[Mcgregorpage] McGregorPage #578, Pentecost 20, 10/14/07

[RMcGregorAlbq at aol.com]

Pentecost 20 – October 14, 2007
 

Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7
Ps 66:1-12
2 Tim 2:8?15
Luke 17:11?19
 
SEEKING CERTITUDE
 
"The saying is sure: If we have died with him, we will also live with him;  
if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny 
us;  if we are faithless, he remains faithful..." (2 Timothy 2:11)   Paul  makes 
it sound as if our salvation is contingent on what we do: "If we... if  
we..." But he pulls the leash at the end not to let that dog go too far:   "...if 
we are faithless, he remains faithful..." Salvation is contingent on our  
action only up to a point.  Our actions can never change the nature of  God:  
"...he cannot deny himself."  
 
 Jesus healed ten lepers.  Only one returned to thank him, but  the other 
nine were still healed.  God's love for the ten was not changed  by their 
actions.  Jesus is impressed that it was the foreigner who  returned to thank him, 
not the ones who had the prior claim on God through the  covenant.  No doubt, 
the people of the covenant have always pondered  Jeremiah’s instruction to pray 
for the nation that conquered them.    As much as they might want God and 
God's gifts to be the private property of the  chosen people, God cannot deny 
God's own identity, God of Abraham and Isaac and  Babylon (Iraq).
 
We, the chosen people by God's grace, are often a disappointment to  
ourselves and to God.  We fail to be thankful, we are arrogant in the face  of God's 
commands, we seek to avoid a death like his, we give up on the high  calling of 
Christ, we deny him  --  and yet we don't change God; we  don't change God's 
love for us.  We can change some things to our great  hurt, but we can't 
change that.  Therefore let us join the Psalmist in  praising God, “Make a joyful 
noise to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his  name; give to him glorious 
praise.”
 
We need to work on our righteousness, but we depend on God's  righteousness.  
We avoid praising our righteousness, but we celebrate God's  righteousness 
forever.  Finally it is not the good news of us that is the  center of our faith 
but the good news of God.  
 
Even when we celebrate what God has done for us, let us be careful that it  
is a witness to what God has done, and to who God is, rather than to what we  
have done and who we are.  We have no glory of our own.  God's glory  is the 
only light that is not a reflection.  It is for the glory of God in  Christ 
Jesus that we may die with him, endure with him and finally also reign  with him.
 

May these thoughts strengthen you. 

An Open Letter to  Fellow Pastors 
>From Roland McGregor, United Methodist Pastor 
(an e-mail  service) 

[See Web Page address below for a Children’s Message  coordinated with these 
lections.] 

_http://www.webspawner.com/users/ChildPage/_ 
(http://www.webspawner.com/users/ChildPage/)   

Multiple Sermon Starter Essays are available at 
_http://www.webspawner.com/users/McGregorPage/_ 
(http://www.webspawner.com/users/McGregorPage/)   

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--Copyright 2007, Roland McGregor, all rights reserved—  
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