Praying for Justice

Genesis 32:22-31; Psalm 121; 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5; Luke 18:1-8

My first thought about these texts is they present a variety of ways to pray to God. Jacob wrestles with an angel or some other being sent by God. Psalm 121 would have been prayed or sung as pilgrims processed from home to Jerusalem for festival days. Paul writes to Timothy, telling him how to trust the words of scripture and the testimony of witnesses. And Jesus tells a parable about a widow who pled her case persistently to a corrupt judge.

Often, praying includes wrestling with hard choices or difficult circumstances. Many folks pray for safe travels as they set out and as they travel, especially knowing there are impaired drivers on the roads and plenty of challenges when traveling by air. It’s always appropriate to pray before preaching or teaching, or even sharing Bible stories with children.

… These are all fairly easy stories and writings to figure out, But as usual, it’s the parable that has us scratching our heads. Typically, when we read a parable we try to discern which character in the story is God. But this interpretation would mean that God is a corrupt judge, or a pesty woman demanding we listen to her.

So, what can this parable tell us instead? The following verses give us a hint. This story is intended to give us a contrasting image of God. “Think about the corrupt judge. Imagine instead how much more God wants to give you whatever you need or want, whenever you ask for it.”

… Beyond ways or reasons to pray, these texts are also about justice. The stories in Genesis tell us that Jacob often tricked his brother Esau, and was afraid to meet with him again. Wrestling with his fears, and a being sent by God, proved to him he was still blessed and worthy of good things.

The name given to him, Israel, means wrestles with God. We can almost always identify a God portion in a Bible name because it has EL or YAH in it. So Isra - , wrestles with El, God, to form Isra-el. Throughout scripture, the name Israel refers to both the man Jacob, and to the kingdom of Israel – which even today is seen to be wrestling with God.

… We often pray for simple, maybe easy things. We pray with thanksgiving for what God has first given us – ourselves, our time, our talents and skills, and our financial wealth. We ask God to be present and guide us as we study and teach the Bible or give testimony about out faith experiences. We ask for safe surgeries, safe travel, safe baby deliveries.

But sometimes, our prayers are more serious. We pray for healing when we are seriously ill or caring for someone who is ill. We pray for safety when our lives, or the lives of our loved ones are at risk.

We pray differently when the reason we are praying is someone else’s fault. Then we pray for justice, as the widow in the parable did. We don’t know what her claim was, but we can imagine, based on the culture of the time. Let’s say she was older, and her sons were grown. Her husband dies, and when his will is read, it says she gets to keep the main home and some of the land. The older son is not happy to have just the secondary home and the rest of the land; he wants it all. And he makes life difficult for his mother, maybe even having the judge issue an eviction notice.

So the widow files a counterclaim with the judge, who doesn’t want to deal with this widow. Perhaps the son has paid the judge to side with him instead. And the widow doesn't have a larger amount to sway the judge her way. The woman is praying for justice.

… On a larger scale, you may be aware of a dispute between a coalition of Native American Tribes and Resolution Copper.  The goal is possession of an ancient holy site called Oak Flats, west of Phoenix, Arizona. It has been used “forever” by native peoples for a variety of sacred rituals. This land is as sacred to the tribes as Jerusalem is to us. In addition, it is a sensitive ecological area.

In a more than ten-year legal battle, the tribes have protested the takeover of the land by the US government and the mining corporation. Recent appeals have paused the takeover again. Over the years, Resolution Copper has reduced the size of the claim in its pursuit to gain enough of the land to proceed. They have also specified in writing that traditional worship sites will forever be protected.  

In an article in the August issue of Christian Century , Tim Nafziger suggests the land would have more status if there was an old church built on it. The thing is, native worship is conducted in connection with the land and all that lives on it. So, the trees and shrubs and critters are the church they are defending and protecting.

The Tribal Association of Arizona has been as persistent in its pursuit of justice as the widow in Jesus’ parable. The question remains, will the courts and judges provide the justice the members of the tribes are praying  for?

… There are many expressions of injustice these days: wars are de facto unjust. Many people find it hard to access to health care, affordable housing and healthy food. Humans have always struggled to welcome the stranger and those who look or act differently. The removal of trees for new houses means critters are moving into our neighborhoods and  lawns. Bullies assault those whom they perceive are lesser. And so forth.

