The Necessity Of Original Sin
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
Worship
Object:
This week's gospel text brings us the familiar parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector -- and like many of Jesus' parables, its message was almost stupefying for his listeners in how it turned conventional mores upside down. In those days tax collecting was not the bureaucratic bean-counting profession that we think of today; instead, it was a truly odious occupation whose practitioners were known for extortion and preying on the defenseless not unlike notorious fraudsters such as Bernie Madoff. So a quizzical response to the parable's uplifting of the sinning tax collector instead of the righteous Pharisee is understandable. In this installment of The Immediate Word, team member Kate Murphy notes that the typical lesson we take away from this parable is about God's forgiveness and the Pharisee's perceived hypocrisy. But Kate reminds us that it's also a cautionary tale about the dangers of certainty, especially in our own righteousness. To say that the Pharisee is hypocritical implies that he practices something different than he believes... however, he truly believes -- indeed, is absolutely convinced -- that he has lived an upright and godly life. Likewise, many of us believe that we also live an upstanding life; but as Kate points out, it is precisely that belief that often distances us from God and our fellow human beings. Like a paradoxical Zen koan, it may be that the closer we become to God in some respects, the further away we find ourselves from God. Kate notes that this is an opportune time to dust off the doctrine of original sin and take another look at its implications for our lives.
Team member Mary Austin provides some additional commentary on the gospel lesson, focusing on the theme of the Pharisee's contempt for someone who he viewed as different and lesser in God's eyes than himself. Mary connects this to how we treat homosexuals, which is obviously a very contentious issue not only in society (with current controversies over the legal status of gay marriage and "don't ask, don't tell" in the military) but also in the church. Mary offers some intriguing thoughts in the context of this month's "National Coming Out Day," and she suggests that all of us need consider our need to come out -- from whatever is closeting or burdening us.
The Necessity of Original Sin
by Kate Murphy
Luke 18:9-14
THE WORLD
Bishop Eddie Long -- founder of the "Out of the Wilderness Ministry" to convert homosexuals into heterosexuals, and named by the Southern Poverty Law Center as one of the most "virulently homophobic black leaders in the religiously based anti-gay movement" -- has been accused by four young men that he used his pastoral authority to coerce them into sexual relationships. Meg Whitman, Republican candidate for governor of California, campaigns against illegal aliens and the employers who hire them, but employed an illegal immigrant as her housekeeper for nine years. Eliot Spitzer, 54th governor of New York, marketed himself as a politician with a mission to eradicate corruption before he resigned in disgrace after a federal investigation uncovered that he was "client #9" in a prostitution ring. The list could go on -- athletes testify against steroid use in Congress only to fail drug tests; politicians campaign on the sanctity of marriage and go on to divorce their spouses.
As Christians, we're called not to gossip about these human tragedies but to make theological sense of them. This week's gospel lection gives us a fruitful starting point -- but to really make headway we're going to need to dust off a doctrine that has been languishing in the churches "discard" pile next to flannel boards and cakewalks. I'm talking about the doctrine of original sin.
THE WORD
John Calvin called it "total depravity." In his letter to the Romans, Paul explained it this way: "sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned" (Romans 5:12). Eastern Orthodox churches call it "ancestral sin." But nowadays we don't call it anything -- because we don't talk about it at all. Once in a while we might preach or teach about other people's sins -- and the very brave pastor might risk an occasional sermon on personal sin. But really, how in the world can we lure folks into the pews with the idea that requires us to believe that all people (even cute little babies, even us!) are born into a state of sinfulness? What does such a doctrine imply about the sovereignty of God? Or Divine Justice? Or Divine Love? Most troublingly -- if this is what the church teaches, how can I walk out of service feeling good about myself and my life? No, no, no -- nobody's ever going to build a megachurch emphasizing original sin. If we must, let's mention it once a lifetime in confirmation classes -- and then rush on to assure our hapless young that because of Christ's death on the cross this ugly little piece of theology no longer applies to us. What possible good could come from living with the idea of the inevitability of sin?
I wonder. I wonder if Jesus might have told a different story that day if the folks gathered around him had heard a few more talks in the synagogue on ideas of original sin. Luke tells us that Jesus told this story to "those who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt." But if we are raised with the uncomfortable idea that sin comes naturally to us -- that it is, in fact, our default setting -- then we cannot trust in our own righteousness at all. And contempt for others doesn't come too easily either, because we know that God alone is righteousness. We understand that, thanks to the grace of God, our lives might be different from those whose sins are visible -- but our nature is not.
If the Pharisee in Jesus' parable had internalized the idea of original sin, along with his zeal for the law and love of righteousness, then his view of the tax collector and the prayer that followed would have been quite different. Instead of "God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income," it might have sounded like this: "God, you and I know that I am no different than my brother the tax collector. Were it not for your kindness in placing your law on my heart, I too would steal and cheat and betray my people. I praise you for your graciousness to me! Help me look upon my brother the tax collector with the same graciousness that you looked upon me, that his life might be healed as well." If the Pharisee had learned about original sin, both men might have gone home justified that day.
CRAFTING THE SERMON
This parable of Jesus is particularly elusive. It's so tempting for preachers to make this easy for our congregations and wrap up early in time for kickoff. How often have you heard this sermon: "The Pharisee was a powerful hypocrite. The tax collector was a misunderstood victim. Jesus and God understand everyone, and they don't like hypocrites. But we are not hypocrites. So go in peace, we are all good with God"? But the reality is -- there was a difference in the life of the Pharisee and the life of the tax collector. The Pharisee made true sacrifices to devote his life to God. The tax collector put his own needs at the center of his life and in satisfying his own desires he made vulnerable people suffer. The tax collector beat his breast for a reason -- he really had sinned before God. The Pharisee really did fast and tithe -- and these are righteous things. (As we head into stewardship season, I'll take a few more Pharisees in my church!) The grace displayed in this parable truly is scandalous. The sinner is made righteous by acknowledging his sins (note that he doesn't even repent or promise to change, he just asks for mercy), and the believer is convicted because of his righteousness! How is this fair?
Jesus gives this parable to a particular set of people -- those who consider themselves righteous and look with contempt upon others. He's warning these folks that it's possible to fall into sin through the practice of righteous behavior. It's easy for us to begin thinking that because we (try to) lead righteous lives we are ontologically different from those who, in our un-humble opinion, do not. And when we start thinking this way, we welcome sin into our lives.
