SAINTS ALIVE!
Romans 16: 1 - 16
Murray St. Baptist Church
All Saints Sunday
November 1, 2009
In 1931 the Boy Scouts of America began to hand out a medal called the "Silver Beaver," which was given to those adult Scout leaders who made an impact upon youth through, yes, the scouting program, but also performed community service exemplifying their hard work, their self-sacrifice and their dedication, and many years of such service. Just as importantly, it was always given to those who did not actively seek it. In Canada something similar is called a "silver acorn".
Lyle Schaller, in his 1977 book entitled Survival Tactics in the Parish, one of the very first books I ever read on church health and church planning, borrowed the term "silver beaver" and applied it to church life. Silver beavers are the ways and means by which congregations 'shout out' its thank yous and acknowledgements to their hard working volunteers - a vigorous and often public pat on the back to their people who give notably of their time, their talents and their treasures in the service of Christ through the church, whether it is service in the church or maybe it's even out there in the community. Interestingly the converse, the other side of this, by the way, is what Shcaller called giving out a "dead rat," which is when churches don't just forget to say thank you but actually burn-out and under-appreciate and almost go out of their way to devalue the contributions of their volunteers and workers, assuming that it is inappropriate or unseemly to thank people for their Christian service and hard work. You're just supposed it expect it - it's just a given. Well that's a "dead rat."
In the last chapter of Romans, Paul sends out his silver beavers to the church in Rome - naming and thanking 24 individuals at least by name plus a few others whose names we don't hear, and all of them seem to be making some sort of significant contributions to the life of the Christian community in Rome. After all, as I said, the deep and profound, soaring theology that precedes this particular chapter throughout the letter, some of the best stuff that Paul ever wrote, I think it is somewhat significant that it now comes down to this snapshot or portrait of the visible church living out its faith and putting into practice the principles and beliefs that Paul has just explained. As Wm. Barclay notes, "No doubt behind every one of these names there is a story which is a romance in Christ." What does this picture tell us about the church and how might it then speak to us and give us some inspiration as to how we too can be God's community of saints? I think there are several points to make.
Paul indeed calls them saints twice, just in this chapter alone(16:2, 15). But it is a phrase he often and regularly uses to refer to the people of a local Christian Church to whom he is writing. Now literally, the word means "holy ones". Sometimes when we think of someone as a "saint" we put them on a pedestal; we think a saint is someone who is extra good and special in their behaviour and attitude, someone like Sister Theresa for example. Sometimes we also use the word "saint" in a derogatory manner, meaning someone who is perhaps acting a little "too-holier-than- thou" for our liking. But Paul uses the word consistently in the sense that it means that the church is made up of people who belong to God, who have, in fact, been set apart to serve him in their own special ways, a people dedicated to him. We, then, are all called by God to work for his purpose of love and grace in the world. And each of us, but also together, we are unique, sacred vessels of God's love in his world. "Therefore as Gods chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience" (Colossians 3:12).
Sainthood is not about spiritual or religious superiority, special knowledge, special powers, or some haughty arrogance that we have some sort of "in" with God and that makes us better than anyone else. It actually means, from a Scripture perspective, that despite who we are and whatever our sins may be and our mistakes and our frailties and our vulnerabilities, God loves us and has called each and every one of us, so that we are led by God's Holy Spirit as God consecrates our lives to follow Jesus, his Son, and live by that example, and to give our lives to Christ in obedience and even sacrifice. "But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do…" (1 Peter 1:15).
The second aspect of this list that strikes me is the inclusivity of the early church. For one thing, there are as few as 6 specific women named in the list, for example such as Phoebe, seemingly an affluent and influential woman, a deacon in her home church, of whom it is speculated may have been coming to Rome to conduct business and simply brought the letter from Paulwith her. Prisca or Priscilla as she is also known in other letters, along with her husband played an ongoing, important role in Paul's ministry in several venues, always opening up her house for the church to meet and worship in. (She is usually named first of the two.) There is named also the hardworking (they are all described this way) Mary, the hardworking Persis, the hardworking Tryphena and the hardworking Tryphosa whose names mean 'dainty" and "delicate." They are twins apparently, but they are anything but dainty and delicate. Now a seventh possibility is Junia, one of Paul's relatives he claims here, although there is some debate whether this is a male or female name, but I think it's a female name. Also named are Rufus' mother and Nereus' sister who get mentioned although not by their own specific names.
