20TH PENTECOST

TWENTIETH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST



THERE IS A LEGEND ABOUT ST. PETER
THAT SAYS THAT THE FIRST TIME
HE WENT TO PREACH
AFTER THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS
THE SERVANT GIRL
WHO HAD QUESTIONED HIM IN THE COURTYARD
WAS IN THE AUDIENCE.

SHE BERATED HIM
SAYING
HOW DARE YOU PREACH TO US
HOW DARE YOU
ANSWER ME THE COURTYARD QUESTION
DO YOU KNOW THE MAN,
DO YOU KNOW THE MAN.

PETER WAS HORRIFIED
AND MUTE WITH GUILT.
HE MADE TO TURN AWAY,
TO BE SILENT.
UNTIL THE MEMORY OF CHRIST'S LOVE
FILLED HIM.
HE KNEW HE WAS FORGIVEN.
IN THE STRENGTH OF THAT FORGIVENESS
HE WENT AND PREACHED.

AND THEY SAY THAT THIRTY THOUSAND SOULS
WERE ADDED TO THE CHURCH
THAT DAY.



LET ME TELL YOU ANOTHER STORY
THERE WAS A MAN SENT BY HIS COMPANY
TO WORK IN A NEW CITY.
THIS MAN WAS DIVORCED
AND WAS ENGAGED TO MARRY A DIVORCED WOMAN
IT WAS LONELY WORKING IN THIS NEW CITY
AND HE LOOKED FOR A CHURCH TO JOIN,
RATHER HE LOOKED FOR A CHURCH
WHERE BOTH COULD JOIN.
.


HE WAS AWARE THAT BECAUSE OF HIS DIVORCE
SOME CHURCHES WOULD NOT BE HAPPY
TO HAVE HIM.

SO CHECKING THE YELLOW PAGES
HE CALLED THE LOCAL LUTHERAN CHURCH,
EXPLAINED HIS CONDITION,
AND ASKED IF HE AND HIS BRIDE-TO-BE
WOULD BE WELCOME.
HE WAS ASKED TO COME IN FOR A MEETING.
HE WENT.

THE FIRST WORDS OUT OF THE' MINISTER'S MOUTH WERE,

YOU HAVE SINNED,
THE SECOND WORDS WERE
YOU HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN
WELCOME TO WORSHIP
AND FELLOWSHIP WITH US.

YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY GUESSED
THAT THE PEOPLE IN THE STORY
ARE BARBARA AND I.
THOUGH I AM MORE HANDSOME
IN REAL LIFE
THAN I AM IN THE STORY.



IN A PERFECT WORLD
MAN AND WOMAN WOULD LIVE FOREVER
IN LOVE AND HARMONY.
THERE WOULD BE NO DIVORCE.

IN A PERFECT WORLD
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS WOULD NEVER BE BROKEN.
PEOPLE WOULD NEVER STEAL OR KILL
LIE OR COMMIT ADULTERY,
DISHONOR PARENTS
OR WORSHIP OTHER GODS.
IN A PERFECT WORLD
IT WOULD BE SO.
BUT IT IS AN IMPERFECT WORLD.
WE ARE SINNERS.

THE SERVANT GIRL CALLS OUT TO US
DO YOU KNOW THE MAN,
DO YOU KNOW THE MAN
AND WE ARE TEMPTED TO TURN AWAY
AND BE MUTE
TILL WE REMEMBER WE ARE FORGIVEN,
TILL WE REMEMBER
WE PREACH NOT OUR PERSONAL WORTHINESS
BUT CHRIST'S LOVE
FOR HIS BROTHERS
FOR HIS SISTERS.

THIS IS WHAT WE PREACH
CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED.
THIS IS WHAT WE PREACH
THE CROSS AND OUR REDEMPTION
THIS IS WHAT WE PREACH.


THERE IS A PRINCIPAL IN SCIENCE
THAT STATES
THAT WATER CANNOT FLOW UPHILL.
IT MUST IN OBEDIENCE
TO THE LAWS OF GRAVITY
FLOW DOWN.

BY THAT PRINCIPAL
THE OCEANS ARE LOWER
THAN ALL THE RIVERS,
STREAMS AND BROOKS,
LAKES AND PONDS.
THE SNOWFLAKE THAT FALLS IN 'WINTER
ON THE MOUNTAIN TOP
MELTS
AND WITH NO EFFORT OF ITSELF
FLOWS DOWN TO THE SEA.

IN THE SAME WAY
JESUS LOWERED HIMSELF.

HE DID NOT CONSIDER
BEING EQUAL TO GOD
SOMETHING TO BE CLUNG TO.
BUT RATHER LOWERED HIMSELF,
TAKING THE FORM OF A MAN
AND WALKING THE WAY OF OBEDIENCE,
ALL THE WAY TO THE CROSS.

HE LOWERED HIMSELF
AND BECAME AN OCEAN
INTO WHICH WE CAN FLOW
NOT BY ANY EFFORT OF OURSELVES
BUT BY THE GRAVITY PULL
OF HIS LOVE.

AND HE SAYS TO US
I KNEW YOU WOULD BE SINNERS
WHEN I MADE YOU
BUT I MADE YOU STILL.

I WANT YOUR LOVE
NOT YOUR PUNISHMENT.

IF YOUR SINS ARE SCARLET
I WILL MAKE THEM WHITER THAN SNOW.

COME TO ME
ALL YOU WHO ARE HEAVY LADEN
AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST.

MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS
WHEN THE SERVANT GIRL
TAUNTS US
ASKING
DO YOU KNOW THE MAN.
ANSWER YES
I DO
AND HE LOVES ME.
ANSWER
YES I DO
I AM HIS CHILD
ANSWER
YES I DO
AND I AM FORGIVEN.
AMEN.