“To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who  in every place call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” – 1 Corinthians 1: 2-3

I used to think that to be “holy” was to be perfect.  Trying to sit still during Sunday School, we were told solemnly, “you must be holy, just as the Lord is holy.”  Those Sunday school teachers and church leaders, and especially the pastors, were people I looked up to (literally and figuratively).  But they always seemed so serious, and (no offense intended), made being “holy” seem boring.  Very serious, very boring.  To my young mind and perception, to be “holy” meant you had to be serious and boring, or in the case of some, seriously boring.  Even to myself, Mr. Goody-two-shoes, this was something to be avoided at all costs!

Oh, I definitely wanted to experience the love of God in Jesus, and to love God and then try to love others.  When I was a kid, I did experience God’s love, a lot, and I did try and show God’s love to others.  I even tried to love my little sister, except when she messed with my stuff.  I had to learn to ask forgiveness pretty early on.  (That Barbie doll I ruined because you moved my plastic army men, sorry Lori!).

I never wanted to be “holy,” and I most definitely never wanted to be a “saint.”  Did you ever see a picture or a statue of a saint?  These were serious, boring people who looked either very mad at something or kind of had a dazed look on their faces!  I remember a picture of a statue of Martin Luther in our Wednesday School (Sunday was too full, imagine that!) classroom.  He looked like one serious and mean dude!!  Again, as a kid, becoming a “holy saint” was as appealing as having all of the blood sucked out of you by leeches (which really happened to a kid the week before we went to the Shores of St. Andrew’s for a week of church camp!  At least that was what one of the counselors told us, and church camp counselors never tell scary stories to campers!).  The picture that was painted in my mind of “holy saints” did not fit with my understanding of Jesus and my experience of God’s presence in my life.  And I know I wasn’t the only one!

It has taken me a long time, but I’m finally beginning to understand that it is not that I have to be “holy,” but that through Jesus Christ I have been made holy; sanctified by the Holy Spirit.  It is not what I do, it is what Christ Jesus has already done for me, and continues to do in me!  Through his death and resurrection, he has made me right with God, and this is a gift of grace and love to be received by faith and trust.  And Jesus does call me to be a saint, to be a person that lives out of this new, right relationship with God, to live by grace through faith and grow in trust and love of the Lord, and yes, love of my neighbors too.  My understanding of what it means to be “holy” and to be a “saint” has changed radically since I was a kid, thanks to the example and teaching of so many “holy saints” who continue to show me that following Jesus is not seriously boring, but is the most exciting, challenging, and fulfilling adventure of all!  I am so thankful that Christ has made me holy and calls me to be one of his saints; a sometimes serious, sometimes boring, sometimes mad and mean person, who lives by God’s grace through faith.