Sermon for Proper 17C The Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost September 1, 2013 The Rev. Paul LeClair

Transcription

1 Page 1 of 7 Sermon for Proper 17C The Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost September 1, 2013 The Rev. Paul LeClair Sirach 10:12-18 Psalm 112 Hebrews 13:1-8, Luke 14:1, 7-14 May the words I speak, be only yours, O Lord, And the words we hear, be only your message of love, so we may share that love with all whom we meet in the days to come. Amen Be all that you can be. Honor, courage, commitment. Integrity first. Semper Fi, The few, the proud. You may recognize these phrases. They re recruitment slogans and mottos of the US Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. They reflect the pride of the brave people who serve and protect our great nation. I m sure you ve seen t-shirts with variations of this phrase. I (heart) I love New York. I love school nursing. I love fishing. Sometimes they get silly but in most cases these t-shirts are expressing something that its wearer loves and takes pride in. Whether it s a bumper sticker demonstrating a parent s pride in their honor student or a friend or acquaintance who enthusiastically tells you about their new car, that recent vacation, or a fun exercise class at the community center, we generally view this kind of pride as being healthy and a quality to be admired.

2 Page 2 of 7 However in our selection from Sirach we heard these words of wisdom. The beginning of human pride is to forsake the Lord. the beginning of pride is sin. pride was not created for human beings Many of us may have heard this saying from the Book of Proverbs. Pride goeth before the fall. And those of us who have studied the works of Thomas Aquinas, know that he taught that pride is the capital vice and that pride is the beginning of all sin. So which is it? Is pride an honorable and healthy value, Or is pride the chief sin of all sins that leads to all sin? We can begin tackling this pride puzzle by recognizing that one of the reasons that we find the English language to be so beautiful and that it lends itself to poetry so well is because its words come from many roots and have varied meanings. Pride is one of those words. First let s look at pride, as it s understood to be the most lethal of the seven deadly sins. This kind of pride is also called hubris. We would also call this kind of pride; arrogance, narcissism, self-centeredness, or egotism. On the extreme, people who are guilty of hubris believe that they are the center of the universe. They see God as their genie.

3 Page 3 of 7 They expect that every prayer, which of course is about them, will be quickly responded to by God, in the way that they see fit. Watch out for these tell-tale symptoms of hubris. As comedian, Jim Foxworthy, might say If you attempt to make yourself look good by putting others down, you just might be a narcissist. If you can turn any conversation and make it about you, you just might be an egotist. If you automatically assume that another person is wrong because they don t agree with your point of view, you just might be arrogant. If you re more likely to criticize, than to sympathize, pride, for you, just might be defined as sin. Phil Jackson, who had to deal with quite a few inflated egos during his years as an NBA basketball coach, tells how his dad always had a little sign on his desk that said this: The bigger your head is, the easier it is to fill your shoes. Yes, pride goeth before a fall. Now let s look at the kind of pride that might be recognized as virtue. A bishop came to make his annual visitation to a parish. There d been much preparation and excitement. On the morning of the big day, worship began with a grand procession. And when the bishop arrived at the chair of honor, traditionally known as The Bishop s Chair, he found one of the newest acolytes sitting in it.

4 Page 4 of 7 She was maybe eight years old. Young lady, he asked, Do you know where you are sitting? Oh yes, sir, she responded, I sit here every Sunday. The bishop graciously moved to the seat next to her. At announcement time, he commended the young acolyte for her good service. The girl in this story illustrates pride, that we would label, healthy self-esteem. She took pride in her new role as an active member of her congregation. She also saw what she was doing as serving the needs of others, in this case, assisting the priest, or even the bishop, at God s altar. The bishop also had pride. Pride that, oddly enough, can be defined as humility rather than as hubris. He knew that the crook he carried, was a symbol of his role as shepherd. He modeled his ministry, on that of the Good Shepherd. The bishop recognized that the young acolyte was a bit of a lost sheep. She was clueless to the intended purpose of the bishop s chair. The bishop was much less concerned about the seating arrangement than he was about being a gracious guest in that parish s church home. And so he gave the little girl the place of honor and chose a humble place for his seat. By doing so, he was inviting her, to participate with him in church ministry; a ministry of service to others; a ministry of open arms, welcoming all, without regard of social status or of titles.

5 Page 5 of 7 In our gospel lesson this morning, Jesus gave two sets of instructions. One explained how to be a humble guest at a wedding feast. The other described how to be a welcoming host. As a Total Ministry congregation, all of us are responding to God s call to serve as ministers in the church and in the world around us. And so, Jesus second teaching is the one that is crucial for us to listen to. Jesus said that when we give a banquet, we should invite the poor, the disabled, and the blind. And we will be blessed. There are those among us who are living with financial challenges. Some of us are physically challenged and are dealing with diminishing eyesight. Others are poor in spirit. We deal with depression. We re paralyzed by our wounded self-esteem, and we re blinded by faith issues, or by a misunderstanding of God s word. Yet we discover, that by being members of this faith community, by being graciously accepted, we find the courage to persevere. We allow ourselves to open up and share our blessings, as well as our struggles. And by doing so, we also open ourselves to the power of The Holy Spirit, to the love of God in Christ. And we discover that we have been blessed. I ve seen some signs lately that illustrate the healthy, humble kind of pride that leads us to open, welcoming hospitality. During our summer Dinner, Drinks and Discussion, some of our members invited friends and relatives so they too, could enjoy the meal, and benefit from the presentations.

6 Page 6 of 7 There are at least four of our members who are able to worship with us on Sundays because other members of our parish provide them with rides. Recognizing that offering only one service on Sunday morning prevented a number of our members from being able to attend, due to health issues and work schedules, we now offer a Sunday evening service. And just a few weeks ago, the people of this congregation, which averages about 45 people on a Sunday, generously donated 23 backpacks, filled with school supplies, to students whose names we will never know, but whom we know were unable to provide those supplies for themselves. Through our affiliation with the Madison Heights Community Roundtable, The Women s Club, and the Church At Madison Heights, we ve been able to become more visible, to reach out more effectively and to generously serve the people in our community. As I look around the room, I can see that there are still some empty seats at this feast, that are open and available to be filled. May we pray, that our blinded eyes may be opened, so we can see the opportunities we have, to invite those we already know, and those we soon will encounter, who, like ourselves, can be fed, as we have been fed, by God s bountiful love. Let us pray.

7 Page 7 of 7 Gracious Lord, thank you for speaking to us through your Holy Word. We ask that you give us understanding, and insight as we reflect and share together so that we may discern how you are calling us to respond. Give us eyes to see, resources to use, and the wisdom to act, so we may share your love with those who have not yet found you in Your church. Amen. Sources: Forward Day By Day, August 1, 2013 The Lighter Side of Sin, Joe Kita, Reader s Digest, April 2013 The Up Side: Quotes from Positive Thinkers, Guideposts, June 2013