this week’s series of feasts, this poem might provide us a bridge between the Saints (capital-S, officially acknowledged) and the saints (small-s, personally and privately acknowledged). Who, for you, belong to your personal, private company of saints? What qualities did these individuals' lives communicate to you and to the world?
Prayers
We bring before God someone whom we have met or remembered today
We bring to God someone who is hurting tonight and needs our prayer
We bring to God a troubled situation in our world
We bring to God, silently, someone whom we find hard to forgive or trust
We bring ourselves to God that we might grow in generosity of spirit, clarity of mind, and warmth of affection
We offer our thanks to God for the blessings in our lives
We name before God those who have died.
Gracious God, you hear all our prayers: those we speak aloud, those we hold in our hearts, and those prayers for which we have no words. Hear the prayers of your people, and grant them as may be best for us, for the sake of your holy name. Amen.
Accept our thanks for all you have done, O God. Our hands were empty, and you filled them.
May Christ’s holy, healing, enabling Spirit be with us every step of the way, and be our guide as our road changes and turns, and the blessing of God our Creator, Redeemer and Giver of life be among us now and remain with us forever. Amen.
Reflections this month offered by: Matt Bentley
