Whenever I attend a concert that has classical music, I have to sit on my hands so that I don’t clap when it would be inappropriate to do so. There’s nothing worse than being “that guy” who claps at the wrong time.
The same thing happens in church. People want to give a standing ovation even before I’m done with the sermon. I’m very flattered, but it’s just not the appropriate thing to do.
If you think of the Bible as one incredibly long piece of music, there are many times when we are tempted to applaud or even to offer a standing ovation before we get to the conclusion of the story.
I can understand why. It’s because each passage of scripture and each book of the Bible builds upon itself in telling the story of the incredible and surprising ways that God is redeeming the world.
This is very understandable. Even after hearing someone read the creation story from the Book of Genesis, you just want to stand and applaud God for that amazing display of being able to create and bring order and beauty out of darkness and chaos.
When God creates human beings, you just want to turn to the person sitting next to you and say, “That’s genius. Pure genius!”
Same thing is true when God enables hundreds of thousands of slaves to escape from Egypt. We hear the story about how mighty Pharaoh wouldn’t let the Israelites go. God sends plague after plague and Pharaoh finally relents.
God even parted the Red Sea so that they would be able to escape Pharaoh’s army. It’s at that point that you instinctively want to applaud, but the person sitting next to you motions for you to wait. God’s story is far from over.
That was one of the bigger events, but there’s more to this story. Much more. You think that was awesome, just wait to hear what God will do next.
Even the Psalmists find it difficult to refrain from clapping before the final notes of God’s salvation history are played. The person who wrote Psalm 47 begins his Psalm with these words:
“Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to God with loud songs of joy. For the Lord, the Most High is awesome, a great king over all the earth.”
And then when we enter the New Testament, this amazing story of God’s love for the world surprises us with the birth of God’s own Son. Even in our society which is becoming more and more secularized, there’s something about this part of God’s story that captures our attention.
We want to stand and applaud just after Jesus is born in a lowly manger, but even the gospel writer reminds us that as Mary was holding the Christ child in her arms, she treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. Mary knew that God’s song wasn’t over. Even though the notes were being played in a new way, the finale was still far from over.
And then as we walk with Jesus through the gospel accounts, we again are attempted to applaud whenever Jesus heals people and performs miracles. We want to stand up and applaud especially after today’s Gospel reading where we heard how Jesus brought Lazarus back to life.
We wonder how the story can get any better, but then toward the end of the gospel, we read about some women who came to the tomb where Jesus had been laid, and they found that it was empty. Jesus appears to the disciples and even shows them his hands and his side. Certainly, this is when a standing ovation is in order.
OK, actually, it is acceptable to clap at this point in the story. The story of Jesus’ resurrection is really, really amazing!
This is why we celebrate Easter every year. It’s why we consider every Sunday a little Easter. Sundays are always to remind us of this great part in the story of God’s salvation for the world. And we are known as an Easter people.
But even after the celebration of Easter, the final notes of God’s song have yet to be played. The song is almost over, but we’re not quite there yet.
And you think, but how could anything top Easter? Isn’t Easter the grand finale of this magnificent composition?
Which brings us to today, “All Saints’ Sunday.” This is the day when we hear the conclusion of where God’s story was headed all along.
We heard it read for us a little bit ago. Appropriately enough, it’s a reading toward the very end of the last book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation.
Just listen again to God’s grand finale:
John, the writer of Revelation gives us a glimpse into the future when all of God’s people will be gathered for a great big celebration party.
Listen to John describe this party:
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.”
But wait, this party is just getting started. Just listen:
John goes on to say, “I heard a loud voice from the throne say, ‘Look! God’s dwelling is here with humankind. He will dwell with them, and they will be his peoples. God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more. There will be no mourning, crying, or pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’
“Then the one seated on the throne said, ‘Look! I’m making all things new.’ He also said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ Then he said to me, ‘All is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.’”
Friends, this is the party of all parties. This is a party like no other party because it has God at the center of it and it includes all of God’s people celebrating together. This is the party that the biblical writers had been pointing to beginning way back in the Book of Genesis when God created the world.
On this All Saints’ Sunday, we think of God’s people who are no longer with us but who are now celebrating in this party of all parties. And today, we join them in their celebration by receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Today, we join all the saints in one great big heavenly party.
The good news of our faith is that one day, heaven and earth will join together and all of God’s people will party together. As our Book of Revelation reading reminds us, it will be the time when all things will be made new, a time when every tear will be wiped from our eyes, a time when death will be no more, and a time when there will be no mourning, crying, or pain. It will be a time of great celebration.
But even before that big party, there are those times when it is appropriate to clap in anticipation for that day when everything will be made new again. On the church calendar, today is one of those days, and thank God that there are other days to get the big party started a little early.
My brother who is a retired Music Minister and I attended a large church in Kansas City a several years ago. This church had invited a large African American Choir to sing at their worship service.
If you ever want to feel like you are part of the great heavenly party, listening to an African American church choir will probably be all you need. This choir sang an anthem that began ever so slowly, but then started to build in excitement after each passing note.
My brother, who is not an introvert, looked around at the largely white congregation, he then glanced at me, and said, “Well, somebody ought to start clapping, c’mon, put your hands together.”
He stood up and started clapping to the music. Pretty soon, the thousand or so people in that great big sanctuary who were mostly white were now clapping and singing along with this choir.
We were singing about that time in the future when God will make all things new. We were singing about that grand finale that John talks about where God will wipe away every tear from our eyes, and where sin and death will be no more.
When you get that many white people clapping in church, you know that it’s the party of all parties. I’m just glad that I sat next to someone who knew when it was OK to begin the applause.
Happy All Saints’ Sunday!
