Many years ago I ordered a prayer book/devotional from a catalog of books that came in the mail.  Remember those?  There were no opportunities to read a representative sample of the book on Amazon.  There were no reviews by ordinary people to peruse, and unless it was a mass market book it was unlikely to have been reviewed by a professional.  People in those days relied on the reputation of publishing houses and authors if they were discriminating.  If they were less discriminating, they relied on the advertising copy contained in the catalogs that arrived in the mail.

I bought the book because of the title.  It was entitled: A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Sinners.  Whoever came up with that title knew their target audience.  Ministers get all kinds of marketing pitches directed at them that appeal to their unique roles and circumstances, but the real challenges we face primarily have to do with the struggles that are common to everyone, like being an ordinary sinner.

You are reading these words on the Feast of All Souls, also called the Feast of the Faithful Departed.  On All Saints Day, traditionally we think about the great heroes of faith, the super, high-performing spiritual athletes whose achievements far exceed our own.  On All Souls, we remember the saints who are closer to home and closer to earth, saints who were uncles and parents and siblings and friends.  No one is likely to write a biography of these folks or commission a statue in their likeness to adorn a church. 

They, like us, were ordinary sinners. 

And yet, they were saints.  They were God’s people and God’s light and life was evident in their lives.  They illumined us and challenged us to live more authentically, to love more selflessly, to trust and hope with greater abandon. 

Today is a day for us ordinary sinners who have been saved by grace, who are the unlikely vessels in which the Holy Spirit dwells, the instruments through which the Kingdom is established.

Prayer:  Merciful Savior, you could do so much better than me; but then again, I could do so much better myself if I allowed you to use this ordinary sinner in extraordinary ways.  I guess I’m willing to take a chance on you if you’re willing to take a chance on me.  Amen.