All Saints Day

Written by Bishop Max Whitfield Monday, 02 November 2009 00:00

Each year the meeting of the Council of Bishops and All Saints Day come very near to each other. This year the Council of Bishops meeting began on All Saints Day and my thoughts immediately turned to those wonderful saints who have died during the past year. One of those saints was a woman who served as my father’s secretary for several years. She and her husband were like second parents to me. They played canasta about once a week with my parents, fished with our family regularly, and were involved in church with us as well. Marie died almost a year ago.

Marie had served as treasurer for the Memorial Fund at the church where I grew up. She maintained accurate records and helped the congregation remember those who had gone before us in the faith and now rested from their labors. When Marie died, her home adjoined the church property and she chose to give that property to the Church in any way the congregation felt would best strengthen the congregation and their ministry. She was certainly not one of the wealthiest members of the Church. Her income was modest and she had not inherited any significant money from her husband or other family members. Yet, in her death, she contributed one of the larger gifts that the Church had ever received. She lived her faith and died continuing to live her faith.

This past week my junior high and high school coach died. The local radio station recalled the number of trophies and tournaments his teams had won during his coaching career. He had been a strong baseball player during his college career and lettered all four years. What I remember most about him was not his expertise in coaching, although that was strong, but the way he lived his life. He was a man of deep Christian conviction and maintained a strong place in the local church he attended each week.

Last week, I was honored to participate in the memorial service for B.C. Goodwin. Dr. Goodwin was one of the saints of the New Mexico Conference. He served the Annual Conference as a District Superintendent and Director of the Council on Ministries. When he was appointed to St. John’s United Methodist Church in Santa Fe, the bishop had inquired about an appointment to a far larger church with a significantly larger salary. B.C. requested that he go to Santa Fe because he felt he had something important to contribute to the life and ministry of that congregation. That was only one of numerous reflections of a man who saw himself called by God to serve rather than be served. He lived his faith and he died in his faith.

I could go on naming different individuals who completed their journey of faith during the past year and joined the Church Triumphant. I hope every congregation took the time to recall the many saints and the special place they had in all of our lives, what they taught us, and how they continue to challenge us to live as faithful followers of Jesus Christ. May it be said of us when death knocks at our door and friends gather to celebrate and remember the life lived, “They lived their faith and they died in the faith.”

Grace & Peace,
Max