It is never God’s will that injustice exists. But it’s not God’s job to stop it. It’s up to us as God’s people. God taught Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, Micah and Amos to seek justice. Jesus taught dozens of followers to seek justice. And still we live with injustice!

… Here at home, your offerings help us fight injustice in many ways. We are a base of justice-providing as we feed hundreds of hungry people each month, and provide weekend food for hungry children at the local elementary school. We make donations to several local organizations that aid people suffering from injustice, and make quilts and kits that serve the needy.

As you prayerfully consider the amount you hope to give to Gloria Dei this year, consider how many ways we use that gift to serve the people of the congregation, the community, and reach out to share the good news of God’s plan for justice for all people. Amen

Healing and including

2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c; Luke 17:11-19

Today we have two stories about healing. Not just healing, but the healing of Gentiles – non-Jewish people.  As we read today’s texts, you may have noticed that most recent translations of the Bible have replaced the English word “leprosy” with the term “skin disease” because it’s more accurate. The word leprosy itself is a Greek interpretation of the Hebrew word Tzara ‘at. In Leviticus, Tzara ‘at refers to a number of skin diseases, some of them contagious, some of them not.

It has been determined that the disfiguring disease we have long called leprosy, or Hansen’s Disease, was not present in ancient Israel, in the time of Elijah and Elisha, nor in the time of Jesus. So the word leprosy has been replaced with the phrase “skin disease”.

There is no direct concordance between ancient skin diseases and modern diagnoses, but here’s how we might think about it: Non-contagious skin diseases might be psoriasis or eczema. Contagious skin diseases might be scabies or impetigo. Also, some non-contagious skin sores like boils simply look bad, so the people in some communities might have been isolated as well to avoid embarrassing everyone with their appearance.

… First, the ancient story of the healing of Naaman, the Syrian General. Here’s the short version: There’s a slave, a captured Jewish girl, who tells Naaman’s wife that Elisha could heal the general of his skin disease. Of course, there was a lot of excitement, and they all made a road trip to see Elisha. At the door, Elisha’s servant told Naaman to go wash in the Jordan seven times.

Naaman is resentful. Elisha didn’t even come to see him, and he had to wash in the meager Jordan River. Didn’t Elisha know who he, Naaman was! But his servants insisted he try it, and he was indeed healed.

 … The second healing story involves Jesus and a group of 10 men with skin diseases. They are a mixed group, nine Jews with one Samaritan. They all plead for Jesus to heal them, which he does, adding that they should show themselves to the priest. This would prove that they were healed, and admit them back into the community. So, off they go, noticing as they walked that they had already been healed. Nine of them headed off to see the priest, but one, the Samaritan, turned around and went back to thank Jesus.

… Naaman saw the world from a position of power and privilege. He was famous, a celebrity, and although he had a skin disease, it was not a disease that isolated him from his community. People would have known his name throughout the region, either to praise such a good general, or to fear him. He expected that Elisha would come and bow before him, or at least want to spend a few minutes in his illustrious presence.

We teach little children the “magic words” please and thank you. Naaman and his entourage showed up at Elisha’s door with the expectation that he was “Somebody”, so he didn’t need to say please and thank you. Until he was truly healed. Then he saw that his skin was clean, and renewed. He returned to Elisha’s home and asked again to see him. Then he praised God for his healing. “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel.”

… I like to give the benefit of the doubt – the nine were doing what they had been told to do. They were obedient Jewish men! They were going straight to the priest, without passing go and without collecting $200.  The Samaritan might have had the same rule – to show himself to the priest, but he saw something the others didn’t. He saw that he could put obeying the rule on hold for a few minutes while he went back to give thanks. 

Jesus comments frequently about the way wealthier leaders, men with privilege and power, focus on themselves and neglect the poor, so perhaps that influences the way they respond to the healing. Getting to the priest so they could get home to their families and lives and businesses was most important.  That doesn’t mean that on the way they weren’t celebrating and shouting with joy.

… The Samaritan man in Luke’s story is once again a model for those of his time and ours that Jesus intentionally includes outsiders, whoever the outsiders are. Back then, the outsiders were Gentiles – non-Jews. Today in the US, that insider/outsider role has sometimes been reversed, with Jews often being targets of prejudice and violence.

