That’s a tongue-in-cheek title, my siblings in Christ. Alternatively, I could have led with “could it be that we are actually God’s holy people?” Answer: “YA THINK?!??.” Of course we are. His holiness has been imparted to us, even in our sinful nature. It is not haughtiness to believe that in our hearts. We are impactful, alive, when we give God the credit and honor due His name for creating us to be His holy people. Scripture confirms that; our Eucharistic prayer echoes it.

We were not created to be in retreat mode. Exiled? Yes. The Old Testament bears witness to what happens when God’s holy people lose their way. They forget who and whose they are. They forget how extraordinary they are! Fearfully and wonderfully made, we are. When we believe that in ourselves, that wonderful sense of self as God’s most beloved creatures, then we can offer that to lost souls. I believe all of us in this nation see the dire straights and consequences of living lives that don’t recognize the holy. There is reverence, kindness, gentleness and love when you see and hear about holy moments. It is in us. What is lacking is the relationship building, the follow-through, the connection to a people of God in Christ Jesus. A spiritual community. I pray that maybe, just maybe – one person at a time if we have to, one holy moment at a time if we must – we can reclaim the importance of church and faith community. We can re-tradition the glory days of society, circa 1946-1963. Not completely, of course, but in a new way that proclaims hope – and the possibility of holiness in us. God’s unconditional love is the glue, the key that unlocks the door to the kingdom of God.

Pastor Art