Today's sermon

I didn't write it down, but I can tell you about it.

I talked about how 'following Jesus' might be much simpler than we imagine.

In the Book of Common Prayer we have lots of Creeds telling us what to believe. We have a 20 page Catechism telling us what to believe. We have nearly 20 pages of 'historical documents' of the church (including more creeds) telling us what to believe.and 'Articles of Religion', telling us what to believe.

I don't think we need all that 'belief'.

The older I get, the less I need to believe.

Someone asked me recently, 'do you believe in the virgin birth?'

I answered, "I don't really care. If it's true, that's nice and neat. If it isn't, it doesn't bother my faith."

They were horrified that a priest would say that.

Today's 'collect'--what Episcopalians call a 'prayer of the day'--told us to ask God for 'faith, hope and charity'. And today's Gospel was a parable of Jesus about a Pharisee and a tax collector praying in the temple. The Pharisee up front, praying loudly, that he was 'not like other people...including this tax collector."  The tax collector praying softly, with his head bowed, saying "God have mercy on me a sinner."

What Jesus drew from this parable was simple: 'those who exalt themselves shall be humbled and those who humble themselves shall be exalted."

Pretty simple.

So give me 'humility' along with faith, hope and charity (compassion) and that will be all I need in my backpack of being a Christian.

Humility comes from the same root as 'humus'--the earth, the dirt.

And we all know we came from dirt and to dirt we shall return.

Being 'humble' is being honest about who we are as human beings.

Humility, faith, hope and charity/compassion is all I need on my journey from humus to humus....