In the whole of the history of the USA, people have always identified some groups as insiders, and others as outsiders. People with dark skin have been mistreated, enslaved and believed to be not fully human. And then it was the Irish, and the Chinese and the Mexicans. In the late 1800’s, the Swedes and Norwegians were the outsiders, discriminated against as only smart enough for manual labor. During the World Wars of the 1900s, the Germans and Japanese were interred as not trustworthy citizens. Today it is the various Latino and Arabic peoples who are on the outside, even if their families have been citizens for decades.  

Or, the outsiders are those who are in wheelchairs, or who have speech impediments, or who are missing limbs, or who have Down Syndrome. Or those who are too thin, or too heavy. Or those who are of different political views. Or those who love differently. Or whatever, including a skin disease.  

… So, how are we to respond to these stories today? We can look at them as simple reminders to not take God’s gifts like healing for granted. We can look at them as reminders to use the magic words, please and thank you, with people and with God.  And we can look at these stories as reminders that with God there are no outsiders.

This week, I hope you give thanks to God for all you have, and praise God that we are all equal in God’s eyes, in God’s desire for us to be whole, in God’s heart, and God’s love. Amen

You have faith enough!

Luke 17:5-10

Today it’s my turn to talk about measuring what matters. Faith matters. Is your faith larger than a mustard seed? Is it large enough to move a tree?

We could think about a mustard seed’s size. You get 5 mustard seeds to the inch, if you lay them side by side next to a ruler. There are smaller seeds, and larger seeds, but these are the ones Jesus mentions because the plants can grow quite large if left alone.

Or we could talk about the size of the mulberry tree you could move. Jesus says we could move one from here to there, no problem.

But what the disciples are measuring is the amount of faith they have. Jesus, they say, increase our faith. And Jesus responds that they all have enough faith to do amazing, unexpected things, like moving trees.

… Amazing, unexpected things happen when we have faith, no matter how little. Francis of Assisi heard a message from God: rebuild my church, which is in need of repair. It wasn’t the building Francis was called to rebuild, but people’s faith in God. Through simple preaching, he brought the truth of God’s love to those who had stopped paying attention.

His determination to depend fully on God attracted the attention of others, who joined him and soon formed a community of like-minded brothers. Beyond that, women heard the message and formed cloisters, totally dependent on God and the community to provide for them, even as they provided for those in need. It wouldn’t have happened if Francis didn’t have the faith to pay attention to God’s message in the first place.

… Amazing, unexpected things happen when we have faith, no matter how little. Yesterday when I got home from the pet blessing, I watched a few segments of the service of Installation of the New Presiding Bishop of the ELCA. It is with faith that the Churchwide Assembly elected Yehiel Curry as the new Presiding Bishop. He is a younger – as bishop standards go – Synod Bishop. And he’s African American. In this Church that has been known to be a bit racist, the election of a Black man to lead the denomination is nothing other than amazing. Congratulations, Bishop Curry! We have faith that you are called by God to lead us into the future.

… Amazing, unexpected things happen when we have faith, no matter how little. Yesterday, we had 35 people and 17 dogs at our pet blessing. There were, of course, dogs from Gloria Dei homes, but there were also canine guests from the community. And some of the visiting pet owners were interested in worshiping with us. We weren’t sure anyone would come, but we had faith God was leading us to try it.

… What do you think the size of your faith is? Is it at least as big as a mustard seed? Then you, too, can do amazing things. And how much faith do you think there is in the whole congregation? If our collective faith is the size of our membership, then let’s say with 100 people in the congregation, using the mustard seed measurement, we have 20 inches of faith. Or, with our faith, we could move 100 mulberry trees.

It doesn’t make sense for us to move mulberry trees unless we want to start a silk fabric business, or make a gallon of honey mustard dressing unless we are serving a lot of salad, so let’s think about what else we could do with that much faith.

* Everyone tells the story of how Jesus helps them get through each day. Ten families join Gloria Dei because of this.

* Everyone gives 10% or more of their income to the ministries of Gloria Dei. As a result, the congregation has enough money to support a full-time pastor and their family.

* At least half the congregation gives extra, beyond the 10%, to make sure every student at Leesburg Elementary School has enough to eat every day. The news of our generosity leaks out and we receive 10 families because of our reputation as a generous congregation.

Our faith, our generosity, reaches others, and brings them to faith, and soon they, too, have enough faith to share God’s love and give to the ministries of the congregation.

