May 16, 2010

The Rev. Rob Fisher

St. Dunstan’s, Carmel Valley

Texts: Ecclesiasticus 44:1-7; Psalm 97; Revelations

During the final weeks at our old parish in Santa Barbara, I was asked a number of questions about what our new life would be like in Carmel Valley

People were naturally curious, and they had a lot of questions.  But interestingly, the single question that I got most often was: “Who was St. Dunstan?”

Today we are celebrating his feast day.  Surely, he is a newer saint to me than he is to many of you.

So, who was Dunstan?

In a word, he was an all-around great guy.  He was a brilliant mind, a gifted artist and craftsman, a great leader of people, and a devout monastic.

He lived in the tenth century—just over a thousand years ago—and rose up the ranks to become the Archbishop of Canterbury.  He did much to restore the church in England during his day.

He is the patron saint of silversmiths, and was for many years the patron saint of England.

(Maybe he should also be the patron saint of overachievers?)

Amazingly, there is one image of him that scholars believe could be a self portrait.  It is part of a manuscript that has survived from his time, with calligraphy believed to be in his own hand.  There is an image of Christ, dressed in flowing robes, and below his left knee is a humble monk, drawn in much smaller scale, bowing down on his hands and knees.  If it is truly his own work, this is how Dunstan chose to paint himself.

As we now look to him, he points to Christ.

That is the way of a true saint.

***

When we use the word saint, we are talking about someone who lets his or her life be a lens for God to shine his light into the world.

A saint is an agent of revelation, who lives a life that reveals God to the rest of us.

A saint brings God close to us, and who brings us close to God.

No matter how saintly we may be, none of us will ever be a complete picture of God.  None of us will ever be perfect, but being a saint is not about perfection.

It is about inspiration.

It is about revelation.

It is about invitation.

***

Digging a little deeper into the life of Dunstan, we discover that he also had a gift for visions and prophecy.  One biographer writes that his visionary powers were “a hidden thread throughout his whole life, and the source of his spiritual authority and strength.”

An account of his life, written by an anonymous clerk who lived during his time writes the following:

And so the whole of …England was filled with his holy doctrine, and it shone before God like the sun and the moon….At the celebration of the Mass, he [intoned] with such integrity of devotion and of mind that he seemed to talk with the lord Himself face to face….He used always to lift up his eyes and his hands to heaven, and his spirit never relaxed from prayer.

Dunstan’s final service was on Ascension Day in the year 988 at Canterbury.  We are told that he preached “as he had never preached before.”

In fact, during the service he was moved by the spirit to preach three times.  The first time was during the sermon, the second time after the Lord’s Prayer, and the last time after the part of the Eucharist when he proclaimed the “Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.”  According to the account, those present “gazed on him as if he were an angel of God.”

After the service he took an afternoon nap, and woke up feeling very weak.  He lived for several more days, but he never rose again from his bed.  He was described as lying in his death bed with his “bald head gleaming with light.”  He died chanting a psalm.

He died as he lived, pointing to God.

***

Today we heard the very final verses of the Bible, coming from the Book of Revelation.

The Book of Revelation was almost excluded from the canon of the New Testament because people did not know what to do with it.  It is a book of visions, and it is very different from the other texts of the New Testament.

People still do not know what to do with this book.  It is a source of controversy.

It is useful to remember that it was written by a man living in a time when the Church was greatly oppressed.  He wrote an account of his vision, to be sent as a letter to people suffering.  There are animals with seven eyes, and there are cosmic battles, and many other fantastical images.  But at the end, it is a message of hope to people who have endured much hardship.

The book is not a call to arms but a call to endurance, an encouragement

Listen to these words again:

‘It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches.  I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.’

The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come,’

And let everyone who hears say, ‘Come.’

And let everyone who is thirsty come.

Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.

The one who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’  Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus!  The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints.  Amen.

The final message of the Book of Revelation—the very last statement of the Bible—is an invitation to come and be with the Lord.

It is an invitation to be like Dunstan.

Let your life be full and rich with all good things.  But in the end, let your life be a life that points toward God.

—Amen.