For Sunday, August 28, 2022; Readings: Proverbs 25:6-7, Psalm 112, Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16; Luke 14:1,
7-14
Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence or
stand in the place of the great; for it is better to be told, “Come up here,”
than to be put lower in the presence of a noble. [Proverbs 25:6-7]
Light shines in the darkness for the upright; the righteous are
merciful and full of compassion…they put their trust in the Lord. [Psalm 112:4, 7b]
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing
that some have entertained angels without knowing it...Keep your lives
free from the love of money, and be content with what you have...Jesus Christ
is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Through him, then, let us offer a
sacrifice of praise to God... [Hebrews
13:2, 5, 8, 15]
But when you are invited, go and sit at the lowest place,
so that when your host comes, he may say to you, "Friend, move up
higher"...For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who
humble themselves will be exalted." [Luke 14:10-11]
The basic
elements of the readings for this week contain the full Gospel of Christ in a
nutshell: Humility. Love. Hospitality.
These are at once the minimal and the essential requirements for an authentically
faithful and faith-filled life. One can be taught how to embrace and
internalize these to live and act from within them; yet, confusingly, to
actually “have” them is to not be consciously aware of them. We are to,
not-so-simply, just “be” and do accordingly. That is contrary to our
first-world notions of proof and confidence that we have “arrived” by what we
have gathered to ourselves in fulfillment of earthly wants, our worldly status
as determined by our place at various tables or events, and our magnanimous
gestures to the “less fortunate” among us. Humility can be an ego trap.
Feeling proud and pleased with a
prestigious invitation, having a beautiful home, or wearing the best clothes
are not in themselves bad. Rather, as always, it's how we reflect these kinds
of acquisitions by our lives. We wander off the path of Christ if our attitude,
whether conscious or less so, places us above any others. We are perfectly
justified to be content with what we have as long as we Do not neglect
to do good and to share what you have... [Hebrews
13:16] without regard to being thanked or repaid.
Humility
is a tricky aspect of character as it is difficult to keep our egos unaware
and our motives pure. Some of us may have to start small and
practice often until the true spirit of it takes hold. I’m getting better at letting
that car in ahead of me in traffic yet I still have to stop myself too often in
the midst of silent judging. One definition of humility is “lowliness of mind,”
in that it is a heart attitude, not merely outward behavior. Tough work
for those of us who want to be humble and, the payoff is if we do it right we
won't know we've gotten there, although we always know deep down when we have
not.
This
has reminded me of the 1980 song by Mac Davis, O Lord It’s Hard To Be
Humble [link below]. It is a funny piece and also
slightly sobering. We can only do the best we can in trying not to judge those who
reflect the song lyrics, or worse, recognize ourselves. In faith and by
intentional attention to our own soul-work, we are more able to let
mutual love continue without needing direct evidence of those hidden
angels. Jesus modeled humility for us in many ways, especially with the foot
washing at the Last Supper. We, as followers of Christ, are called to humility,
love, and hospitality in an attitude of a lower place in this life with
the blessings and grace already given us. If nothing else, I’ll try to remember
that Jesus doesn't want us to be proud of our humility!
click here for Mac Davis: O Lord It's Hard To Be Humble or find on
YouTube
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ O Lord, our Constant Helper, open our hearts to let mutual
love continue among all of Your people, whether known or unknown to us. Let us
not neglect to show hospitality in sharing with, and caring for, all who are
poor, imprisoned, or tortured in body or soul.
O God, Light in our Darkness
RESPONSE: We put our trust in You
~ O Lord, our Constant Helper, humble the souls of those who wield
international, national, and local power. Guide them, and us all, to the path of leadership
vested in compassion, generosity, and thoughtful justice that frees us all from
hatred and violence. We pray especially for: add your own
petitions
O
God, Light in our Darkness
We
put our trust in You
~ O Lord, our Constant Helper, refresh the spirits of those
laid low by serious illness or critical life circumstance, and lift the
energies of all who give support. We now join our voices to pray aloud for
those in need… add your own petitions
O God, Light in our Darkness
We put our trust in You
~ O Lord, our Constant Helper, dry the tears of the
sorrowful with the comfort of knowing that our loved ones are now exalted to a
place of honor at Your heavenly eternal feast. We pray especially for… add
your own petitions
O God, Light in our Darkness
We put our trust in You
~ O Lord, our Constant Helper, we pause in
this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions,
petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions
O God, Light in our Darkness
We
put our trust in You
~ O Lord, our Constant Helper, we ask Your special blessings
upon all who lead us in Your Church, who speak Your word to us, and teach us,
by example, to imitate their faith and thoughtfully consider the outcome of our
own ways of life. In the name of Jesus, our Christ, who is the same yesterday,
today, and tomorrow, we pray especially for: add your own petitions
O God, Light in our Darkness
We
put our trust in You
The Celebrant adds: O Lord, our God, inspire us to choose
a lower place at Your holy table than the place we offer to others, that in
humility we may entertain angels unaware. May Your name always be the fruit of
our lips and each facet of our lives reflect a continual sacrifice of praise to
You. We ask through Christ our Present and Eternal Savior; and the
Holy Spirit, the Sacred Breath of Heaven, who together with You are One God,
from before the beginning to beyond the end. Amen.