… This past week, I heard three presentations by Dr Mark Allen Powell, a New Testament scholar. One part in particular caught my attention. He talked about the value of pretending. Jesus says we are supposed to love our neighbor, but it can be hard to love certain neighbors. Powell says, Pretend to love them, and see what happens. You may not end up best friends, but you can at least smile and be kind to each other.

It works the same with faith. Pretend you are brave enough, have faith enough, to tell your neighbor or someone you know that Jesus loves them. Pretty soon, you will be wondering why you were afraid. The conversation that you end up having is amazing for both of you.

So, I want to suggest we apply the same idea to our giving to Gloria Dei. I know that your income may be finite, and it feels even more finite with inflation and other factors that affect the cost of everything we buy and pay for these days.

I suggest you pretend you have the faith to be more generous this year than you were last year. Pretend you won’t miss the extra $10 or 20 you put in the offering each week. Pretty soon, you will realize it’s true; You don’t miss it!

… The disciples asked Jesus to increase their faith. He responded by assuring them that they already had enough faith. All they had to do was to act as if they did have it. With the faith they had, they preached, healed, invited, and changed the world. We all have this same amount of faith – at least a mustard seed’s amount. It is enough.

… I hope this week that you will consider the many ways in which you have enough faith. And when you doubt that you do, try pretending. It just may work. Amen

 Amos 6:1a, 4-7; 1 Timothy 6:6-19; Luke 16:19-31

Who do you notice?

Once again, it’s pretty hard to miss the message in the Amos reading. Don’t go bragging about your wealth, if at the same time you are not reaching out to help the poor. This text matches well with the gospel reading about a certain rich man and a poor man named Lazarus.

It never ceases to amaze me. When I read the Bible, there is always something new to see in these familiar stories. This time, it jumped out at me in the Gospel reading that the rich man knew Lazarus’ name, and he still refused to see him, to notice him, to help him. Until it was too late for it to make a difference.

Let’s give Lazarus a back story. This is totally my imagination, but it will help us get the point Jesus is making. Let’s suppose that Lazarus had been doing well enough for himself and his family. He worked every day, he gave the right offerings at the right time, even gave some alms to the poor.

One day, his family grew ill from the flu and died. Then, distracted by his losses, he suffered a workplace injury,  maybe a building stone fell and broke his arm. The arm didn’t heal right, because he couldn’t afford a doctor, and he was unable to work. Which meant he was unable to feed himself, and with no family to care for him, he ended up living in the homeless camp outside of town. Every morning, he went to sit outside the gate to the rich man’s house, hoping for a coin or two, or a chunk of bread, to ease his hunger.

But he rarely received anything, and after a year or two, his body had no resistance, so any slight bump developed into a major wound. The dogs came to lick his wounded body, and he wasn’t strong enough to defend himself against them.

In the meantime, the rich man went in and out past Lazarus, 2 or 3 times a day. He knew him by name, because Lazarus had worked for him, and was injured at his worksite. But he chose to ignore him.

You see, the rich man believed that he was wealthy because he was so righteous. He followed the laws as closely as he could, and God blessed him, rewarded him with wealth. He deserved what he had because he was so faithful.

And, Lazarus, well, he had nothing because God saw how he didn’t obey all the laws. He must have been disobedient, that’s why his family got sick and died, that’s why he broke his arm that day. He was not blessed by God. So, he didn’t deserve to be noticed or cared for.

… This story has often been used to caution – or more, threaten – people to behave or they will be punished, sent to hell. The description of the rich man suffering in hades is a warning to keep many people behaving well, following the rules.  Behave or you’ll go to hell!

But Jesus didn’t tell this story as that kind of warning. He told the story to say that just because you have wealth doesn’t mean you are specially blessed. And, just because you are poor doesn’t mean God doesn’t bless you.

Jesus doesn’t want us to be distracted by the story about Hades and Heaven. Instead, the point of this story is to value everyone as God does, to treat everyone kindly, respectfully. The point of the story is to see that there are hurting people in our midst, and God wants all people to have enough. 

… Paul’s letter to Timothy echoes these thoughts. “Those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped … by their desires. … For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” And then Paul tells us what we should do instead of chasing wealth. “They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, ¹⁹ thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.”

If we spend less time thinking about money, accumulating it, managing it, spending it, we have time for other things. We have time for daily prayer. We have time for Bible study. We have time to make sure our Facebook posts are kind and respectful. We have time to make sure our generosity is truly generous, and supporting those causes that please God.

