I Have Called You by Name Luke 6:20-26 November 7, 2004, All Saints' Sunday, Year C The Rev. William V. Livingston, Rector Church of the Resurrection, Starkville, Mississippi Did you hear them as you entered this nave, this worship space? They called your name. Who were they who called your name? Why, the saints of course! Yes, they included the well known saints: St. Francis, 13th Century founder of the Friars Minor or Franciscans, who declined the wealth of his family and spent a life-time serving the poor, who by his peaceful nature is reputed to have had animals gather as he preached, thus becoming the patron saint for the blessing of animals and of many a home garden or patio and St. Nicholas, 4th Century Bishop of Myra, who used his inheritance to pay the wedding dowries of poor girls to prevent them being sold into prostitution - later becoming the patron saint of gift-giving and the all-time favorite saint of children. The chorus calling your name included less well known saints: The many martyrs and those who gave away all they had to the poor, saints acknowledged by the Church with a designated day of the year as their feast days but who have otherwise slipped into obscurity and those saints who saintly lives went unnoticed by the world. Some of those saints calling your name had not always lived such saintly lives: The apostle Peter always seemed impetuous and never quite able to understand who Jesus really was; James and John, while later dying as martyrs, had once seemed more interested in places of honor; and Matthew had been a tax collector before following Jesus. St. Columban, 7th Century Abbot of Luxeuil, so struggled with his adolescent hormones that he sought the guidance of a religious woman hermit and following her advice began the life of a monk and went on to establish monasteries over much of Europe. John Newton, Anglican priest and author of Amazing Grace, had previously been involved in bringing slaves into the new colonies. Oh, this saintly choir that sang your name as you entered is a massive choir and included, yes perhaps a little off key, some of those saints who have personally touched your life: your grandparent, parent, dear friend, your junior high Sunday school teacher, a priest or minister who helped you through some troubling times, and oh, yes, way over there in the back, not quite able to keep rhythm with the rest of the saintly choir, is that eccentric uncle or aunt who always had time to listen to your problems and seemed to understand you when no one else did. This saintly choir includes those whose name we prayed in last night's service commemorating the dead and those whom we will include in the Prayers of the People today. This choir sings your name every week, every time you enter this space, but they had practiced extra hard for today. In perfect harmony (except for the musically challenged) they called your name as you entered. They wanted to get it perfect. Because today they want you to know you, too, are a member of that saintly choir. They want you to remember you are a member of that saintly chorus we acknowledge each week as we celebrate the Eucharist when we join our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, to for ever sing: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. This choir calls your name because they, too, had thought like you that, "There are so many people who can do, and have done, God's work in the world so much better than I ever could. So why should I even try?" They call your name to remind you that your desire to serve your God and your Church in smaller, quieter ways doesn't mean you have nothing in common with the superstars of the Christian faith. They call your name for you to hear the gospel today tell you that ordinary men and women through the love of God attempting to live a life of righteousness, mercy, peacemaking can do extraordinary things and that serving and loving God in even the smallest way makes you a saint, too. This means none of us can shrug our shoulders and say sainthood is beyond our reach because each of us has been called by name. You see, on All Saints' Sunday we make a very bold claim, we claim all these people are our relatives. We have the same blood running in our veins - Christ's blood - and the same light shining in them shines in us too. The same one who called them by name called us by name. It occurred at our Baptisms when God called us by name to become saints. God called us by name not because we deserved it or because God anticipated we'd be perfect or nearly perfect. No, God calls us by name asking us to take on a dedication - a single-mindedness, if you will - the sort of emphasis we put on our hobbies, our golf game, our business, and even perhaps on our human relationships. It is that kind of commitment, dedication, or single-mindedness that we will sing, "They were all of them saints of God and I mean, God helping, to be one too." No matter how you would grade yourself as a saint, you cannot take it back. Once you are baptized, once God has called you by name, all that remains to be seen is what you will do about it. Just remember that you do not have to be famous, or perfect, or dead. You just have to be you - the one-of-a-kind, never-to-be-repeated human being whom God created you to be and whom God called you by name to be - to love as you are loved, to throw your arms around the world, to shine like the sun. And so, today, we celebrate those God has called by name: Francis, Nicholas, Peter, James, John, Matthew, Columban, John Newton, those saints known only by you, those saints listed in our parish register who because God called them by name, we today have this space in which to worship. We also celebrate those saints among us whom God has called by name who train our acolytes, mow our grass, deliver meals during an illness or death, sing in the choir, serve as Warden or on the Vestry, serve on the Altar Guild, or do the many invisible things that make church possible. As God calls our names, God loves us, and has a purpose for each and every one of us in bringing about the reign of heaven here on earth. None of us should feel discouraged because our part doesn't seem very big - it is the part that God has chosen specially for us and for no one else. God's grace, gift, enabling power is there for us to use as we live into our calling to be saints. Like all of God's gifts, we realize that which we are being given when we actually do something with these gifts. There's some saintly ministry in this church or community just waiting for you, personally, to become saintly about. But you do not do it alone. You have all this company - all these saints sitting right here whom you can see for yourself plus those you cannot see - Francis, Nicholas, Peter, James, John, Matthew, Columban, and that saint who understood you as no one else could - all of them egging you on, calling your name and shouting themselves hoarse with encouragement. Because you are part of them, they are part of you, and all of us are knit together in the communion of saints - folks God has called by name - sent into the world with the love of Christ. In this company, we have security to do for Jesus the things we fear to do or even object to doing. To increase this awareness of being called by name in our Baptisms, today we begin what I hope may become a tradition here at Resurrection. We have these banners you see thanks to Diane Livingston who brought forward the idea, Sally Hester who designed the silk screen, Ellen Newsom who did the sewing and John Beal who constructed the carriers - saints of God offering their gifts for God's purpose. In a few minutes, if we listen carefully, we will hear God gently, lovingly say, "Keith, Claire, Magdalen, Lanae, Madelyn, June, I have called you by name." And when I present them to you saying, "Let us welcome the newly baptized." Along with you, that chorus of saints that called your name as you entered today, with tears streaming down their cheeks, will shout at the top of their lungs, "We receive you into the household of God! Confess the faith of Christ crucified, proclaim his resurrection, and share with us in his eternal priesthood!"