I wonder if things would have turned out differently if the folks named in the beginning of this article had been raised up with a healthy respect for the doctrine of original sin. I'm glad Eliot Spitzer fought corruption. I applaud Meg Whitman for taking on the employers who exploit undocumented workers. But somehow, caught up in the righteousness of their cause, these folks fell victim to the very evil they crusaded against. I suspect it was because along the way they got the idea that they were so different from the sinners they opposed that the rules didn't apply to them. I suspect the doctrine of original sin would have saved them from that.
ANOTHER VIEW
by Mary Austin
Luke 18:9-14; 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18
National Coming Out Day has me thinking about coming out.
Held earlier this month and sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign, National Coming Out Day is a way for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people to gain the support of loved ones in being who they are and a day to encourage discussion of these still complex issues.
I'm blessed to know a community of people who are both gay and straight, single and partnered, some with children and some devoted to the children around them. They are a mixture of older and younger, some with money and some barely getting by. That same community includes people of various backgrounds and skin colors, with a range of political views. There are people with AIDS and people with acne, people who go to church and people who wouldn't be caught dead in one.
With all the things that shape our lives and make us who we are, being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) is one of the few disclosures in today's world that puts us at risk of other people's judgment, places us in danger of losing friends or family, and is physically and emotionally dangerous.
Perhaps we all need to come out.
A friend who uses a wheelchair told me years ago that everyone has a disability -- in some people, it's visible. Being gay is not a disability, but there's a parallel here. In the same way, I've come to believe that we all have something to come out about. We each have something that we hide from the people we love, something true about ourselves that we're scared to tell. Coming out is a spiritual exercise for all of us.
The parable from Luke's gospel notes that Jesus "told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt." The tax collector and the Pharisee are both praying in the same place, and every early listener of Jesus would have expected the Pharisee to be the example to emulate. He is surely a righteous man, practicing his faith with zeal and passion. And yet, in a surprise for his listeners, Jesus is not saying to follow his example. Instead, we are meant to see the contempt that divides him from the other child of Abraham standing right next to him. That contempt for his fellow traveler in faith also separates him from God as well, as he trusts in his own righteousness instead of in God's grace.
The church, among other social institutions, has held LGBT people in contempt, a secondary status that the rest of the culture has learned from us. As Bishop Gene Robinson of the Episcopal Church notes in an article on the Huffington Post: "An increasingly popular bumper sticker reads, 'Guns Don't Kill People -- RELIGION Kills People!' In light of recent events I would add religion kills young people: gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender young people." The church's contempt, like the Pharisee's, has spilled out, and it comes back to us as judgment as we see a number of recent suicides of young gay and lesbian people. Harassed and bullied for who they are, high school and college students have taken their own lives recently in New Jersey, Texas, California, and Oklahoma, among other places. Suicide has long been a risk for young people, and some studies hold that a third of young people who commit suicide are lesbian or gay. Other figures note that the risk of suicide is four times higher for lesbian and gay young people.
Bishop Robinson continues, in the same post:
"With humility and heartfelt repentance I assert that religion -- and its general rejection of homosexuality -- plays a crucial role in this crisis. On the one hand, Religious Right hatemongers and crazies are spewing all sorts of venom and condemnation, all in the name of a loving God. The second-highest-ranking Mormon leader, Boyd K. Packer, recently called same-sex attraction 'impure and unnatural' in an act of unspeakable insensitivity at the height of this rash of teen suicides. He declared that it can be cured, and that same-sex unions are morally repugnant and 'against God's law and nature.'
"Just as many gay kids grow up in these conservative denominations as any other. They are told day in and day out that they are an abomination before God. Just consider the sheer numbers of LGBT kids growing up right now in Roman Catholic, Mormon, and other conservative religious households. The pain and self-loathing caused by such a distortion of God's will is undeniable and tragic, causing scars and indescribable self-alienation in these young victims.
"You don't have to grow up in a religious household, though, to absorb these religious messages. Not long ago I had a conversation with six gay teens, not one of whom had ever had any formal religious training or influence. Every one of them knew the word 'abomination,' and every one of them thought that was what God thought of them. They couldn't have located the book of Leviticus in the Bible if their lives depended on it, yet they had absorbed this message from the anti-gay air they breathe every day."
For LGBT people who have "fought the good fight" (2 Timothy 4:7) on behalf of equality, the race is far from finished, and keeping the faith is surely a challenge. Looking at a church that denies marriage and ordination to LGBT people, at a church that preaches contempt, at a church that fails to live up to the welcome Jesus showed to everyone he met, keeping the faith is difficult work. It's no wonder people give up on church when we ignore the truth of their lives, or worse, tell them that their stories matter less than other people's.
As communities of faith, we can all make it easier for our fellow travelers by coming out of our own closet of contempt, out of the closet of indifference, out of the closet of keeping LGBT issues safely tucked away in a little committee. And we can practice the faithful work of coming out of our own closets, our own places of fear and shame, to create communities of faith where we can all be who we are. We can come out about who we really are, too. Our hidden struggle may be about ourselves as flawed partners, or imperfect parents, as children who fail our aging parents, or friends who miss the mark. We can come out about our fears of aging, or job loss, or heartache with a child. We can come out about the money worries that wake us up at night, or the panic that our child is shipping out for Afghanistan.
Coming out holds its own fears, but there is also liberation in being who we are and knowing that people know us fully. If the community of faith can be that place of liberation for all of us, then surely God is in that place, and we will all know it.
ILLUSTRATIONS
It has been an enriching story describing how 33 Chilean miners trapped 2,000 feet beneath the surface of the earth organized themselves into a community. Each miner, using his special expertise, contributed the welfare of the entire group. As was fitting and expected, the foreman Luis Urzua was the appointed leader of the group and the last to emerge from the earth's darkest depths. As we followed the miners' 68-day ordeal entombed in the bowels of the earth, it was heartwarming and refreshing to witness the comradery and selflessness that was exhibited. It renewed one's sense in the righteous of humanity.