… At University Lutheran Church in Gainesville, there is a bench in the covered walkway between the sanctuary and the office/fellowship building. Frequently, people who were unhoused sat or slept there. Often, they were connecting to our internet / wi-fi on their phones.

As long as they were not using illegal substances or leaving inappropriate stuff there, I had no problem with them being there. I usually greeted them and asked if they needed anything. Usually, they ignored me, or simply nodded a greeting. But I still felt good because I had not ignored the Lazarus at my gate.

It doesn’t take much to be kind to someone. It doesn’t take much to pay attention to our surroundings and the folks who populate that space.

I hope that this week, you consider the ways in which you typically see or ignore the people around you. They are all children of God, your sisters and brothers in God’s family. Notice them. Be kind to them. Give them a gift if you have a dollar or more to spare. Amen 

A place of welcome

 Amos 8:4-7; Luke 16:1-13

The reading from Amos is easy to understand, if not implement. Stop cheating people to get richer than you already are!

In contrast, the parable and comments from Jesus after it are head-scratchingly hard to figure out. We do understand that the manager was cheating and he got caught, and got the pink slip from his boss. And then the manager cheated some more after getting caught, with the full cooperation of the customers who owed money to the boss. Yes, this part of the story is easy to understand, even if we want to scold the manager and the customers for their roles in cheating the boss.

What we don’t understand is why the boss praised the manager for his cleverness! Commentators and scholars have several suggestions. One I rather like is that the manager made the boss look generous, and the customers could assume the boss approved of settling the accounts by reducing the amounts owed.

The boss didn’t object when he found out about this further cooking of the books, because the appearance of generosity raised his honor level in the community. To object would have caused him to be shamed. In ancient times, in an honor and shame society, honor is worth more than money.

A further suggestion makes even more sense. The praise by the owner is a wry acknowledgement that the manager had made sure people would welcome him, also with honor. While people might not roll out the red carpet for him, he would be invited to dinner often, and given a place at the table.

This interpretation makes more sense when we fit this story into its context in Luke. Just prior is the story of the father with two sons. The younger son demands his inheritance and spends it on gambling and loose women. Eventually, broke and shame-faced, he returns home, hoping he will find even a little welcome. Of course, the father is ecstatic to have him home, even though the older brother is resentful of this warm welcome.

The story following this one of the crooked manager, similarly describes a place of welcome. A certain rich man has died and is suffering in the afterworld. And a man who suffered from poverty at the rich man’s gate has been welcomed to Father Abraham’s bosom, quite comfortable in his afterworld home.

So, it’s possible the parable about the cooked manager is about the manager’s cleverness of making sure he has homes where he will still be welcome.

… Jesus’ explanation complicates the interpretation of the parable for us. For me, the key word of Jesus comment is faithfulness. We can be faithful to money, or faithful to God. We have to choose how we use the resources we have.

It’s obvious to many that money, wealth, is just as important today as it was 2,000 years ago. And the ways in which wealth is obtained today can be just as corrupt as it was in ancient days.

…These three stories by Jesus, plus the words and warnings of the prophets, describe God’s economy, especially as it compares with our economy. For many people, life consists in accumulating as much wealth as possible, no matter who gets hurt, no matter how many people suffer from not having enough.

Other people manage to accumulate wealth, but have a different attitude about what they do with it. They see poverty, and needy, hurting people, and use their wealth to ease the suffering they see.

In God’s economy, everyone has enough. Everyone has gifts that are recognized and valued.

In God’s economy, everyone is welcome. Everyone is worthy of God’s love and people’s respect.

In God’s economy, nature is respected as well. Seasonal crops feed local people; the rivers and seas hold enough fish and seafood for people and critters.

In God’s economy, no one person or group has all the power. Power and wealth are shared so all have equal voice and vote and control over their land and budget.

…Scripture is filled with covenant promises and prophetic warnings for failure to remember the covenant. There may be dire consequences for those who fail as a group to remember God’s covenant.

The covenant describes God’s economy. It promises that those who keep the covenant will always have a place to call home, a place where they are welcome. Jesus calls that place the Kingdom/Reign of God, which is not a place but a way of life in relationship with God and each other. In God’s economy, we seek relationships with God and each other. When we know and trust each other, it is easier to see all people as children of God, who need us and our care as much as we need them.