But the inclusivity is not just simply about gender. Some of the names, both male and female, are well known as slave names, and yet there seems to be no issue here as they serve alongside those who are Roman citizens. Some Biblical scholars believe that there actually have been members of Caesar's own house staff who are among the believers. There are rich and poor. There are Gentiles and Jews. There are families and individuals, and there no doubt are both young and old. There are people here from all walks of life and experience. This church's diversity and ability to include and welcome this diversity is remarkable in what was a very class-conscious culture. "You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave or free, male or female, for you are alone in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28).
The third aspect of this picture of the church in Rome is the level of service and cooperation that seems to be implied among them. For example Paul simply expects they will be eager to help Phoebe while she is Rome, "just as she has been a great help to many people" (v.2). There are people who are commended here because they have worked very hard for others, and it's very hard to know what Paul is referring to. There seem to be layers here of hospitality, financial support, shared mission and ministry that each has participated in their own unique way. We don't know the details. They didn't have church committees and boards back then so I doubt they waited to be asked, nominated and elected at some annual church meeting. More than likely they saw what needed to be done and they just simply went about doing it based on the gifts that they felt they could contribute. They worked hard to use their gifts in service and mission for Christ. Previously, though, in this letter Paul had made the point that might hint at some of the gifts and work that was going on in this church when he wrote, "so in Christ we who are many form one body and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If your gift is prohesying, then use it in proportion to your faith. If it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it encouraging, then encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others then give generously; if it is leadership, then govern diligently; if it showing mercy, then do it cheerfully" (Romans 12:5-8).
So closely associated with that is the fourth quality evident in the Church - that is their ability to do more together than any one of them could ever do alone, a quality that Paul sometimes uses the term unity. I think there is a spirit of togetherness and purposeful community that comes together for mutual benefit and aiming to make a difference in the world. Don't forget that there was much persecution in Rome against Christians at this time; already a number of them had been kicked and exiled out of Rome under one of the Caesar's regimes. Only by working together could they understand that they could succeed together. And when we listen to what when on among some them we see that they faced risks. There were those who were imprisoned for their Christian practice. We know that one who was tested and approved, and we don't know exactly what that was, but we imagine that it was tough. There were those who risked their lives for the faith, but you simply get this feeling that they were all stronger together, that they could manage all of this, than they were apart. They had each other for support and encouragement. Paul interrupted his silver beavers award ceremony with warnings about those who causes divisions and put obstacles in the church's way and cautions them to avoid such people (Romans 16: 17 -19). Paul sees strength is unity and in mutual support and encouragement: "From him (Christ) the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, joined and held together builds itself up in love, as each part t does its work" (Ephesians 4:16).
The last quality, although there are others, that I want to point out is the affection and love that Paul has for these people. It reminds us that the Church exists through the love of God in Jesus Christ. If there is no love among us there can be no church. If we do not care and love one another, there is no church. If we do not incarnate the love of Christ in our fellowship, in our ministry, in our mission we are not Christ's church. The song, simple as it is, says it: "They will know we are Christians by our love." How we treat each other, speak to each other, encourage each other, forgive each other, help the weak, lift each other's burdens, reach out to others, all of this becomes the body language that speaks louder than words. Paul appreciates their hard work and dedication and commitment that he sees among the saints of the church at Rome. And he embraces the people with his affection and depth of love that binds it all together. As he says, "And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them in perfect unity" (Colossians 3:14).
And I think that's the challenge for us and it's there for us as we live here in our own community of faith - be it in this church or any other church. If Paul were writing to us, the Church in Peterborough, who gets his silver beavers? Now I am sure there would be many. I can think of so many as I stand here, those dedicated, hardworking people in this church and other churches who give and work hard and seldom complain and sacrifice their time and even money. And if someone was to read this letter to the church in Peterborough in a couple of thousand years from now, pending Christ's return of course, would we be seen as an encouragement to some generation of Christians, to some church of the future? Could someone say what saints we were - and how we included everyone in our love and fellowship; how you and I worked hard to live out our faith; how we used our gifts, talents and abilities, our resources to build up the kingdom of God and at least try to make a difference in our community and world; how we worked together in unity, and most of all, could they say of us by name how much we loved each other in the name of Jesus Christ? "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God…" (1 Peter 2:9) - you, and me, and we together, are saints alive!