Sunday Homily

One of our greatest fears is a fear of death. While this world has its own trials and tribulations and is often a valley of tears, Jesus assures us that there is a resurrection from the dead and that death is not the end but the beginning of something more. In this message, we will explore our fear of death and how the promise of resurrection can help us overcome our fears.

In this message, we look at the life of Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus lived alone and as an outcast because of his love for money. Our attachment to “stuff” can come out of a fear that we won’t have enough, and so like Zacchaeus our fear of not having enough money can separate us from God and others. In this message we will look at some of our fears about money and how to overcome them by trusting in God and his provision.

Everyone experiences fears. Fears often hold us back from what we desire to achieve or the people we want to become. But what is behind our fears? Very often our fears are based on lies or half-truths we have come to believe. Overcoming fear requires getting to the root of those lies and finding out the truth about God and ourselves. In this series, we look at some common fears and how to overcome them. This week, we introduce the topic of fear and then dive into the fear of abandonment and rejection. Today we want to look specifically at rejection. It’s a big fear that many of us have carried around for most all of our life. The fear of rejection tells me that I’m not good enough. This fear can manifest in three different ways, fear of rejection from others, fear of rejection from God and fear of rejection from ourselves. The good news is that there is a clear antidote to this fear found in the Gospel passage today.

When we are young we tend to think of the minimum: how can I push the line without getting caught? How bad can I be and still get in to heaven? A more mature faith no longer looks for the minimum, but is willing to sacrifi ce and trust in God. Paul counsels Timothy about his work in ministry, encouraging him to be persistent in faith “whether it is convenient or inconvenient.” As we mature in faith, we see Jesus not as someone who deserves our minimum effort but who deserves all of our life.

Growing up our faith is naturally based on the experience of others. It is given to us or taught to us by parents, grandparents, or other adults. We take their words for granted. Ultimately, for faith to mature it must become very personal to us, since faith grows through a personal encounter with God. In this message we will look at the story of Naaman and how he came to faith in the one true God of Israel. We will look at Naaman’s story to see how we can make faith personal.

As kids, we are told to say our prayers. We memorize prayers before meals, the “Our Father,” the “Hail Mary,” and prayers for bedtime. Rote prayers are good, but to mature in faith we eventually need to move beyond saying our prayers to entering into prayer and conversation with God based on the events and details of our life. In this message we will look at the prophet Habakkuk as a model for prayer.

As kids, we can easily see faith as something we “do” on Sundays, a subject in school, or an hour to get through. It is something we are made to do. A more mature person comes to see faith as a way of life, and a way to grab hold of the eternal life offered by God. In this message, we look at Paul’s instruction to “lay hold of eternal life.” To grow in faith, we need to change our view of Christianity from something we do for an hour to a way of life that we live.

When we are young, we are taught to take responsibility for our things. A more mature faith comes to see that everything belongs to God and that it makes sense to view our lives not as owners, but as stewards of what God has entrusted to us. In this message we will look at the parable of the dishonest steward and what it teaches about using our possessions wisely.

When we are in eighth grade, we are often taught the rules and commandments, because at this time in our life, the “rules of life,” basic boundaries, and morality are what our minds can grasp. On the flipside, a more mature faith sees God not as a “cosmic cop in the sky,” but a heavenly Father who loves us. In this message, we look at the older brother from the parable of the Prodigal Son. His emphasis on rules and loss of a relationship keeps him from celebrating life with his Father.

In the Gospel reading this Sunday Jesus is at a Sabbath dinner at the home of a leading Pharisee. Jesus tells a parable. He tells a story about a wedding feast. He uses this parable to remind us to invite all people to the “feast”, not just important people or people that we may like. Also, not to take the best seats for ourselves. We are to call all people to come and eat at the Lord’s Table, and to become disciples of Jesus We are so blessed here at Saint Mary to have welcomed Deacon Doug Martin and his family to our parish. Deacon Doug has a beautiful life story that he will share with us about how the Lord called him to the table. And, how very soon, he will be ordained into the priesthood of Christ. Hallelujah!

In the Gospel reading this Sunday Jesus is at a Sabbath dinner at the home of a leading Pharisee. Jesus tells a parable. He tells a story about a wedding feast. He uses this parable to remind us to invite all people to the “feast”, not just important people or people that we may like. Also, not to take the best seats for ourselves. We are to call all people to come and eat at the Lord’s Table, and to become disciples of Jesus We are so blessed here at Saint Mary to have welcomed Deacon Doug Martin and his family to our parish. Deacon Doug has a beautiful life story that he will share with us about how the Lord called him to the table. And, how very soon, he will be ordained into the priesthood of Christ. Hallelujah!

God is faithful to His promises. The promises that God made to Abraham, that through him he would bring blessing to all the peoples of the earth, is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The promises that he made to David, that he will establish a kingdom that will reign forever through his lineage is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. God is faithful to his promises. When John the Baptist announces the coming of Jesus, he says, “The kingdom of God is at hand.” Announcing to everyone that the Kingdom of God is here, what He promised to Abraham and David, a kingdom that would reign everlasting, an eternal kingdom is here! We are The Kingdom.

When you possess money, possess wealth in this life, it is entrusted to you for a period of time. You are it’s steward or manager, but someone else’s turn is going to come soon because this isn’t our home. We’re going to live somewhere in eternity. When we understand this principle, that we are stewards, not owners, we start to see life differently. This isn’t our home. Heaven is our home.

This week we learn that relationship rifts can become a chasm when left unaddressed. If you have a relationship that needs work, you can start the healing by saying you’re sorry, “I’m sorry, this relationship is not where I want it to be. I’m sorry for my miscommunication. I’m sorry for my part of the problem.”  Healthy relationships are made up of people who are willing to lean into the relationship and repair the rifts.

Today we learn that instead of covering up our sins and failures we admit them. We admit them first to ourselves, then to God, and then to the appropriate people in our lives. If we are willing to admit mistakes upfront we can save ourselves from the pain that comes with the cover-up, that comes from lying about it or taking other measures to hide it from others. We can see that when we admit our failures, it brings peace to our hearts. Another lesson is to receive those admissions of failure with grace. If we can create environments where people feel free to admit their failures, we’ll have much healthier families and communities, a healthier country, a healthier world!