Forty Days Full - An Invitation To Real Life

Day Thirty-Three: I Am A Saint

“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, To the saints who “are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus : (Ephesians 1:1 NKJV)

I t is often a mystery how certain beliefs or traditions of the church came into being. I’m not talking about good mysteries, like the ones God holds waiting for us to discover. I’m talking about commonly accepted practices that aren’t found in the scriptures. Things like, how a particular day was chosen to celebrate the birth of Christ or howmodern worship gatherings function. These things aren’t found in the Bible because the New Testament gives very few specific instructions regarding these practices. In this absence of specifics there is freedom to figure it out. There is room for various cultures to look differently without diminishing the power of the gospel. There are many who want to argue over every tradition we hold dear and declare them an abomination against the purposes of God. I don’t believe this. I believe the gospel is meant to invade and transform every society from the inside out. His Kingdom coming does not eliminate every cultural expression. Having said this, there is a belief I want to challenge today. It is that ‘saints’ are considered to be dead people who achieved sainthood by doing many good works while living. It’s kind of similar to the NFL hall of fame. Many years after a famous football player has stopped performing, they are recognized for their accomplishments. We applaud them when they are no longer functional. The Catholic Church does the same thing by announcing someone who has died as a ‘Saint.’ This concept is