This idealistic view of humanity was shattered when rescue became imminent. The miners began to fight among themselves as to who would be the last one lifted to freedom. It was not an issue of who was best suited to guide the other 32 upward but revolved around self-centeredness. Each miner wanted to be the hero and bask in the media limelight as the heroic one who courageously waited to be the last one to depart, assuring the safety of others. And so it is our base natures always seem to rise up, trumping our spiritual endowments.
Jeremiah speaks that "our backsliding is great." This was certainly the pall that covered the miners. The men at first showed a great spiritual accomplishment that became a worldwide testimony of faith, only to backslide into an egomaniac pursuit of glory. Community and humility surrendered to glory and notoriety. The miners, in their own way, are representative of all of us. It is so easy for us "to be my brother's keeper" until we have the opportunity to be my "brother's ruler."
* * *
Barbara Billingsley recently passed away. As June Cleaver, the beloved mom of the "Beav," she was welcomed into all of our homes. From 1957 to 1963, she and Ward, along with their two sons, Wally and the Beaver, graced our homes with the telecast of Leave It to Beaver. Perhaps the family was a bit too perfect and the show a bit too nostalgic; but it was a welcome reprieve from the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the new drug culture, and the assassination of a president.
Ms. Billingsley became such a fixture in our conscience as June Cleaver, the perfect mom with a ready answer, that she was forever typecast. After she left the Beaver home, whose location was never disclosed so it could represent Anywhere, USA, she could not secure another role in the television media. She did make some guest appearances as June Cleaver, but they are too few to mention.
When she was asked why she did not do more with the role she personified, her response was very simple but direct -- she wanted to protect the character she so artfully created. Ms. Billingsley, once asked to do a parody of June Cleaver, thoughtfully answered, "She's been too good to me to play anything like that."
Perhaps looking down from God's heavenly abode, Barbara Billingsley can recite the words of the apostle Paul: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." May we too, on the day when the race is over, know that we have remained faithful to ourselves and the values we possessed.
* * *
In his book The Doors of the Sea: Where Was God in the Tsunami, the Eastern Orthodox theologian David Bentley Hart explains that in his tradition they firmly believe in original sin -- but they do not believe it brings guilt with it. Original sin is the condition that we are born into. It is not something we have done, so we won't be punished for it; we are only punished for the sins we commit later. This makes it no less crucial that we be saved from our condition -- but it helps us deal with our condition honestly without making God into an unjust judge.
* * *
A church had two candidates for the governing board. One was a model Christian who worked, prayed, and gave for the spread of the kingdom. She was a fine Christian in every way. The other candidate was a scoundrel who sometimes showed up for worship, was lax in her giving, and showed little progress in the spiritual life. The latter, quite to everyone's surprise, won the election. One church member summed it up when she explained why she voted as she did: "I didn't vote for the first candidate, because she acts as if God needs her. I voted for the second candidate; she lives as one who needs God desperately!"
* * *
According to the historian Josephus, the Pharisees came into existence about 150 BC. Their name probably refers to them being "separatists" from the culture in which they lived. They were prominent in Judaism for about three centuries as champions of the Torah against the inroads of the Greek influence in society. They upheld traditions as steadfastly as they clung to the authority of the Torah. They were staunch defenders of the Messianic kingdom, the life beyond the grave, and the existence of demons and angels. Their teachings and interpretations of the Torah and traditions made religion personal and vital in the lives of the people. Their focus on teaching the scriptures gave rise to the institution of the synagogue, where scripture was taught and read. Due to their efforts, many of the Jewish people were devout and pious in their faith and life. Many pastors today would welcome having members like these with such exemplary lives and deep commitment.
Inevitably, in a society filled with pagan influences they could not help but point with pride to themselves for their faithfulness to the Torah. Their downfall came as they began to think that their devoted lives were the basis of their salvation. They could not avoid their disdain for those who were not as successful in being as faithful as they were. It was this attitude displayed by the Pharisee in Jesus' parable that ultimately condemned them. They no longer recognized their need for mercy and it cost them dearly.
* * *
In this era of election polls and constant analysis, you might see something like this in a questionnaire: Below are public statements from two different political candidates. Read them carefully; then answer the concluding question.
1. "I am proud to be a candidate for this office. I have focused my life on the highest of values and ethics. I am a successful businessman who believes in hard work. I have been faithful to my family and my church. Frankly, I am grateful that I am not like so many others who come before you as candidates."
2. "I feel honored that folks have encouraged me to enter this contest. It is true that I have some skills that will serve me well if I am elected. But I must admit that I have made mistakes in the past that are not proud moments for me. There have been problems in my family and business that have been traumatic. However, with the help of our church, extended family, and friends, we are working through and learning from those problems. I humbly ask you for your understanding and support as you prepare to vote. Thank you."
Question: Which of these persons would more likely gain your vote?
* * *
A Christian radio station in Britain has launched an online "confession box" for sinful web surfers who feel the need to repent. The site allows users to file their wrongdoings in return for a comforting Bible text. The gravity of the offense is not considered in the choice of texts, and grievous wrongs get the same treatment as lesser ones. Visitors to the site see a series of contemplative texts and a page offering a chance to type out their confession with the assurance that it will be kept private. Peter Kerridge, managing director of the station said, "When people allocate a little time in their life to review what they are doing and how it will impact upon others, it's undoubtedly of considerable spiritual benefit."
The Pharisee of Jesus' parable would have enjoyed having such a service at his disposal. It would have saved him a trip, for he certainly "reviewed what he was doing and its impact upon others." But it was no confession. His reflection focused only on what he thought was good about himself. He did not face up to his guilt. He did not weigh the possibility that he had deeply offended God. He did not seek mercy as did the Publican. And he did not receive forgiveness and acceptance by God.
* * *
The Pharisee's prayer may sound prideful (or even arrogant) to our ears, but to Jesus' listeners it would have sounded all too familiar. This is how Pharisees are supposed to pray. There are even a few examples of this sort of prayer that have come down to us. Here's one, from the Babylonian Talmud:
I thank you, O Lord, that you have given me my place with those who sit in the seat of learning, and not those who sit at the street corners; for I am early to work, and they are early to work; I am early to work on the words of the Torah, and they are early to work on things of no moment. I weary myself and they weary themselves. I weary myself and profit thereby, while they weary themselves to no profit. I run and they run; I run toward the life of the Age to Come, and they run toward the pit of destruction.