… This week, I hope you will consider how you use the resources you have, and how relationships fit into your life. Do they match up with God’s economy?  Amen

Giving up everything

Philemon; Luke 14:25-33

Have you ever imagined owning little?  Having just enough to live but nothing extra, and being content with what you have? People who live in nursing homes are often like that.

Women and men who have taken religious vows live like that. In the early 1200s, one of the brothers asked Francis, “may I have a prayer book? I feel it would enhance my prayer life if I had one of my own.” Francis said “Absolutely not! When you own something, it prevents you from fully worshipping God. Instead you are focused on maintaining what you own. Where is it? Did I tear a page? Is that dirt on the cover?”

 And we can understand this today. But, Francis and the brothers lived in caves or monasteries. They worked for food and not much else. As an order, they owned a few prayer books that were stored in a public area of the monastery. No one person owned them, they belonged to them all, or to none of them.

In contrast, those who live in the world with families and businesses and responsibilities need to own some things. Even so, the question remains. “Do you own your stuff, or does it own you?”

… Jesus’ command to give up all our possessions is a challenge for us. How can we follow Jesus with our whole hearts when we have stuff in our homes, closets, garages, and storage buildings?

Is Jesus’ command what he really wants, or is this statement hyperbole, exaggeration? I prefer to see it as a challenge, a check and balance, to make sure I have my priorities right. One of those priorities is the use of time. Do I spend enough time with Jesus/God? Do I give enough time to caring for others?

… Paul’s understanding of Jesus’ command to give up all we own is applied differently in this letter to in this letter to Philemon. Onesimus is a slavewho apparently has not been worth what Philemon paid for him. In contrast, he has been very helpful to Paul. However, Paul knows he needs to send Onesimus back to his owner.

“I ask you,” Paul writes, “to grant Onesimus his freedom, since he is now as much a believer in Jesus as you and I are. As we are brothers in the faith, so, now, is he also a beloved sibling to me.”

This request is not just telling Onesimus that he is no longer a slave. It also reduces Philemon’s financial and social worth. Philemon can never get his money back, whatever he paid for Onesimus, so this is a costly decision.

I just have to add this … the name Onesimus means useful, or maybe handy. So the play on words here is fun. The man named Handy has not been very useful (or handy!) to his owner, but has proved himself to be very useful, or handy, to Paul.  

This is one of the stories in Scripture that has no ending. We have no way of knowing if Philemon gave Onesimus his freedom, or if he beat him for disobedience. We hope that he will be influenced by Jesus and welcome Onesimus as a free brother in Christ.

… These texts come to us on “God’s Work. Our Hands” Sunday. On this day, we remember that there are many people around and among us who are in need, in many ways.

Some are hungry. Council recently learned that 87% of the children at Leesburg Elementary School receive public assistance, free lunch etc. The congregational council approved supporting a program called Nourish to Flourish, to give these children extra food each day or week. In addition to supporting the Joining Hands food program, this program will take care of some very needy children.

Some are abused. Our financial gifts and donations of time as volunteers honors them with respect and protection.

Some are cold, or in need of basic hygiene supplies. The quilts we create, the kits we assemble provide needed care for people we will never know or see. Many of these things are headed for overseas, but they also end up here in Florida or other states.

Some are dying. … Some of you know this, and some won’t have heard. Our beloved Alberta went to be with God Friday evening. Several hours before she died, I received a phone call about her care from MaryBeth Pullum, Alberta’s attorney. She was hoping some of Alberta’s friends could assist in her care by administering medication that the hospice caregivers were not permitted to give her. It was a legal matter for that particular class of medication.  They would need to be there every 4 hours until Alberta’s son Samuel arrived late Saturday. 

So I called some folks, and within an hour or so, a care team was put together. Some of them would need to visit Alberta in the middle of the night, an extra gift. I give thanks to Pat, Rita, Andy, and Sharon. I know a couple others would have been involved but they are out of town. … This is one of the aspects of this congregation that impresses me. When someone is in need, you-all work together to take care of that need.

… All these ways of helping others are examples of God’s work through our hands. We don’t have to give up everything we own in order to put God first, but we do have to make a commitment to being Jesus’ hands in this world. I hope you consider these questions this week. Do you own your stuff, or does it own you? How do you put God first? How do your hands serve those God puts in your path? Amen

Humility

 Luke 14:1, 7-14

Humility. This is the theme that showed up in many of the commentaries I read this week about the Gospel story. It’s not something that’s at the top of our usual topics at the dinner table – unless we are complaining that someone doesn’t have it.

