Lord Have Mercy on Me a Sinner

October 23, 2022 20th Sunday After Pentecost Luke 18:9-14 Lord Have Mercy on me a Sinner Year C Opening Song Welcome Call to Worship Leader: Rejoice! We’re here to sing our joy in the God of our salvation. People: This God – the hope of all the earth! Leader: We offer our praise, for God gives us land, air and water. People: We’re awed by all God provides! Leader: All who are drawn close to God, be happy! People: We rejoice, for God is our deliverer. (Disciple’s of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Opening Prayer God of our salvation, Thank you for drawing us to you in this time of worship, (some of us in person, and some by the gift of technology). Thank you the variety of ways you answer our prayers. Hear us now as we offer you our praise. Receive our heart-felt joy as we raise our songs of thanksgiving for all the beauty of the earth. AMEN (Center for Faith and Giving) Song There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy UMH Children’s Sermon • Good morning! • I’d like to tell you a brief story and then ask you a few questions about it. • There once were two girls and neither of them could play soccer. They were both awful at it. • But Girl #1 THOUGHT she could play soccer and that she could play it well. • She’d walk around talking about how she was the best soccer player in the world and how she was better than everyone else and no one knew soccer better than she did. She would say that she was so good that she didn’t even need to practice. She was so good she didn’t even need teammates. • Girl #2 on the other hand, knew she didn’t know how to play soccer. • But she wanted to learn. • So she asked other people how to play. She went to practice. She listened to the coach and ran drills. • That’s it - that’s the story I wanted to tell you. • So, my question to you: Who do you think became the better soccer player? Girl #1 who thinks she already knows how to play soccer or Girl #2 who wants to learn how to play soccer? (Girl #2!) • And why do you think Girl #2 is going to become the better soccer player? (because she wants to learn instead of thinking she already knows it all) TELL (a.k.a. The Freeway) • So in today’s scripture story, Jesus tells a story just like the one I told you. • But instead of the story being about girls who don’t know how to play soccer, Jesus tells a story about two men who don’t know how to live God’s better way of life. • In the story, one man tells God how great of a person he is. • And because that man thinks he knows how to live God’s way, he keeps telling God while he is praying that he’s super-great at life and is so much better at life than everyone else • That sounds a lot like the first girl who thought she knew all there was to know about soccer, doesn’t it? • The other man in the story, though, tells God, “I need help. I don’t know what I’m doing with my life – help me to live it your better way” – which sounds a lot like the second girl who was always trying to learn more about soccer. • So…of the two men, who do you think will be able to learn from God how to live God’s better way? (the 2nd man) • Why do you think that? (because he wants to learn instead of thinking he already knows it all) SHARE the Good News (a.k.a. The Destination) • That’s right! And, just as importantly, you just said one of the main things that Jesus wants us to understand about ourselves from this story. • When we stop thinking that we know it all and instead ask God and others for help, then we will be able to learn and improve. • And, the things we then learn and receive will also be the things that we can also share with the people around us. • That is the good news for today – let’s pray. CLOSING Prayer • This is a repeat-after-me prayer. Dear God, Dear God, Please help us to remember… Please help us to remember… ...that we don’t know it all... ...that we don’t know it all... …and to ask for and listen... …and to ask for and listen... …for help from you and others. …for help from you and others. Thank you and Amen Originally posted October 5, 2013 Updated on September 22, 2022 By Nathaniel Vissia Passing of the Peace Prayer for illumination God of Wisdom and Grace, you speak through your Word read and proclaimed. Prepare us now to listen well. Open our ears to your truth. Humble us in your presence so nothing will stand in the way of what you say to us today. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Teri McDowell Ott) Scripture Luke 18:9-14 Sermon Lord Have Mercy on Me a Sinner Jesus Is Mine As people drive to church each Sunday morning, they pass by the houses of neighbors who, although they may get to sleep in on Sundays, also live hopeless lives with no real certainty that there is a God anywhere who cares. They pass by nursing homes and hospitals that house debilitated people unable to go to church (or anywhere else for that matter). A few en route to church may even see the homeless huddled in doorways and under overpasses. Compared to all that, surely there are times when people drive to church and quietly think, "I thank God I am not like other people. I am thank God I have faith, that I have a church to go to and the desire to attend. I thank God I have honest work to do and health in my body to do it. I am grateful not to be addicted to drugs or booze and that my children and I have a roof over our heads. I pray to God and know that God loves me. I give my offerings here at church and volunteer my time in various programs, too. I am so thankful I am not like other people who are lost, lonely, dishonest, and without the hope I have in my heart. I'm so glad to be a Christian." All in all, such prayers sure sound a lot like a certain character in Luke 18. For that matter, it all sounds a little like some of the songs we sing in church: "I am so glad that Jesus loves me, Jesus loves me, Jesus loves ME!" "How vast the benefits divine which WE in Christ possess!" "Blessed assurance, Jesus is MINE!" Scott Hoezee, Comments and Observations When we are thinking about others and wishing they would come to church with us – we are grateful for our faith and worried that others are missing out. But we also don’t realize that we are putting ourselves in the story. In the parable, the pharisee is glad that God loves him, the tax collector realizes that he is a sinner and in need of God’s grace. The last thing that we want to do is to be like the pharisee, Jesus is not impressed with the faith of the pharisees. I think that this is one of those awkward stories that Jesus tells – there are always verses in the gospel that when I deal with them I don’t know what to do with them. Luke is the gospel that challenges us to pray and uses Jesus as an example of how to pray. Jesus is know to go off an to pray to God. He asked God for direction, he expected God to be a part if his life, and most important he was always humble and respectful in his request. The pharisee was a little overconfident in his prayer – he didn’t need to ask God for anything, because it appears that his faith was all about his righteousness – not God’s grace. So the first lesson for us is to be humble in our prayer. Our faith is not about our own righteousness. Humor: Worth a Thousand Points Perhaps you have heard the story of the man who came to the gates of heaven to be greeted by St. Peter. Peter asks the man if he can give a brief history of his life with an emphasis on the good deeds he had done in order to gain entrance into the kingdom of heaven. "You will need 1000 points to be admitted," Peter tells the man. "This will be a cinch," the man thinks to himself, "I've been involved in church from the days of my youth." Then he begins to list his activities for Peter. He was an officer in his youth group, served in every possible position he could as a youngster. Was on the Church Council and every committee the church had to offer. His list was extensive. "Very impressive," Peter smiles at the man. An angel standing with them also smiled and nodded as he tallied the points and then whispered in Peter's ear. Peter tells the man, "This is quite striking -- we seldom see men of your very good works. You will be pleased to know that you have 327 points! Is there anything else you can think of?" The poor soul breaks into a cold sweat and begins to reach deep for every single act of kindness he could think of. He listed them as the angel scratched furiously on his angelic clip board and nodded his head in admiration. Peter looks at the clip board and says, "This is quite exceptional! You now have a total of 402 points. Can you think of anything else?" The distressed guy strives to recall good deeds -- like the time he helped a little old lady across the street. He finally arrives at a grand total of 431 points and cries out... "I am sunk! There is no hope for me! What more could I have done? O Lord, all I can do is beg for your mercy!" "THAT," exclaims Peter, "Is a thousand points!" So also, the tax collector in Jesus' parable finds his hope in the grace and mercy of God. John Jewell, Qualities of Faith So perhaps on our drive to church, before we focus on all of the people who are sleeping in, we should first focus on why we are headed to church. We are in need of prayer ourselves. Our spiritual journey begins with ourselves. Looking at ourselves. Heavenly Humility One time I was in a department store attempting to purchase a new suit. When I tried on a suit I stood in front of a 3-way mirror. The mirror enabled me to see myself from three different perspectives. As I looked at my image in the mirror I said to myself, “Is that really me?” It was very uncomfortable since I normally see myself in a singular mirror. As I continued to check out the suit I realized that in reality people actually see me in reverse. For example, my hair is parted the other way. What I perceive as my good side is really my bad side. When the Pharisee prayed to God he saw his good side. He was filled with righteousness, proud of his perfect record, especially his fasting and tithing record. On the other hand, the tax collector saw his bad side. He realized his unworthiness and said, “God me merciful to me a sinner.” How do see yourself? Are you like the Pharisee who only saw how good he was, or are you like the tax collector who only saw himself in need of God’s forgiveness? Keith Wagner, Heavenly Humility We come to church because we may all look okay on the outside, but we all have something to work on. We are like the college student. They Only Ironed The Parts That Showed Mike Cope, in his article "Righteousness Inside Out," tells of inviting a college student and his girlfriend back to his home after church, to have lunch with him and his wife. "When we got to the house, I took off my suit coat and invited him to do the same. The boy hemmed and hawed for a long time until he could pull me aside, and what he whispered to me then reminded me of the way I used to live when I was in college." It seemed he had only ironed the cuffs and collar of his shirt. If he took off his jacket, his girl would see the rest of his shirt and know what a slob he was. He had only ironed the parts that showed. That was one of the major, ongoing complaints Jesus brought against the Pharisees, the religious leaders of his day. That they were phony. That they were not what they seemed to be. That they were hypocrites. That they only ironed the parts that showed. William R. Boyer, Sorry, Thank You, Please When we are humble and honest with ourselves and with God, we realize just how much we need God. Whenever Jesus tells a parable, there is always a twist. There is an obvious lesson, but there is also a hidden meaning. The obvious lesson is that we should be humble like the tax collector. But what we don’t realize, is that Jesus uses the pharisees in this story, because he was not wrong in his prayer. It was his job to be righteous and good. He went to church, because he knew that others didn’t. that is why he prays that he is glad that he is not like the others. When we criticize the pharisee, we put ourselves in his place. We start to pray that we are glad that we are not like him. When we point one finger at others, then there are 4 that are pointed at ourselves. The pharisee’s prayer may have been misguided, but it was still a prayer. He is still a child of God. What Kind of Sinners Can Be Members Samuel Colgate, the founder of the Colgate business empire, was a devout Christian, and he told of an incident that took place in the church he attended. During an evangelistic service, an invitation was given at the close of the sermon for all those who wished to turn their lives over to Christ and be forgiven. One of the first persons to walk down the aisle and kneel at the altar was a well-known prostitute. She knelt in very real repentance, she wept, she asked God to forgive her, and meanwhile the rest of the congregation looked on approvingly at what she was doing. Then she stood and testified that she believed God had forgiven her for her past life, and she now wanted to become a member of the church. For a few moments, the silence was deafening. Finally, Samuel Colgate arose and said, "I guess we blundered when we prayed that the Lord would save sinners. We forgot to specify what kind of sinners. We'd better ask him to forgive us for this oversight. The Holy Spirit has touched this woman and made her truly repentant, but the Lord apparently doesn't understand that she's not the type we want him to rescue. We'd better spell it out for him just which sinners we had in mind." Immediately, a motion was made and unanimously approved that the woman be accepted into membership in the congregation. God accepts us as we are. There's not a sin too black, not a deed too awful, not a thought too horrible for him to forgive. Larry R. Kalajainen, Extraordinary Faith for Ordinary Time, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. The lesson is not just about humility, but also about who we are as a community. We are all sinners, and no matter who we are God gives us grace. So we should not be glad that we are not like others, we should be glad that God loves us all. We are all connected. We should see God in all people and all situations. We thank God that we are all together. My final story You're Not Home Yet How revealing is that story of the old missionary couple who had been working in Africa for years in the days when Teddy Roosevelt was President of the United States. They were returning from Africa to New York City to retire. They had no pension for they belonged to no missionary board. Their health was broken, they were defeated, discouraged, and afraid. When they went down to the wharf to board the ship they discovered to their amazement that they were booked on the same ship with Teddy Roosevelt, who was returning from one of his big game hunting expeditions. They went aboard the ship and no one paid any attention to them. They watched all the tremendous fanfare that accompanied the President's arrival, how the band played as he came aboard, and everyone was agog over the thought of traveling on the same ship with the President of the United States. Passengers were stationing themselves at vantage points throughout the ship to see if they might catch a glimpse of the great man. As the ship moved across the ocean this couple became more and more discouraged, especially the man. He said to his wife, "Dear, something is wrong. Why should we have given our lives in faithful service for God in Africa all these many years and no one cares a thing about us. Here is a man who has been on a big-game hunting expedition and when he comes back everybody makes over him but nobody gives two hoots about us." His wife said, "Dear, you shouldn't feel that way. Try not to be bitter about it." But he said, "I can't help it, I just can't help it, it doesn't look right. After all, if God is running this world, why does he permit such injustice?" As the boat neared the American shore, his spirit became more and more depressed. He said to his wife, "I'll wager that when we get to New York there will be another band there and more fanfare over his arrival, but there will be no one to meet us." Sure enough, when they got in, the ship docked and a band was waiting to greet the President. The mayor of New York City was there and other leaders of the nation, and the papers were full of the President's arrival, but no one said a word to this missionary couple. They slipped off the ship and found a cheap flat on the East side, hoping the next day to see what they could do to make a living in the city. But that first night the man's spirit just broke. He said to his wife, "I can't take this, it's not fair, God is not treating us fairly. Why should we give ourselves like this and have no one to meet us, no one to help us, no one to care. We don't even know where to go. If God is a faithful God, why doesn't he meet our need and send someone along?" And his wife said, "Dear, you mustn't feel this way, you simply must not, it isn't right. Why don't you go in the bedroom and tell the Lord the whole thing?" So he went in, and about a half hour later he came out again and his face was different, his wife could see it. She said, "Dear, what happened? Everything is different I can see. You feel better, don't you?" "Yes," he said, "the Lord settled it with me." "Well," she said, "what did he say?" He said, "I went in and knelt beside the bed and I poured out the whole thing to him. I said, 'Lord, it's not fair. We have given our lives, we've given our blood and sweat and tears in Africa, our health is broken, we have no place to go.' And I told him all -- how bitter I was that the President should receive this tremendous welcome over nothing! Especially I felt bitter about the homecoming he received when no one met us when we returned home." He said, "You know, when I finished it seemed as though the Lord put his hand on my shoulder and simply said, 'But you're not home yet!'" Ray Stedman, The Nature of Prayer _______________________ None of us are at home yet, but may we find our home in being in service to God. Amen. Song I am Thine O Lord UMH 419 Affirmation of faith (From Philippians 2:6-11) Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess to the glory of God: Jesus Christ is Lord! Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Teri McDowell Ott) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment In Luke 18, Jesus tells the parable of two men, praying in the temple. One we would, today, call a braggart or an egotistical show-off. The other we might call a reserved man, or one who did not think of himself more highly than he ought. If you could imagine these two on a spectrum of financial givers, where woould you place yourself on that spectrum? Are you closer to the one who stood up in public, declaring aloud how great he is because of what he does (including giving 10% to the temple)? Or are you closer to the one who takes a back seat, knowing he could be doing much more, and praying for God’s mercy? The truth is, we can never out-give God! And most of us will never be able, if we’re honest, to brag how we give 10% of our worth to the church. But we ALL are able to step away from the temptation to be brassy, bragging, and belittling others. All of us might be inspired by this parable as we seek to embody a humble spirit and stretch ourselves toward significant financial support of the church and the ministries of this congregation. As we receive our morning offering, may each of us find courage to be BOLD in our giving, and humble in our heart. God whom we exalt, Your generosity continues in every moment. Thank you for all you provide for us and for this amazing planet on which we live. Please accept these gifts as one way for us to signal our desire to be part of your abundant provision for life. Help us use this cash, these checks, and our on-line contributions to extend your care to the lost, the lonely, and the least among us. AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook May we leave this house of worship today, quick to listen, slow to speak, open to hearing and responding to God’s truth. May God bless you and keep you, be kind and gracious to you, may God look upon you with favor and bring you Peace, Amen (Presbyterian Outlook, Teri McDowell Ott) Community Time Benediction May you be blessed by the least expected people, recognize plenty after empty, and feel an incognito inner urge to be the Spirit’s lungs and tongues. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Maren Tirabassi) Additional Illustrations re You Really Listening? In his book Directions, author James Hamilton shares this insight about listening to God: "Before refrigerators, people used icehouses to preserve their food. Icehouses had thick walls, no windows, and a tightly fitted door. In winter, when streams and lakes were frozen, large blocks of ice were cut, hauled to the icehouses, and covered with sawdust. Often the ice would last well into the summer. One man lost a valuable watch while working in an icehouse. He searched diligently for it, carefully raking through the sawdust, but didn’t find it. His fellow workers also looked, but their efforts, too, proved futile. A small boy who heard about the fruitless search slipped into the icehouse during the noon hour and soon emerged with the watch. Amazed, the men asked him how he found it. I closed the door,'' the boy replied, “lay down in the sawdust, and kept very still. Soon I heard the watch ticking.'' Often the question is not whether God is speaking, but whether we are being still enough, and quiet enough, to hear. Yes, Jesus assures us that our heavenly Father always listens to us, but do we really listen to God? Do we follow the instructions of Psalm 46, "Be still, and know that I am God"? Eric S. Ritz, The Ritz Collection,www.Sermons.com The Best Treatment for Loneliness Dr. Karl Menninger, the famous American psychiatrist, once gave a lecture on mental health & was answering questions from the audience. One man asked, "What would you advise a person to do if that person felt a nervous breakdown coming on?" Everyone there expected him to answer, "Consult a psychiatrist." To their astonishment he replied: Leave your house, go across the railroad tracks, find someone who is in need, and do something to help that person. Brett Blair, www.eSermons.com Bent to the Ground A city boy visited his cousin who lived on a farm in the country for the first time. The city boy had never seen wheat growing in a field. It was an impressive sight for him, the wheat golden brown and ready for harvesting. He noticed that some of the wheat stood tall in the field, whereas some of it was bent low, touching the ground. The city boy said to his cousin, "I bet the ones standing tall are the best ones, aren't they?" His cousin smiled knowingly and reached over and plucked the head of one of the tall-standing wheat stalks and one that was bent to the ground. He rubbed each of them and the city boy saw that the tall one was almost empty of seeds. But the one bent to the ground was full of the promise of a rich harvest. R. Curtis Fussell, Deadly Sins and Living Virtues, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. _________________________ Learn To Empty Yourself A martial arts student was meeting with his master and teacher at a table, having tea. The student said to his master, "I've learned all you have to teach me about defending myself. I want to learn one thing more now. Please teach me about the ways of God." The master took the teakettle and starting pouring the student's cup full of tea. Soon the cup was full and began to spill over onto the saucer. But the master continued to pour the tea until it spilled over the saucer and then onto the floor. The student finally said, "Stop, stop, the tea is spilling over. The cup can't take any more." The master then looked at the student and said, "You are so full of yourself that there is no room in your life for God. It is not possible for you to learn the ways of God until you learn to empty yourself." R. Curtis Fussell, Deadly Sins and Living Virtues, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. The Beginnings of a Spiritual Journey One of my sources of my spiritual grounding is the blues. Van Morrison's Hymns to the Silence has become the sound track of my soul. It floats around me and catches me in moments of solitude. It speaks to me of my journey, the things that have made me, the yearning for depth in prayer. It reflects a nostalgia for the innocence of youth, time that is gone, and a longing for a safe place to be ... the thirst for God. There is a spirit of rejuvenation and rebirth in Morrison's blues - there is no us and them. He sings.' No matter where I roam/ I will find my way back home/ I will return to the Lord." The point of the story is the old one - "know yourself." The beginning of deep spiritual examination begins here. This is not a beating oneself up, but a prayer of have mercy on me. It is a modest understanding of oneself - that I need others to be more fully myself. I don't have to go it alone. George Hermanson, A Modest Faith - A Subtle Shift In Grammar Worshipping Who She Used To Be Girolamo Savonarola was one of the great preachers of the fifteenth century. He preached in the great cathedral of Florence, Italy, which contained a magnificent marble statue of the blessed virgin Mary. When Savonarola started preaching at this great cathedral, he noticed one day an elderly woman praying before this statue of Mary. He then began to notice that it was her habit to come every day and pray before the statue. Savonarola remarked one day to an elderly priest who had been serving in the cathedral for many years, "Look how devoted and earnest this woman is. Every day she comes and offers prayers to the blessed Mother of Jesus. What a marvelous act of faith." But the elderly priest replied, "Do not be deceived by what you see. Many years ago when the sculptor needed a model to pose for this statue of the blessed Mother, he hired a beautiful young woman to sit for him. This devout worshiper you see here everyday is that young woman. She is worshiping who she used to be." The first and perhaps the deadliest of the seven deadly sins is pride. R. Curtis Fussell, Deadly Sins and Living Virtues, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. We Watched His Eyes It was late New Year's Day when the showdown finally came. The number one and two college bowl teams in the nation were set to fight it out in the Fiesta Bowl at Tempe, Arizona, deciding who would lay claim to being the "Beast of the East" and the best in the nation. Among those who predict such things, there was agreement that the nation's number one team would remain number one that night. Their passing attack had been unstoppable all season long, and it would remain so. A high-scoring game was predicted. Both predictions were wrong. A defensive struggle prevailed, and the number one team was upset, beaten. Interviews and national news stories alike toyed with the obvious question: "How did you stop their passing attack?" Several strategies had been employed, such as mixing up defensive formations, intimidating receivers by hard tackling, and of special significance, watching the mannerisms of the quarterback. Careful study of earlier films had discovered that he "telegraphed" the direction of a pass. "How did you stop him?" "We watched his eyes!" These words may hold the key to our discovery of the "central luminous truth" of the parable about two men who went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The key to this parable has to do with the direction of each man's eyes. Theodore F. Schneider, Until the King Comes, CSS Publishing Company. The Transformation of a Hideous Beetle One afternoon, a man, lying in a canoe close to shore, saw many beetles in the muddy bottom of the lake. He felt sorry for these lowly creatures which would never know any other world except gloom and mud and water. Then a big, black beetle came out of the water. He crawled up on the gunwale and sat there blinking at him. Under the heat of the sun the beetle died. Then a strange thing happened. His black shell cracked down the back. Out of it came a shapeless mass whose hideousness was transformed into a beautiful, brilliantly colored life. Out of that mass gradually unfolded four iridescent wings from which the sunlight flashed a thousand colors. The wings spread wide as if to worship the sun. The man realized that he had witnessed the transformation of a hideous beetle crawling in the mud to a gorgeous dragonfly soaring above the waters. The body that was left behind still clung to the gunwale of the canoe. While the dragonfly explored the wonders of his wings and his new world, the other beetles were still crawling in the mud. He knew that he had seen a miracle of nature. Out of the mud had come a beautiful new life. The thought occurred to him, if the Creator worked such wonders with the lowliest of creatures, what must be in store for his children created in his likeness! That is our hope and our victory on this day. That is our comfort and our peace. O. Garfield Beckstrand II, In Sure and Certain Hope, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. Our Own Vices Dwight L. Moody and Charles Spurgeon were great preachers of the nineteenth century. Moody admired Spurgeon from a distance and looked forward to the opportunity of meeting him in London. On that historic day, Spurgeon answered the door with a cigar in his mouth. Moody was aghast. "How could you, a man of God, smoke that?" Spurgeon took the cigar from his mouth, put his finger on Moody's rather inflated stomach, smiled and said, "The same way you, a man of God, could be that fat." Because we are usually blind to our own vices, we are hardly qualified to judge others. Eric S. Ritz, The Ritz Collection,www.Sermons.com