If that doesn't sound righteous enough, then try this one:
Rabbi Judah said: One must utter three praises every day: Praised [be the Lord] that He did not make me a heathen, for all the heathen are as nothing before Him; praised be He, that He did not make me a woman, for woman is not under obligation to fulfill the law; praised be He that He did not make me ... an uneducated man, for the uneducated man is not cautious to avoid sins.
* * *
Recently a book that could be considered a classic was translated and reintroduced into the public arena. This time, it was released with the expectation that the reading public would extend beyond the borders of the former Soviet Union. The book, The Road: Stories, Journalism, and Essays written by Vasily Grossman, recounts Grossman's observations of the atrocities, displacement, and hardships his fellow Jews endured during the Second World War and the decades that followed. During those years the Jews suffered both a scourge and purge under the dictatorial leadership of Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin. In fact, in his book Grossman poses this question: "So what's happened to our Jews?" He then recounts numerous and horrifying stories of what did happen to "our Jews." This is a particularly sad recounting, since most of the world stood idly by disinterested, detached, and uncaring. The onlookers may not have been anti-Semitic, but they were certainly not pro-justice.
In one of the most passionate sections of the book Grossman recounts the horrors of the death camp at Treblinka. He was hesitant to relate stories that defied belief, but he concluded to do so with this belief: "It is the writer's duty to tell the terrible truth, and it is a reader's civic duty to learn this truth."
In Paul's letter to Timothy he wrote, "so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed." As it was understood by Paul and expressed in the essays by Grossman, people may not want to know the truth as it will force then to reevaluate their morality, but it is our calling "to tell the terrible truth."
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion;
People: and to you shall vows be performed.
Leader: When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us,
People: you forgive our transgressions.
Leader: Happy are those whom you choose.
People: We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house.
OR
Leader: Come and worship God, the Holy One.
People: But we are a sinful people.
Leader: God knows who you are and the condition of your lives.
People: Then God knows we are sinful through and through.
Leader: God knows you, loves you, and accepts you as you are.
People: With relief and gratitude we come into God's presence.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
"Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty"
found in:
UMH: 64
H82: 362
PH: 138
AAHH: 329
NNBH: 1
NCH: 277
CH: 4
LBW: 165
Renew: 204
"Holy God, We Praise Thy Name"
found in:
UMH: 79
H82: 366
PH: 460
NNBH: 13
NCH: 276
LBW: 535
"Just As I Am, Without One Plea"
found in:
UMH: 357
H82: 693
PH: 370
AAHH: 344, 345
NNBH: 167
NCH: 207
CH: 339
LBW: 296
Renew: 140
"It's Me, It's Me, O Lord"
found in:
UMH: 352
NNBH: 496
CH: 579
"Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy"
found in:
UMH: 340
"Lift High the Cross"
found in:
UMH: 159
H82: 473
PH: 371
AAHH: 242
NCH: 198
CH: 108
LBW: 377
Renew: 297
"Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies"
found in:
UMH: 173
H82: 6, 7
PH: 462, 463
LBW: 265
"Breathe on Me, Breath of God"
found in:
UMH: 420
H82: 508
PH: 316
AAHH: 317
NNBH: 126
NCH: 292
CH: 254
LBW: 488
"People Need the Lord"
found in:
CCB: 52
"All I Need Is You"
found in:
CCB: 100
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982 (The Episcopal Church)
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African-American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who knows us better than we could ever know ourselves: Grant us the courage to come to you as we are so that we can leave more like you; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We come into your presence, Holy God, knowing that we are a sinful people and that we dwell in a world of sinfulness. We come not because we are worthy, but because you call us in love. Draw us into the power of your Spirit that we may be transformed and empowered to live as your children. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, and especially the ways we have submitted to our tendency for selfishness and sinful behavior.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We live in a sinful world, and we have chosen to participate in its sinfulness. We have indulged our selfish ambitions, and we have shunned your way of life through dying to that selfishness. We have seen and tasted the goodness of the promised land, and yet we long for the fleshpots of Egypt. Forgive us, and so fill us with your Spirit that we may truly follow Jesus and become your loving children.
Leader: God knows our weakness and our sinfulness. God receives us as we are and gives us God's own Spirit that we may become more like our Savior, Jesus.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord's Prayer)
We praise your Name, O Holy One, who sits enthroned above all. Your holiness is pure and your nature is love. You never deviate or change from who you are.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We live in a sinful world, and we have chosen to participate in its sinfulness. We have indulged our selfish ambitions, and we have shunned your way of life through dying to that selfishness. We have seen and tasted the goodness of the promised land, and yet we long for the fleshpots of Egypt. Forgive us, and so fill us with your Spirit that we may truly follow Jesus and become your loving children.
We give you thanks for all the blessings we have received from you. We thank you for the ways in which you lead us and shepherd us toward a life that is abundant and eternal. You call us your children, and you teach us the ways of life and truth. We thank you for Jesus, who shows us that we are both loved as we are and empowered to become like you.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for ourselves and our sinful world. We have been so selfish that we have all but destroyed your people and your earth. Everywhere we look we see people in need, and often it is because of what we are doing to each other. As you work for wholeness, empower us to join in your work of salvation.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray together, saying:
Our Father... Amen.
(or if the Lord's Prayer is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the Name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Visuals
Pictures of, or some real examples of, things that are not as they should be: wrecked car/toy, torn shirt, dirty face, etc.
Children's Sermon Starter
The training of a pet could be a good starting point. Just as, because of its nature, a puppy will chew or a cat will claw, so people will do selfish things that hurt God and others. A pet needs to learn and be loved to change, and we need the same. Sometimes a pet will revert to old behavior, but we still love them and help them do better. God does the same with us.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Better Than They
Luke 18:9-14
Object: pictures of different people from a book or magazine
Good morning, boys and girls! Today I want to show you some pictures. These are pictures of people. You can see that some of the people in my pictures are very different from me. Some have different color skin. Some speak a different language. We are all very different.
Suppose I met one of these people and said, "I'm better than you are because I go to church on Sunday. I give lots of money to God. I am a good person. I know that I am better than you because I have more money than you. I have more friends than you. My family is better than your family."
Do you think God would be impressed with me? Of course not! God knows that I am not better than another person -- only different.
Some people Jesus spoke of thought of themselves as better than others. They said long prayers. They gave lots of their money to God. They did many things that are right, but they were still no better than others in God's eyes.
