November 5, 2023
On All Saints Day, it is fitting to think of the many transitions that our parish is undergoing. Two years ago, Father Jeff retired. Rev. Sarah joined us as Interim Rector. We are in the midst of a capital campaign, and are embarking on an ambitious project to build a kitchen to combat food insecurity in our communities. We have formed a foundation to support our ministries, and are renovating space for Clothesline. As a congregation, we are working through many transitions.
We are in the space in between. There is something truly unique about the space in between. As a congregation, we are who we were, but also who we will be. We are moving toward a future which cannot be known.
Transitions, and the space in between, are not unique to St. Tim's. Individuals, groups and even countries go through transitions. This time is challenging and disorienting and exciting, yet is filled with new potential. Liminality is a term used to describe the psychological process of transitioning, a time of ambiguity and disorientation, of stepping across the threshold from one space to another. God does his greatest work in liminality.
The book, "How to Lead When You Don't Know Where You're Going," by Susan Beaumont, describes the unique challenges and opportunities that are held in liminality. Leaders want to move forward with purpose and certainty, yet they might feel as if they are trudging through mud. They are moving always away from the familiar. This space in between can be frustrating, especially for those who thrive on clarity and order. Yet that space brings newness, and inspires creativity. Beaumont believes that all great innovations are incubated in liminality. When we let go of our grip on control and our sense of the future, we can dream new dreams.
When we enter into a period of transition, God meets us there. All Saints Day is a marker in liminal time. All Saints reminds us of the people we have lost. We are reminded of the saints in our lives - maybe our parents or children, our mentors or our teachers. We call to mind the saints that we do not know - those whose names we never knew or who we know only through history. We give thanks for God for their lives. We are reminded that the distance between our ancestors and ourselves is not so great. It is also a reminder that we do not journey alone.
Jan Richardson, a devotional writer, writes of the concept of 'thin places' in the Celtic tradition. Thin places are believed to be places where the distance between Heavan and earth is less. Thin places allow people to have a more pronounced experience of the divine. Richardson believes this experience is not limited to physical places, but can be found in people. These are the people who allow us to feel more certain of God's goodness and presence.
The Gospel lesson in Matthew 5:1-12, is known as The Beatitudes. "Blessed are the poor in spirit." "Blessed are those who mourn." "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness." The word blessed is used nine times in as many verses. James Alison, a Catholic theologian, translated the word 'blessed' as 'radiant.' Consider for a moment, how that feels. Radiant are the meek. Radiant are the merciful. Radiant are the pure in heart.
We can all hope that there is someone in our life who is radiant. Radiant people lean on God's understanding. They pray and ask for God's guidance. They are our saints. They become, for us, a meeting place between the things of heaven and the things of earth.
As we stand in the liminal space, on the threshold, and are aware of the gifts of the space in between, we know that God will meet us and do his most wonderful work. We are called to be radiant. Radiant in the community, a refuge for those who seek God's things on earth. We are called to be radiant in our own lives. As we, at St. Tim's, cross this threshold, we are never alone. The saints are with us. We are surrounded by all 79 congregations in the diocese. Each one of us is on a journey every day, seeking to follow Jesus and to worship God.
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Homily summary by Christine Castellano