All Saints

November first was all saints day on some calendars.

     This word, saint, has been on my mind some. I read a book about community this year. The author was convinced that God intends for us to become saints in this life. The author got this from the writings of Paul, especially Ephesians. Not to become a wizard who walks on water or heals people with a touch, but people of mature spiritual character.

     It seems like there isn’t too much talk about becoming an actual saint, not in the churches I’ve gone to. It is intimidating, daunting really, to plan to become a saint. Even if we changed the word from saint to spiritually mature… The author (John Alexander from Church of the Sojourner in San Francisco) is bold enough to say that the calling to become a saint is the real calling on each Christian, and that there isn’t a career path that God has as a calling for anyone, only his or her gifts being used to build up the church. Mr. Alexander also asserts that it is impossible to become a saint without the help of a community, and that is probably one reason there are so few saints in our places of worship. Individualistic Americans won’t learn the necessary practices that make a person into a saint.

     Spiritual Formation has been an interest of mine. You might call it discipleship. Or maturity. Anybody could see that any of those terms has to do with a life of devotion – nobody is fully mature at 30 years old (age does not cause any spiritual maturity by itself). Becoming a saint takes a lot of effort and time. Lately we have been learning about the Life Model, which takes the concepts of maturity and development pretty seriously.

     Learning how to listen to God in the moment and to live from the Heart instead of making decisions and speaking from the things I’ve learned so far or the ways I have been treated; being that attuned to God seems a long way off.

     Thankfully, here in our community, there are many people who are elders in their spiritual development. They are able to help me learn how to “suffer well”. We are pressing in to the work we discern within us.

“Don’t call me a saint. I don’t want to be dismissed so easily.” – Dorothy Day