'We don't need to wear costumes for God'

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St. Paul’s Choir rehearsing, under the direction of Andrew DeFabo.

This week we read from this Scripture:

Joel 2:23-32
Psalm 65
2 Timothy 4:6-8,16-18
Luke 18:9-14

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And

Fr. Cathie Caimano

preached the sermon above. Her notes from the sermon:

• We read this story near Halloween.

  • It’s strange to me that after all this time, some Christians have trouble with Halloween

  • Even though it’s a major Christian holiday!

  • Today - it’s the delight of dressing up (and candy)

  • Being what we aren’t - scarier, more attractive , funnier, more mysterious.

    • Last night Jeff and I went as Jaws - I was the shark 🙂
      
      

• The Pharisee and the tax collector

  • Can’t you just see their costumes?

  • One of them looks like me! (the Pharisee)

  • I always think the tax collector looks like ‘Fast Eddie’!

  • It’s easy to make them caricatures - but we shouldn’t

    • The Pharisee IS a good man

    • The tax collector IS a bad man

      • ‘Thank God I am not ….’ Jewish morning blessing (‘Thank God I am not a woman’ is standard!)

      • It sounds strange to our ears, but it is basically counting our blessings. Thank you God that I have a home, thank you God that I have a family, thank you God that I lead a good life’

      • There’s nothing wrong with any of this!

      • The tax collector was indeed a miserable man, and a sinner. Tax collectors skimmed money off the top, basically robbing their neighbors. He was right to be miserable.

        
        “Lord Jesus Christ Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner” (We might recognize his words as the origin of the “Jesus Prayer” that we say at Trexo

        
        
        

• Only one goes home justified

  • Why?

  • The Pharisee ‘trusted in himself’

  • I’ve got this, God’. I’ll just be good and do good, and I will save myself.
    
    

• The tax collector knows he can’t save himself. He knows he’s at the mercy of God’s love and forgiveness.

  • God doesn’t want our resume - God wants our hearts

    • We don’t have to list our accomplishments before God - God knows.

    • We don’t have to hide where we are struggling. We don’t have to hide where we are failing. We don’t have to hide that we haven’t got it all together.

    • We don’t have to hide that we are sinners.
      
      

• Jürgen Moltmann (my favorite theologian):
  

  • ‘God condemns the good man I want to be, but am not…

    … and God accepts the bad person I don’t want to be, and am’
    

  • It’s a RELIEF to put down the costume.
    

• It’s also scary.But it doesn’t end there

  1. This is what’s hardest about Christianity

  2. It’s also what’s the best Good News.

  3. We can STOP trying to be good. Just let ourselves be LOVED.

  4. For who you are, no matter what.

  5. And see what happens next.

     
     
     

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Halloween bingo night was scary fun!

Don’t forget to join us at Trexo! Hearts up!