Jesus told a famous story about people like this. He told about a man who bragged to God about how much better he was than others. Another man thought of himself as a sinner and he wouldn't even come close or look up. "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" he said. Jesus said that this man who was a "sinner" was more acceptable in God's eyes than the one who thought he was better than others. God doesn't like to see anyone sin, but God loves even the sinners -- the people who do bad things.
God does not want us to think of ourselves as better than others. All people are important to God -- even when people do bad things.
Prayer: Dear God: Thank you for loving me -- even when I do bad things. Help me do what is right. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, October 24, 2010, issue.
Copyright 2010 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
Team member Mary Austin provides some additional commentary on the gospel lesson, focusing on the theme of the Pharisee's contempt for someone who he viewed as different and lesser in God's eyes than himself. Mary connects this to how we treat homosexuals, which is obviously a very contentious issue not only in society (with current controversies over the legal status of gay marriage and "don't ask, don't tell" in the military) but also in the church. Mary offers some intriguing thoughts in the context of this month's "National Coming Out Day," and she suggests that all of us need consider our need to come out -- from whatever is closeting or burdening us.
The Necessity of Original Sin
by Kate Murphy
Luke 18:9-14
THE WORLD
Bishop Eddie Long -- founder of the "Out of the Wilderness Ministry" to convert homosexuals into heterosexuals, and named by the Southern Poverty Law Center as one of the most "virulently homophobic black leaders in the religiously based anti-gay movement" -- has been accused by four young men that he used his pastoral authority to coerce them into sexual relationships. Meg Whitman, Republican candidate for governor of California, campaigns against illegal aliens and the employers who hire them, but employed an illegal immigrant as her housekeeper for nine years. Eliot Spitzer, 54th governor of New York, marketed himself as a politician with a mission to eradicate corruption before he resigned in disgrace after a federal investigation uncovered that he was "client #9" in a prostitution ring. The list could go on -- athletes testify against steroid use in Congress only to fail drug tests; politicians campaign on the sanctity of marriage and go on to divorce their spouses.
As Christians, we're called not to gossip about these human tragedies but to make theological sense of them. This week's gospel lection gives us a fruitful starting point -- but to really make headway we're going to need to dust off a doctrine that has been languishing in the churches "discard" pile next to flannel boards and cakewalks. I'm talking about the doctrine of original sin.
THE WORD
John Calvin called it "total depravity." In his letter to the Romans, Paul explained it this way: "sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned" (Romans 5:12). Eastern Orthodox churches call it "ancestral sin." But nowadays we don't call it anything -- because we don't talk about it at all. Once in a while we might preach or teach about other people's sins -- and the very brave pastor might risk an occasional sermon on personal sin. But really, how in the world can we lure folks into the pews with the idea that requires us to believe that all people (even cute little babies, even us!) are born into a state of sinfulness? What does such a doctrine imply about the sovereignty of God? Or Divine Justice? Or Divine Love? Most troublingly -- if this is what the church teaches, how can I walk out of service feeling good about myself and my life? No, no, no -- nobody's ever going to build a megachurch emphasizing original sin. If we must, let's mention it once a lifetime in confirmation classes -- and then rush on to assure our hapless young that because of Christ's death on the cross this ugly little piece of theology no longer applies to us. What possible good could come from living with the idea of the inevitability of sin?
I wonder. I wonder if Jesus might have told a different story that day if the folks gathered around him had heard a few more talks in the synagogue on ideas of original sin. Luke tells us that Jesus told this story to "those who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt." But if we are raised with the uncomfortable idea that sin comes naturally to us -- that it is, in fact, our default setting -- then we cannot trust in our own righteousness at all. And contempt for others doesn't come too easily either, because we know that God alone is righteousness. We understand that, thanks to the grace of God, our lives might be different from those whose sins are visible -- but our nature is not.
If the Pharisee in Jesus' parable had internalized the idea of original sin, along with his zeal for the law and love of righteousness, then his view of the tax collector and the prayer that followed would have been quite different. Instead of "God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income," it might have sounded like this: "God, you and I know that I am no different than my brother the tax collector. Were it not for your kindness in placing your law on my heart, I too would steal and cheat and betray my people. I praise you for your graciousness to me! Help me look upon my brother the tax collector with the same graciousness that you looked upon me, that his life might be healed as well." If the Pharisee had learned about original sin, both men might have gone home justified that day.
CRAFTING THE SERMON
This parable of Jesus is particularly elusive. It's so tempting for preachers to make this easy for our congregations and wrap up early in time for kickoff. How often have you heard this sermon: "The Pharisee was a powerful hypocrite. The tax collector was a misunderstood victim. Jesus and God understand everyone, and they don't like hypocrites. But we are not hypocrites. So go in peace, we are all good with God"? But the reality is -- there was a difference in the life of the Pharisee and the life of the tax collector. The Pharisee made true sacrifices to devote his life to God. The tax collector put his own needs at the center of his life and in satisfying his own desires he made vulnerable people suffer. The tax collector beat his breast for a reason -- he really had sinned before God. The Pharisee really did fast and tithe -- and these are righteous things. (As we head into stewardship season, I'll take a few more Pharisees in my church!) The grace displayed in this parable truly is scandalous. The sinner is made righteous by acknowledging his sins (note that he doesn't even repent or promise to change, he just asks for mercy), and the believer is convicted because of his righteousness! How is this fair?
Jesus gives this parable to a particular set of people -- those who consider themselves righteous and look with contempt upon others. He's warning these folks that it's possible to fall into sin through the practice of righteous behavior. It's easy for us to begin thinking that because we (try to) lead righteous lives we are ontologically different from those who, in our un-humble opinion, do not. And when we start thinking this way, we welcome sin into our lives.
I wonder if things would have turned out differently if the folks named in the beginning of this article had been raised up with a healthy respect for the doctrine of original sin. I'm glad Eliot Spitzer fought corruption. I applaud Meg Whitman for taking on the employers who exploit undocumented workers. But somehow, caught up in the righteousness of their cause, these folks fell victim to the very evil they crusaded against. I suspect it was because along the way they got the idea that they were so different from the sinners they opposed that the rules didn't apply to them. I suspect the doctrine of original sin would have saved them from that.
