Sunday Service, October 26, 2025

All are welcome to join us for church on Sunday, October 26 at 10 am. Sunday School is offered during the service and there is a coffee time afterwards. This Sunday, there is a Lunch and Learn focusing on Inclusion and Accessibility.

Here are Rev. Marlene’s notes on the Sermon Scripture

Marlene’s Rev. Notes:

“For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Luke 18:14

Toward the end of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem, there are two uniquely Lucan parables: the persistent widow (last week’s Gospel reading) and the Pharisee and the tax collector (today’s Gospel reading).  Each offers insight into Jesus’ teaching about prayer and invite readers to take their challenging teachings to heart.

For example, the contrast between a Pharisee and a tax collector in today’s reading can be understood as the contrast between two attitudes of prayer.  The first individual’s attitude is rooted in comparison and contrast.  It seems that he needs nothing from God other than to remind God of the failings of others.  The prayer uttered by the second individual is very different.  He is a vision of humility: he stands far off, refuses to look up, beats his breast, and pleads with God for mercy. 

There is no comparison or contrast in this man’s prayer.  His very posture identifies him as a sinful person in need of mercy. The tax collector – a profession the Judean population hated for working with the Roman occupation and, in self interest – knows full well the enormity of his brokenness.  Simply naming that, as he does, is a pouring out of self, a laying of self at the feet of God and an awareness of his need for mercy. 

Since the first man is filled with his own righteousness, he has no need of God’s righteousness.  Thus, God’s righteousness cannot be offered as the man cannot receive it – there is no room for it!  The second man, who is clearly aware of his need for God’s righteousness, humbly begs for it.  He is the one whose prayer is heard.  Like the orphans, widows, and lowly of today’s first reading, the tax collector finds a champion in the God of justice. Most of us have been both the tax collector (in our humility before God) and the Pharisee (congratulating ourselves on being more inclusive and welcoming than the church down the road).          

Two Life questions: Can we have mercy on ourselves?  Can we pour ourselves out, as the tax collector did, inviting God’s mercy?

Rev. Marlene