Contentment and Humility

 

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax-collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.' But the tax-collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted."

 

The Pharisee and the Publican (Le pharisien et le publicain)

 

 

 

 

 

Moral certainty is always a sign of cultural inferiority. The more uncivilized the man, the surer he is that he knows precisely what is right and what is wrong.  All human progress, even in morals, has been the work of men who have doubted the current moral values, not of men who have whooped them up and tried to enforce them.  The truly civilized man is always skeptical and tolerant, in this field as in all others.  His culture is based on, “I am not too sure.”

~ H.L Mencken

 

Retirement Reception

Steve Sumner

Center for the Arts Evergreen

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Steve Sumner, CEO, Center for the Arts Evergreen

 

There were even cookies with Steve’s likeness!

 

Fantastic pumpkin!

(Carved by a surgeon.)

 

Tom Ware, sculptor, with Anne Vickstrom, author

 

The leaves are definitely gone!

 

We are due for two more significant snows this coming week.

 

Hanna Holt and Kris Fisher at Rotary.  Kris went to Michigan State and lived in

the same dorm I stayed in.  Now it is co-ed; when I went there they locked

the doors at night!

 

Kimra Perkins will be leading the discussion of Factfulness 

at our Rotary Book Club Wednesday evening.

(Unless the snow changes our plans.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

October 27, 2019  Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C

           Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 25) 

 

Agnus Day, by James Wetzstein

 

For Luke 18:9-17

Agnus Day, by James Wetzstein

Agnus Day appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday

 

Joel 2:23-32 with Psalm 65 or
Sirach 35:12-17 or Jeremiah 14:7-10, 19-22 with Psalm 84:1-7 and
2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18
Luke 18:9-14

 

Reformation Day - Thursday, October 31st

 

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Psalm 46 (7)

Romans 3:19-28

John 8:31-38

 

 

 

 

Joel 2:23-32

O children of Zion, be glad
   and rejoice in the Lord your God;
   for he has given the early rain for your vindication,
he has poured down for you abundant rain,
   the early and the later rain, as before.
The threshing-floors shall be full of grain,
   the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.

I will repay you for the years
   that the swarming locust has eaten,
the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,
   my great army, which I sent against you.

You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
   and praise the name of the Lord your God,
   who has dealt wondrously with you.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.
You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,
   and that I, the Lord, am your God and there is no other.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.

Then afterwards I will pour out my spirit on all flesh;
   your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
   and your young men shall see visions.
Even on the male and female slaves,
   in those days, I will pour out my spirit.

I will show portents in the heavens and on the earth,
   blood and fire and columns of smoke.
The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood,
   before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.
Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved;
   for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, 
as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.

and

Psalm 65

Praise is due to you,
   O God, in Zion;
and to you shall vows
   be performed,

O you who answer prayer!
   To you all flesh shall come.

When deeds of iniquity 
   overwhelm us,
you forgive our transgressions.

Happy are those
   whom you choose
and bring near to live
   in your courts.
We shall be satisfied
   with the goodness 
of your house,
   your holy temple.

By awesome deeds 
   you answer us 
with deliverance,
   O God of our salvation;
you are the hope 
   of all the ends
of the earth
   and of the farthest seas.

By your strength
   you established the mountains;
you are girded with might.

You silence the roaring
   of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
   the tumult of the peoples.

Those who live
   at earth's farthest bounds
are awed by your signs;

you make the gateways
   of the morning
and the evening shout 
   for joy.

You visit the earth 
   and water it,
you greatly enrich it;

the river of God 
   is full of water;
you provide the people 
   with grain,
for so you have prepared it.

You water its furrows 
   abundantly,
and settle its ridges,

you soften the earth 
   with showers,
and you bless its growth.

You crown the year
   with your bounty;
your wagon tracks overflow
   with richness.
The pastures of the wilderness 
   overflow,
the hills gird themselves 
   with joy,
the meadows clothe themselves 
   with flocks,
the valleys deck themselves 
   with grain,
they shout and sing together 
   for joy.

or

Sirach 35:12-17

Give to the Most High as he has given to you,
   and as generously as you can afford.
For the Lord is the one who repays,
   and he will repay you sevenfold.

Do not offer him a bribe, for he will not accept it; 
   and do not rely on a dishonest sacrifice;
for the Lord is the judge,
   and with him there is no partiality.
He will not show partiality to the poor;
    but he will listen to the prayer of one who is wronged.
He will not ignore the supplication of the orphan,
    or the widow when she pours out her complaint.

or

Jeremiah 14:7-10, 19-22

Although our iniquities testify against us,
   act, O Lord, for your name’s sake;
our apostasies indeed are many,
   and we have sinned against you.
O hope of Israel,
   its savior in time of trouble,
why should you be like a stranger in the land,
   like a traveler turning aside for the night?
Why should you be like someone confused,
   like a mighty warrior who cannot give help?
Yet you, O Lord, are in the midst of us,
   and we are called by your name;
do not forsake us!

Thus says the Lord concerning this people:
Truly they have loved to wander,
   they have not restrained their feet;
therefore the Lord does not accept them,
   now he will remember their iniquity
      and punish their sins.

Have you completely rejected Judah?
   Does your heart loathe Zion?
Why have you struck us down
   so that there is no healing for us?
We look for peace, but find no good;
   for a time of healing, but there is terror instead.
We acknowledge our wickedness, O Lord,
   the iniquity of our ancestors,
   for we have sinned against you.
Do not spurn us, for your name’s sake;
   do not dishonor your glorious throne;
   remember and do not break your covenant with us.
Can any idols of the nations bring rain?
   Or can the heavens give showers?
Is it not you, O Lord our God?
We set our hope on you,
   for it is you who do all this.

and

Psalm 84:1-7

How lovely is your dwelling place,
   O God of hosts!

My soul longs, 
   indeed it faints
for the courts of God;

my heart and my flesh sing
   for joy to the living God.

Even the sparrow
   finds a home,
and the swallow
   a nest for herself,

where she may lay her young,
   at your altars, 
O God of hosts, my Ruler 
   and my God.

Happy are those who live
   in your house,
ever singing your praise.

Happy are those
   whose strength is in you,
in whose heart
   are the highways to Zion.

As they go through
   the valley of Baca
they make it a place
   of springs;
the early rain also covers it
   with pools.

They go from strength
   to strength;
the God of gods
   will be seen in Zion.

2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

At my first defense no one came to my support, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them! But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Luke 18:9-14

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax-collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.' But the tax-collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted."