Sermon: “Praying While Glancing Sideways” Maybe you’ve heard about these purple ones. It all started with a challenge from the pastor of this church, Pastor Will Bowen, to get folks in his congregation to stop complaining. He was growing weary of his parishioners griping about trivial things - the hymns selected in the service, the dress code at their worship services, how long the services were going – fortunately no one here ever complains to me about these things. He wanted to change this “negative energy behavior.” One day an idea came to him while he was taking a shower – that’s where a lot of good ideas often come. He decided to challenge his congregation to not complain or grip about anything - for 21 days in a row. If something truly tragic occurred – a death in the family, a severe accident, a job loss – then complain away. But for everything else – for 21 days - no complaining, no griping, no criticizing, no grumbling, no putting anybody else down, no gossiping – none of this negative energy stuff. The title of one news article seemed to summarize the responses to this challenge: “you have got to be kidding me.” In our day and culture, people complain a whole lot! Just think about it – we complain while driving. Then there’s the telemarketer who calls during supper – and the worker in the drive through lane at McDonalds who can’t get your simple order correct. People complain on the job, in the middle school and high school – even, yes even in the church. You and I hear complaining everywhere, and every day – and we all complain – probably at least once a day. Some of us were talking about this at our Wednesday night program, and one person, “Well, if you do this, can you still complain in your mind, and just not say it out loud?” That’s how hard it would be for us to not complain. To keep you on track and honest in this effort, Pastor Bowen had several purple rubber bracelets made and he passed out to everyone in his church who wanted to take up this challenge. You wear it on your wrist, and if you find yourself complaining, you take it off, switch the bracelet to the other wrist, and start your 21 day countdown again. The challenge is to see if you can go 21 days in a row with the bracelet on the same wrist – which means you made it that long, a mere three weeks, without complaining. Pastor Bowen admitted that it took him three and a half months to make 21 days in a row – and the whole thing was his idea. The man who covered this story for the Today Show, George Lewis, admitted he still has not made it; he’s been going on for 8 months, and now he’s on his second purple bracelet because his first one broke from switching it so many times. Now this all just started earlier this year, back in January. And word got around - the media picked up on it. Pastor Bowen has been on the Today Show twice, and from a few hundred bracelets to his congregation, to 126,000 in March - the church has now shipped nearly 4 million worldwide – nearly 4 million people world-wide, trying to curtail their complaining and griping. So of course I ordered some bracelets, and I’m going to try it – and I’ll get bracelets for any of you who want to try it too. In today’s gospel lesson from Luke, we meet two people – who both went up to the Temple to pray. One of them, it seems to me, would have certainly benefited from wearing one of these purple bracelets. This one, the Pharisee - he is not so much complaining about other people, but he is quite honest and direct in thinking that he was better than and superior to others around him. He doesn’t hesitate to put other people down, even while puffing himself up. He is critical of others, their behavior, their life-style, their ways of earning income, perhaps their very being. He holds these others in disdain. Arrogance is the word that comes to mind. He needs a purple bracelet. He is praying, yes, a good thing to be sure – but he is praying while glancing sideways: “'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.' Now – to be sure, praying is a good thing. Last week we heard the parable of the unjust judge and the persistent widow – praying, without losing heart – this is good. He also has some very good spiritual practices. He fasts twice a week, and gives a tenth of all his income, a tithe. In the Old Testament, the Law stipulated that fasting was required once a week – and this guy said he fasted twice a week. Good for him. And giving ten percent - a tithe was technically only required on certain kinds of income – but he says he gives a tenth to the Temple on “all” of his income. Interesting that this lesson would fall on a day when we are gathering after worship for a Harvest Dinner, to encourage our common heart-felt generosity by making our pledges for our mission and ministry in 2008. This was not planned ahead. I was thinking it might be nice to have a few more church members like this guy – who gives a tithe – ten percent of all his income. Research shows that the average Presbyterian today gives between 1 and 2 percent of their household income. Of course some tithe – some give more, some less - but on average, Presbyterians, between 1 to 2 percent. Today we Presbyterians also have the highest household per-capita income among all church denominations. We passed up the Episcopalians some years back. Averaged out, our household incomes are higher than Baptists, Methodists, Catholics, non-denominational churches. Oh for a few more Presbyterian Pharisees like this guy. Clearly this person has lots of good things going for him. On the surface you would think God would be pleased with his life and behavior. Maybe he was a little egotistical, a little arrogant – but hey, what’s wrong with that, compared to the rest? Surely – overall - God would be pleased with his behavior. Surely he would go down to his home “justified” – accepted by God. But Jesus says, “No.” No, this one did not go down to his home – justified – accepted by God. The one who did go home accepted by God was, rather, the other guy who showed up that day to pray, the “tax collector.” Remember now - tax collectors were despised – even more than they may be today. They were Jews, who collaborated with the occupying Roman army by collecting taxes from their neighbors - money which supported the Roman occupation. And often they padded the tax bill to up their own salaries. Compared to the Pharisee – this tax collector really is in company with “thieves, rogues and adulterers.” He goes to church to pray – good for him. But his life, his occupation, his behavior? Hardly a good thing at all. Hardly something God would be pleased with. This guy stands “far off” – over in the corner. He “would not even look up to heaven” – the usual, accepted way to pray, as the Pharisee did. Instead this guy looks down – and “beats his breast” – a picture of anguish and deep distress. His prayer – with no sideways glance – because there’s no one else to look at but his own poor, sorry self - his prayer: 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' And those who heard this parable, and you and me – saying our prayers we too glance sideways at this poor excuse for a man - and we say, in full agreement, “Oh yes - you’ve got that right buddy. You are one big time sinner. You best get your life straightened out.” “But I tell you,” Jesus says, “I tell you what - this man – this tax collector – he went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted." So much for the Pharisee – and his praying and his spiritual disciplines – and so much for us and our sideways glances. This tax collector - unlike the Pharisee – and unlike those standing around hearing this parable – and unlike most all of us - this guy knows he needs help. This tax collector knows he needs God’s mercy, God’s grace, God’s love and care because he knew, better than anyone, just how far off he was from living the life God wants him to live. I forget this myself at times – and so do most of us. We forget that we too are in need of God’s grace and forgiveness – that at times we too are separated from God and from God’s ways. At times we act more like the sideways glancing Pharisee than we should. Perhaps this is why Luke introduces the parable with the words: Jesus also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves - that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt. The parable – it’s not addressed to the tax collector. It was addressed to the Pharisee – to the good, upright, praying, giving, church going types – addressed to me and like you – who at times trust in ourselves, that we are right and accepted by God – and who look down our noses at others. It’s addressed at those who, just might do well to wear one of those purple bracelets, and try to be less critical and judgmental of others. Now believe me – what I really, really want to think is that Jesus is addressing this parable to Right Wing, Republican, Baptist, Fundamentalists – whose theology and whose politics, I think, are all off. “Yeah – they are “the some” who need to hear this parable. But then I get up and come to church on Sunday - and I look at some of my neighbors, walking their dogs, eating at McDonalds – and my thoughts are at times less than charitable. “Why aren’t they in church – like me?” Then I hear and I even participate in the chatter about folks who go to Southeast Christian – with words like “that cult” and “it’s just a big social club” – and my favorite, “the Six Flags Over Jesus Church.” And I laugh at that too – but really – isn’t that a bit like this Pharisee – glancing sideways, looking down at others, while thinking we have something up on all of them? Maybe some purple bracelets would be a good thing. Maybe praying with less sideways glances, and more inward glances – to see where our own lives are in need of God’s grace and love and forgiveness – and then to know that God really does accept us just like that, just as we are, even as he knows we can do better. And all God’s people said. Amen. |