ANOTHER VIEW
by Mary Austin
Luke 18:9-14; 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18
National Coming Out Day has me thinking about coming out.
Held earlier this month and sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign, National Coming Out Day is a way for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people to gain the support of loved ones in being who they are and a day to encourage discussion of these still complex issues.
I'm blessed to know a community of people who are both gay and straight, single and partnered, some with children and some devoted to the children around them. They are a mixture of older and younger, some with money and some barely getting by. That same community includes people of various backgrounds and skin colors, with a range of political views. There are people with AIDS and people with acne, people who go to church and people who wouldn't be caught dead in one.
With all the things that shape our lives and make us who we are, being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) is one of the few disclosures in today's world that puts us at risk of other people's judgment, places us in danger of losing friends or family, and is physically and emotionally dangerous.
Perhaps we all need to come out.
A friend who uses a wheelchair told me years ago that everyone has a disability -- in some people, it's visible. Being gay is not a disability, but there's a parallel here. In the same way, I've come to believe that we all have something to come out about. We each have something that we hide from the people we love, something true about ourselves that we're scared to tell. Coming out is a spiritual exercise for all of us.
The parable from Luke's gospel notes that Jesus "told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt." The tax collector and the Pharisee are both praying in the same place, and every early listener of Jesus would have expected the Pharisee to be the example to emulate. He is surely a righteous man, practicing his faith with zeal and passion. And yet, in a surprise for his listeners, Jesus is not saying to follow his example. Instead, we are meant to see the contempt that divides him from the other child of Abraham standing right next to him. That contempt for his fellow traveler in faith also separates him from God as well, as he trusts in his own righteousness instead of in God's grace.
The church, among other social institutions, has held LGBT people in contempt, a secondary status that the rest of the culture has learned from us. As Bishop Gene Robinson of the Episcopal Church notes in an article on the Huffington Post: "An increasingly popular bumper sticker reads, 'Guns Don't Kill People -- RELIGION Kills People!' In light of recent events I would add religion kills young people: gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender young people." The church's contempt, like the Pharisee's, has spilled out, and it comes back to us as judgment as we see a number of recent suicides of young gay and lesbian people. Harassed and bullied for who they are, high school and college students have taken their own lives recently in New Jersey, Texas, California, and Oklahoma, among other places. Suicide has long been a risk for young people, and some studies hold that a third of young people who commit suicide are lesbian or gay. Other figures note that the risk of suicide is four times higher for lesbian and gay young people.
Bishop Robinson continues, in the same post:
"With humility and heartfelt repentance I assert that religion -- and its general rejection of homosexuality -- plays a crucial role in this crisis. On the one hand, Religious Right hatemongers and crazies are spewing all sorts of venom and condemnation, all in the name of a loving God. The second-highest-ranking Mormon leader, Boyd K. Packer, recently called same-sex attraction 'impure and unnatural' in an act of unspeakable insensitivity at the height of this rash of teen suicides. He declared that it can be cured, and that same-sex unions are morally repugnant and 'against God's law and nature.'
"Just as many gay kids grow up in these conservative denominations as any other. They are told day in and day out that they are an abomination before God. Just consider the sheer numbers of LGBT kids growing up right now in Roman Catholic, Mormon, and other conservative religious households. The pain and self-loathing caused by such a distortion of God's will is undeniable and tragic, causing scars and indescribable self-alienation in these young victims.
"You don't have to grow up in a religious household, though, to absorb these religious messages. Not long ago I had a conversation with six gay teens, not one of whom had ever had any formal religious training or influence. Every one of them knew the word 'abomination,' and every one of them thought that was what God thought of them. They couldn't have located the book of Leviticus in the Bible if their lives depended on it, yet they had absorbed this message from the anti-gay air they breathe every day."
For LGBT people who have "fought the good fight" (2 Timothy 4:7) on behalf of equality, the race is far from finished, and keeping the faith is surely a challenge. Looking at a church that denies marriage and ordination to LGBT people, at a church that preaches contempt, at a church that fails to live up to the welcome Jesus showed to everyone he met, keeping the faith is difficult work. It's no wonder people give up on church when we ignore the truth of their lives, or worse, tell them that their stories matter less than other people's.
As communities of faith, we can all make it easier for our fellow travelers by coming out of our own closet of contempt, out of the closet of indifference, out of the closet of keeping LGBT issues safely tucked away in a little committee. And we can practice the faithful work of coming out of our own closets, our own places of fear and shame, to create communities of faith where we can all be who we are. We can come out about who we really are, too. Our hidden struggle may be about ourselves as flawed partners, or imperfect parents, as children who fail our aging parents, or friends who miss the mark. We can come out about our fears of aging, or job loss, or heartache with a child. We can come out about the money worries that wake us up at night, or the panic that our child is shipping out for Afghanistan.
Coming out holds its own fears, but there is also liberation in being who we are and knowing that people know us fully. If the community of faith can be that place of liberation for all of us, then surely God is in that place, and we will all know it.
ILLUSTRATIONS
It has been an enriching story describing how 33 Chilean miners trapped 2,000 feet beneath the surface of the earth organized themselves into a community. Each miner, using his special expertise, contributed the welfare of the entire group. As was fitting and expected, the foreman Luis Urzua was the appointed leader of the group and the last to emerge from the earth's darkest depths. As we followed the miners' 68-day ordeal entombed in the bowels of the earth, it was heartwarming and refreshing to witness the comradery and selflessness that was exhibited. It renewed one's sense in the righteous of humanity.
This idealistic view of humanity was shattered when rescue became imminent. The miners began to fight among themselves as to who would be the last one lifted to freedom. It was not an issue of who was best suited to guide the other 32 upward but revolved around self-centeredness. Each miner wanted to be the hero and bask in the media limelight as the heroic one who courageously waited to be the last one to depart, assuring the safety of others. And so it is our base natures always seem to rise up, trumping our spiritual endowments.
Jeremiah speaks that "our backsliding is great." This was certainly the pall that covered the miners. The men at first showed a great spiritual accomplishment that became a worldwide testimony of faith, only to backslide into an egomaniac pursuit of glory. Community and humility surrendered to glory and notoriety. The miners, in their own way, are representative of all of us. It is so easy for us "to be my brother's keeper" until we have the opportunity to be my "brother's ruler."
