Sermon preached at The Church of the Holy Trinity Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, Sunday November 3 rd 2 !

3 The Reverend "lan Neale Tissue Thin

#ast Sunday, at the early service, Richard came to $orship $ith us% &urin' the Peace he told me that he $as stayin' at the Rittenhouse for $or( and found he )ust had time to come $orship $ith us% The first thin' he said to me $as, *Sorry+ , didn-t (no$ there $as a partition.% , $as a little alarmed and he sa$ my confusion% His apolo'y $as because he $as sittin' on the far side of the aisle and couldn-t easily access the center to pass the peace / hence+ *Sorry, , didn-t (no$ there $as a partition.% 0ut Richard-s comment set me thin(in'+ $e (no$ that there should be no partitions based on race or a'e, se1 or class but+ , thin( $e often for'et that there are no real, substantial, solid partitions bet$een us and those $ho have died% " partition yes but not one of substance% ,n fact, #ord 2eor'e 3c#eod 4found of ,ona Community on the ,sland of ,ona a mere ! mile $ide and 3!52 miles lon' piece of land in the $aters of the 6estern Hebrides7, 2eor'e 3c#eod $rote this a about+ *,t is a thin place $ith only a tissue paper separatin' heaven and earth.% 8riends, this is $hat $e celebrate at "ll Saints- / that those $hom $e love, from $hom $e are separated by death, are estran'ed and alienated by a partition *as thin as a tissue paper.% ,f , may add to his #ordship-s $ords+ *as thin as a sin'le ply of tissue paper.% 0ut $e find this difficult, don-t $e9 3aybe sometimes li(e &aniel $e have a vision of heaven, $here $ar is en'a'ed, $here the holy ones, the saints rise victorious+ but then $e consider, deem, demote, rele'ate it to a dream% Today , $ant to ma(e a simple point, as simply as , can+ $ithin the community of 2od there is hardly a partition% :ur professionally speciali;ed and our necessarily fra'mented lives all tend to ma(e us suspicious of livin' $ithout partitions% No$ this leads to problem ecclesiastically but also theolo'ically% 6e partition the abundant references to the constant love and 'race of 2od from miniscule and infrequent intimations about se1% 6e partition the

e1cessive references of <esus to discipleship and money from infrequent and cautious allusions to self=sufficient independence% Here-s the challen'e, yes9 0ut *,n Christ. all these, and many other, partitions are barely *tissue thin.% "nd at "ll Saints $e re)oice that the dead are $ith Christ, that Christ is *here. 4in our hearts7 and so *in Him. $e e1tend our hands $ith cautious hope and $ith tremblin' faith and $e (no$+ those $hom $e love, they are close indeed% *,n Christ. / this is the constant refrain of St% Paul and especially in his letter to the >phesians% >v Christo / in Christ? ev auto / in Him+ these are the phrases, this is the theolo'ical concept for Paul that ma(es sense of our livin', that ma(es sense of our dyin'% >phesians chapter ! 4today-s readin'7 spea(s of our faith and life *in Him., of our hope *in Him., of resurrection po$er *in Him. and that *in Him. are all thin's% ,n #ouise Penny-s murder mystery 4Still #ife7 Peter 3orro$ tries to comfort his bereaved $ife Clara because of the death 4the murder7 of her dear friend <ane Neal% 6ith profound insi'ht Peter reali;es that his love and compassion for Clara are not sufficient to console her and so he says, *Clara, , love you% , (no$ you% @ou have to fi'ure out $hat you believe, truly believe% "ll these years you-ve tal(ed about 2od% @ou-ve $ritten about your faith% @ou-ve done dancin' an'els% ,s 2od here, no$, Clara in this room9. Peter-s (ind voice calmed Clara% She be'an to listen% *,s he here9. Peter slo$ly brou'ht his forefin'er to her chest, not quite touchin'% *,s <ane $ith him9. #i(e Clara $e are called today *to fi'ure out $hat $e believe, truly believe.% #i(e Clara $e commit ourselves to the faith that Christ is here both in our midst and in our hearts and that in Him are also those $ho have died over hundreds of centuries and throu'h pains of bereavement% The partition, believe it, is *tissue thin.% Than(s be to 2odA "men