A skeleton under the sun deck

A sermon for the congregation of St. Saviour Anglican Church in Penticton BC on Sunday November 2, 2025 by the Very Rev. Ken Gray

My sermon title for today is “A skeleton under the sun deck.” It’s perfect for today, All Souls Day; it draws inspiration from All Saints Day which was yesterday; and it incorporates elements of Hallowe’en which was two days ago. The idea sprang to life  when I discovered a story on Facebook (where you know that everything is true) just a few days before Hallowe’en. Some guy decided to add a special feature to his outdoor sun deck renovation. Having rebuilt the structure from scratch allowing for a two foot space under the deck surface, he went downtown to the local Trick and Joke Shop and bought himself a skeleton. He placed it under the patio deck thinking that in twenty years’ time a future owner would need to rebuild the sun deck again he would find a surprise — Call in the homicide detectives: Poirot; Vera; anyone. Crime fiction is popular and it seems everywhere. So I took the opportunity to create another narrative, considering what might happen if the grandkids discovered this same skeleton.

“Gramma, Gramma, guess what I found under the patio deck; it’s a dead body. Who do you think it is?”

Gramma thinks for a moment, vacillating between telling the truth or creating an interesting story.

“Well,” she says, “do you remember Uncle Freddie?

“No.”

“No one really liked him; he was so annoying.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. Someone had to do something about him. And we did, but don’t tell Grampa. He thought that Freddie was a saint.”

“Gramma, what’s a saint?”

“Saints are Christians (people who follow Jesus Christ who lived thousands of years ago in what is now the Middle East) who in various ways, often against great odds, showed an extraordinary love for people when they were alive. They were servants to the people of their day; and the service they rendered in the past makes them examples to the rest of the people of God throughout history, including today.”

“Are you a saint Grandma?”

“I am definitely not! But I do try to do good things in a good way most of the time.”

“Did you kill Uncle Freddie, Grandma?”

“No I did not, and the truth is that no one killed him. That skeleton was a stupid idea of your Grampa’s.”

“Did you just call Grandpa stupid? That doesn’t sound like something a saint would say.”

“Not it’s not; you are right. People, like you and me, and even your Grampa, are saints not because we always do good things; we are saints when we stay connected to everyone, to everything, in the past, present, and future. We not only feel God’s presence; we know we live in God’s presence.”

“I still don’t know what this has to do with Uncle Freddie under the sun deck.”

“I told you; it’s a joke.”

“Sure Gramma. Thousands would believe you . . . You told me, you’re no saint. Why should I believe you?”

“Look at it this way. If that were a real skeleton under the deck, a real body, bones and all, then we could visit with one of our ancestors, someone who is still family but no longer flesh-and-skin touchable. No matter what happens, we, and they, remain “family.” No one can change that; you just don’t get presents from them at Christmas anymore.”

“Do ancestors, saints, as you call them, talk to us somehow? Is there an app I can download?”

“I know, I know, there’s an app for almost everything, and AI for the rest. But no, they connect with us in dreams, in memories, and in stories. We don’t need any app.”

“What kind of stories?”

“Like the one I’m telling you now.”

“Gramma, this is a weird story.”

“Most stories are weird; you’ll discover this one day. There’s a story in the bible, (Matthew 17:1–13) which you may find interesting. Jesus goes up a hill one day . . .”

“Ya, ya, like Jack . . . and Jill.”

“Don’t be lippy smart-ass, and listen to me. Different people. He takes Peter, and James, and John, three of his favourite disciples with him. On top of the hill, while they are catching their breath, two of their holy heroes appear to them. Peter tried to build a lean-to so they could stay a while. What a boy scout; didn’t happen. Moses and Elijah are two of the most important figures in the Hebrew Bible. They were spiritual ancestors for Jesus and his disciples like I mentioned. While living in a different space, from both a future and an ancient world, they are present in the lives of the disciples. As you say, a weird story. You see, Christianity hides its ancestors in plain view.”

“So what did Moses and Elijah do? And what did Peter, James, and John do that makes them special?”

“They lived and died well. They poured out their lives into the community as an act of love and commitment.”

“Gramma, can I go out and play with the skeleton now?”

“You sure can; off you go, but don’t let the dog out.”

Before returning to preparing dinner, Gramma picked up her book of daily bible readings; she turned to the Letter to the Ephesians. She read:

I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.

And the people said: Amen.

With thanks to Dr. Barbara Holmes whose helpful reflection from the Center for Action and Contemplation is here.

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