… Jesus is at a sabbath meal and notices how the men jostle for the best places in the house. They demonstrate their positions of power, and seek to talk to other powerful men to do business deals. As long as they are there together, they might as well take advantage of the situation. – even though it’s the sabbath!

Jesus calls them on this practice and challenges them to think differently. Instead of inviting the people you see all the time, why not invite the outsiders, the invisible folks – the poor, the disabled? Offer this wonderful food to those who are hungry. We remember that Luke’s version of the Beatitudes reads: blessed are the hungry, for they will be fed.  But, of course, the wealthy folks in this parable, and at this meal, don’t want to hear what Jesus has to say.

… It would be easy to make a long list of people who appear to lack humility. We remember reading about Uriah Heep, a law clerk in the novel David Copperfield, who was very proud of his humility ('umility).

In this week’s news there are a couple pastors who have turned a congregation into a cult, demanding that parishioners pay large donations. These donations supported a lavish lifestyle for the pastors, and fear in the hearts of the folks. While the pastors were anything but humble, the parishioners were forced to be so.

I think most of us are sure we are humble – that we have humility. We claim that we are all equal in God’s eyes. Reality demonstrates that women, people of color, and people who are different in any way, are required to be more humble than white men. In recent years this is changing for the better, but there is still a long way to go.

For example, I was a young woman, with a college education, and in my first job after having two children. I worked for Don, the owner of Don Shoes, a traditional shoe store where we used the Brannock device to measure feet, and went into the tunnels to get the shoes for the customer. Many women came to me because I worked hard to find the right shoe for them.

When Don hired me, he told me that I could only sell women’s shoes, not men’s. John was a coworker, hired after me, a young man, and a newlywed. John could sell men’s and women’s shoes, and was in charge of the window display as well. Don told me that John got more hours and more responsibility – and probably more pay – because he was married and had to support his wife.

… I also think most of us aren’t aware of our blind spots. I enjoy the radio show This American Life, which is also available as a podcast so I can listen to the ones I missed. A recent episode was called: “Suddenly: A Mirror!”

This radio show tells stories about regular people having encounters with other people or events that change their lives. Here’s a summary of one story.

Aviva tells the story about when she was 11, her sister was 14, and their cousin was 16. They decided to go swimming. In the community pool. At midnight. Of course, they had to climb the chain-link fence because the pool was closed. As soon as they were poolside, the alarms sounded, and the police cars were arriving.

Aviva describes what happened next: … So we panic. And my cousin, he is the oldest and tallest. And he just runs to the fence, hops over it, clears it no problem, takes off running. And then my sister is next. And she hops up on the fence, but then she kind of falls down. She doesn't quite make it over.

And then she hops up again, and she was just moving so slowly, in my mind. It was probably 15 seconds, actually. And what I did in my panic, is, she was up about 2 feet off the ground, holding on to the fence. And I grabbed her waist, and I ripped her off the fence. And I climbed over myself.

And then she describes what she saw in the mirror as she reflected on her actions that night. … But for me, this is the first moment that I remember thinking, I have been shown what kind of person I am, and I am a very bad person. Or there is a part of me that is deeply selfish or capable of deep selfishness.

… We all have those things we have done, or continue to do, that bring us shame when we see them in the mirror. These events, these attitudes, these behaviors describe or define ways in which we have not been, or are not today, humble.

We may not be pushing our way to the best seats in the house, or climbing the fence around the community pool at midnight, but there are always ways in which we seek to have our own way. Jesus cautions us against being so concerned about our own needs that we ignore the needs of others. We don’t always show others the respect they are due as siblings in Christ, children of a loving God, just like us.

When we are faced with the truth about ourselves, we can deny we are not perfect. Or we can admit it, confess it, and seek forgiveness. If we have harmed some person, we can apologize and, hopefully, receive forgiveness. If we have offended God, we can confess, and know that we are loved and forgiven, despite our offences.

… This week, I hope you will consider ways in which you may not see the whole truth about yourself. Where are your blind spots? When have others helped you see yourself in the mirror and shown you something you didn’t like about yourself? Don’t be afraid of what you see. Know that God loves you and forgives you, no matter what! Amen