Sunday, October 27, 2019

30^th Sunday in Ordinary Time / Proper 25 / 20^th Sunday after Pentecost

First Reading: Joel 2:23-32
Psalm 65:1-13
Second Reading: 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18
Gospel Reading: Luke 18:9-14

The liturgical color for the day is: Green

This Sunday is Reformation Sunday.  Reformation Sunday is always the last Sunday in October, marking the 1517 event when Martin Luther posted his 95 theses on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany.  The Presbyterian Historical Society provides a bulletin insert that can be used on Reformation Sunday.  You can find that link here. https://www.history.pcusa.org/history-online/presbyterian-history/reformation-sunday

The Gospel lesson for the day is the parable of Jesus about the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.  One is proud.  One is humble.  Both pray.  Both depart, yet only one of them is justified.  Such justification manifests itself in humbleness.

As we consider this text on Reformation Sunday, during the season of stewardship, and in an age of shameless self-aggrandizement—there is a powerful teaching of the Savior here that we need again and afresh.  What motivates us in our prayer?  What posture will we take before The Creator?  How does our own understanding of being a sinner (and a constant one at that) meet the Holy Spirit in us that breathes into us the breath of reality for own propensity to depravity?  How does all that convict us in our Pharisee-living practices to retreat to the quiet corner and pray for mercy?

The Good News is that as we pour out our honest truth in humbleness, God’s grace fills us up.  I think the Pharisee went away from prayer filled up with himself, while the Tax Collector poured himself out allowing space to filled with mercy and grace. 

In 2 Timothy there is that wonderful view of being poured out.  Our human tendency is to view being poured out as a negative.  We take the posture that the glass of our life is only half full, and as we are poured out there is less and less and less.

In the economy of Christ, as we give ourselves away, the mercy and grace of God (who made us and claimed us in baptism) is what is filling us up.  There is never less, there is always more.  This is the continuing story of those of us in the Reformed Tradition—we can boldly be reformed and always reforming because we know God has more in store for us and the Church.  (See Book of Order F-1.0401 and F-1.0303.)

Rev. Dr. Daris Bultena
General Presbyter / Stated Clerk