* * *
Barbara Billingsley recently passed away. As June Cleaver, the beloved mom of the "Beav," she was welcomed into all of our homes. From 1957 to 1963, she and Ward, along with their two sons, Wally and the Beaver, graced our homes with the telecast of Leave It to Beaver. Perhaps the family was a bit too perfect and the show a bit too nostalgic; but it was a welcome reprieve from the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the new drug culture, and the assassination of a president.
Ms. Billingsley became such a fixture in our conscience as June Cleaver, the perfect mom with a ready answer, that she was forever typecast. After she left the Beaver home, whose location was never disclosed so it could represent Anywhere, USA, she could not secure another role in the television media. She did make some guest appearances as June Cleaver, but they are too few to mention.
When she was asked why she did not do more with the role she personified, her response was very simple but direct -- she wanted to protect the character she so artfully created. Ms. Billingsley, once asked to do a parody of June Cleaver, thoughtfully answered, "She's been too good to me to play anything like that."
Perhaps looking down from God's heavenly abode, Barbara Billingsley can recite the words of the apostle Paul: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." May we too, on the day when the race is over, know that we have remained faithful to ourselves and the values we possessed.
* * *
In his book The Doors of the Sea: Where Was God in the Tsunami, the Eastern Orthodox theologian David Bentley Hart explains that in his tradition they firmly believe in original sin -- but they do not believe it brings guilt with it. Original sin is the condition that we are born into. It is not something we have done, so we won't be punished for it; we are only punished for the sins we commit later. This makes it no less crucial that we be saved from our condition -- but it helps us deal with our condition honestly without making God into an unjust judge.
* * *
A church had two candidates for the governing board. One was a model Christian who worked, prayed, and gave for the spread of the kingdom. She was a fine Christian in every way. The other candidate was a scoundrel who sometimes showed up for worship, was lax in her giving, and showed little progress in the spiritual life. The latter, quite to everyone's surprise, won the election. One church member summed it up when she explained why she voted as she did: "I didn't vote for the first candidate, because she acts as if God needs her. I voted for the second candidate; she lives as one who needs God desperately!"
* * *
According to the historian Josephus, the Pharisees came into existence about 150 BC. Their name probably refers to them being "separatists" from the culture in which they lived. They were prominent in Judaism for about three centuries as champions of the Torah against the inroads of the Greek influence in society. They upheld traditions as steadfastly as they clung to the authority of the Torah. They were staunch defenders of the Messianic kingdom, the life beyond the grave, and the existence of demons and angels. Their teachings and interpretations of the Torah and traditions made religion personal and vital in the lives of the people. Their focus on teaching the scriptures gave rise to the institution of the synagogue, where scripture was taught and read. Due to their efforts, many of the Jewish people were devout and pious in their faith and life. Many pastors today would welcome having members like these with such exemplary lives and deep commitment.
Inevitably, in a society filled with pagan influences they could not help but point with pride to themselves for their faithfulness to the Torah. Their downfall came as they began to think that their devoted lives were the basis of their salvation. They could not avoid their disdain for those who were not as successful in being as faithful as they were. It was this attitude displayed by the Pharisee in Jesus' parable that ultimately condemned them. They no longer recognized their need for mercy and it cost them dearly.
* * *
In this era of election polls and constant analysis, you might see something like this in a questionnaire: Below are public statements from two different political candidates. Read them carefully; then answer the concluding question.
1. "I am proud to be a candidate for this office. I have focused my life on the highest of values and ethics. I am a successful businessman who believes in hard work. I have been faithful to my family and my church. Frankly, I am grateful that I am not like so many others who come before you as candidates."
2. "I feel honored that folks have encouraged me to enter this contest. It is true that I have some skills that will serve me well if I am elected. But I must admit that I have made mistakes in the past that are not proud moments for me. There have been problems in my family and business that have been traumatic. However, with the help of our church, extended family, and friends, we are working through and learning from those problems. I humbly ask you for your understanding and support as you prepare to vote. Thank you."
Question: Which of these persons would more likely gain your vote?
* * *
A Christian radio station in Britain has launched an online "confession box" for sinful web surfers who feel the need to repent. The site allows users to file their wrongdoings in return for a comforting Bible text. The gravity of the offense is not considered in the choice of texts, and grievous wrongs get the same treatment as lesser ones. Visitors to the site see a series of contemplative texts and a page offering a chance to type out their confession with the assurance that it will be kept private. Peter Kerridge, managing director of the station said, "When people allocate a little time in their life to review what they are doing and how it will impact upon others, it's undoubtedly of considerable spiritual benefit."
The Pharisee of Jesus' parable would have enjoyed having such a service at his disposal. It would have saved him a trip, for he certainly "reviewed what he was doing and its impact upon others." But it was no confession. His reflection focused only on what he thought was good about himself. He did not face up to his guilt. He did not weigh the possibility that he had deeply offended God. He did not seek mercy as did the Publican. And he did not receive forgiveness and acceptance by God.
* * *
The Pharisee's prayer may sound prideful (or even arrogant) to our ears, but to Jesus' listeners it would have sounded all too familiar. This is how Pharisees are supposed to pray. There are even a few examples of this sort of prayer that have come down to us. Here's one, from the Babylonian Talmud:
I thank you, O Lord, that you have given me my place with those who sit in the seat of learning, and not those who sit at the street corners; for I am early to work, and they are early to work; I am early to work on the words of the Torah, and they are early to work on things of no moment. I weary myself and they weary themselves. I weary myself and profit thereby, while they weary themselves to no profit. I run and they run; I run toward the life of the Age to Come, and they run toward the pit of destruction.
If that doesn't sound righteous enough, then try this one:
Rabbi Judah said: One must utter three praises every day: Praised [be the Lord] that He did not make me a heathen, for all the heathen are as nothing before Him; praised be He, that He did not make me a woman, for woman is not under obligation to fulfill the law; praised be He that He did not make me ... an uneducated man, for the uneducated man is not cautious to avoid sins.
