Saint or Sinner?  Seems to me this is a great question for Halloween - the eve of All Saints Day.  As a child I thought Halloween was a great excuse to do ‘naughty’ things.  Although I didn’t even know of the existence of All Saints Day back then I’m certain I would have thought anything with Saint in the title has to mean you must behave and be nice.

This was the topic of discussion before the women of our Tuesdays at Ten study group.  Tuesdays at Ten is a group which I began at Living Water Lutheran Church about 6 years ago.  We have studied books of the Bible, read works of contemporary Christian writers like Max Lucado and even did a year-long study of other faiths using a book from Augsburg Fortress called Honoring Our Neighbors Tradition.  Women in our group are from all ages ranges and bring their lively perspectives to our time together.  They are a hoot!

Tuesdays at Ten has also completed the Lutheran Course, vol I and are now about halfway through the second volume in the series.  Based on the very popular Lutheran Handbook (again from Augsburg Fortress) these studies have given us the gift of looking at our Lutheran tradition with both scriptural/theological insights and a healthy bit of levity.

So, back to the question - are you a Saint or a Sinner?  This is always a sort of uncomfortable discussion.  We have some sort of guilt-driven need to admit that we are less than perfect but balk at calling ourselves sinners.  At the same time a false humility keeps us from saying that we are a saint - after all we are not a bunch of Mother Teresa’s.  Couldn’t there be an easier question?  Can’t we be a little bit of both?

Yes we are both - but not just ‘a little’ of both.  We are ALL both.  Poor sentence structure - I know :).  Just as we can’t be ‘a little’ pregnant, neither can we be ‘a little’ saved.  Our human nature leads us naturally to do the things that are not necessarily good for us.  But it is God who continues to love and encourage us and who has already saved us.  Done. Finished.

So blessings my friends - you saints (and sinners).  My prayers for those who have already gone home to the Lord and joined that great cloud of witnesses - and - prayers for each of us as we journey on in grace.

Till next month…we remain Gimpy by Grace and Well in the Lord,

Paula