* * *
Recently a book that could be considered a classic was translated and reintroduced into the public arena. This time, it was released with the expectation that the reading public would extend beyond the borders of the former Soviet Union. The book, The Road: Stories, Journalism, and Essays written by Vasily Grossman, recounts Grossman's observations of the atrocities, displacement, and hardships his fellow Jews endured during the Second World War and the decades that followed. During those years the Jews suffered both a scourge and purge under the dictatorial leadership of Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin. In fact, in his book Grossman poses this question: "So what's happened to our Jews?" He then recounts numerous and horrifying stories of what did happen to "our Jews." This is a particularly sad recounting, since most of the world stood idly by disinterested, detached, and uncaring. The onlookers may not have been anti-Semitic, but they were certainly not pro-justice.
In one of the most passionate sections of the book Grossman recounts the horrors of the death camp at Treblinka. He was hesitant to relate stories that defied belief, but he concluded to do so with this belief: "It is the writer's duty to tell the terrible truth, and it is a reader's civic duty to learn this truth."
In Paul's letter to Timothy he wrote, "so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed." As it was understood by Paul and expressed in the essays by Grossman, people may not want to know the truth as it will force then to reevaluate their morality, but it is our calling "to tell the terrible truth."
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion;
People: and to you shall vows be performed.
Leader: When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us,
People: you forgive our transgressions.
Leader: Happy are those whom you choose.
People: We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house.
OR
Leader: Come and worship God, the Holy One.
People: But we are a sinful people.
Leader: God knows who you are and the condition of your lives.
People: Then God knows we are sinful through and through.
Leader: God knows you, loves you, and accepts you as you are.
People: With relief and gratitude we come into God's presence.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
"Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty"
found in:
UMH: 64
H82: 362
PH: 138
AAHH: 329
NNBH: 1
NCH: 277
CH: 4
LBW: 165
Renew: 204
"Holy God, We Praise Thy Name"
found in:
UMH: 79
H82: 366
PH: 460
NNBH: 13
NCH: 276
LBW: 535
"Just As I Am, Without One Plea"
found in:
UMH: 357
H82: 693
PH: 370
AAHH: 344, 345
NNBH: 167
NCH: 207
CH: 339
LBW: 296
Renew: 140
"It's Me, It's Me, O Lord"
found in:
UMH: 352
NNBH: 496
CH: 579
"Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy"
found in:
UMH: 340
"Lift High the Cross"
found in:
UMH: 159
H82: 473
PH: 371
AAHH: 242
NCH: 198
CH: 108
LBW: 377
Renew: 297
"Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies"
found in:
UMH: 173
H82: 6, 7
PH: 462, 463
LBW: 265
"Breathe on Me, Breath of God"
found in:
UMH: 420
H82: 508
PH: 316
AAHH: 317
NNBH: 126
NCH: 292
CH: 254
LBW: 488
"People Need the Lord"
found in:
CCB: 52
"All I Need Is You"
found in:
CCB: 100
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982 (The Episcopal Church)
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African-American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who knows us better than we could ever know ourselves: Grant us the courage to come to you as we are so that we can leave more like you; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We come into your presence, Holy God, knowing that we are a sinful people and that we dwell in a world of sinfulness. We come not because we are worthy, but because you call us in love. Draw us into the power of your Spirit that we may be transformed and empowered to live as your children. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, and especially the ways we have submitted to our tendency for selfishness and sinful behavior.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We live in a sinful world, and we have chosen to participate in its sinfulness. We have indulged our selfish ambitions, and we have shunned your way of life through dying to that selfishness. We have seen and tasted the goodness of the promised land, and yet we long for the fleshpots of Egypt. Forgive us, and so fill us with your Spirit that we may truly follow Jesus and become your loving children.
Leader: God knows our weakness and our sinfulness. God receives us as we are and gives us God's own Spirit that we may become more like our Savior, Jesus.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord's Prayer)
We praise your Name, O Holy One, who sits enthroned above all. Your holiness is pure and your nature is love. You never deviate or change from who you are.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We live in a sinful world, and we have chosen to participate in its sinfulness. We have indulged our selfish ambitions, and we have shunned your way of life through dying to that selfishness. We have seen and tasted the goodness of the promised land, and yet we long for the fleshpots of Egypt. Forgive us, and so fill us with your Spirit that we may truly follow Jesus and become your loving children.
We give you thanks for all the blessings we have received from you. We thank you for the ways in which you lead us and shepherd us toward a life that is abundant and eternal. You call us your children, and you teach us the ways of life and truth. We thank you for Jesus, who shows us that we are both loved as we are and empowered to become like you.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for ourselves and our sinful world. We have been so selfish that we have all but destroyed your people and your earth. Everywhere we look we see people in need, and often it is because of what we are doing to each other. As you work for wholeness, empower us to join in your work of salvation.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray together, saying:
Our Father... Amen.
(or if the Lord's Prayer is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the Name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Visuals
Pictures of, or some real examples of, things that are not as they should be: wrecked car/toy, torn shirt, dirty face, etc.
Children's Sermon Starter
The training of a pet could be a good starting point. Just as, because of its nature, a puppy will chew or a cat will claw, so people will do selfish things that hurt God and others. A pet needs to learn and be loved to change, and we need the same. Sometimes a pet will revert to old behavior, but we still love them and help them do better. God does the same with us.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Better Than They
Luke 18:9-14
Object: pictures of different people from a book or magazine
Good morning, boys and girls! Today I want to show you some pictures. These are pictures of people. You can see that some of the people in my pictures are very different from me. Some have different color skin. Some speak a different language. We are all very different.
Suppose I met one of these people and said, "I'm better than you are because I go to church on Sunday. I give lots of money to God. I am a good person. I know that I am better than you because I have more money than you. I have more friends than you. My family is better than your family."
Do you think God would be impressed with me? Of course not! God knows that I am not better than another person -- only different.
Some people Jesus spoke of thought of themselves as better than others. They said long prayers. They gave lots of their money to God. They did many things that are right, but they were still no better than others in God's eyes.
Jesus told a famous story about people like this. He told about a man who bragged to God about how much better he was than others. Another man thought of himself as a sinner and he wouldn't even come close or look up. "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" he said. Jesus said that this man who was a "sinner" was more acceptable in God's eyes than the one who thought he was better than others. God doesn't like to see anyone sin, but God loves even the sinners -- the people who do bad things.
God does not want us to think of ourselves as better than others. All people are important to God -- even when people do bad things.
Prayer: Dear God: Thank you for loving me -- even when I do bad things. Help me do what is right. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, October 24, 2010, issue.
Copyright 2010 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
