A Church for Sinners

Title: A Church for Sinners

Date: February 20, 1988 - Saturday After Ash Wednesday

Readings: Genesis 9:8-15 / Psalm 25:4-5,6-7,8-9 / 1 Peter 3:18-22

Over a year ago I was offering some counseling to a man who had stopped going to church. He said that he did not have to go to services to pray and that the churches were filled with hypocrites anyway. I admitted that there was some truth to his accusation, but I then asked him to honestly tell me whether or not he was really praying alone either. He paused. Hesitantly, he said no. I then quite pointedly inquired about who he thought should go to church? He wondered what I meant. I responded that Christ came for sinners and that we have since tried to fill our churches with them, this priest included. The poor man began to see his own hypocrisy. The only difference between him and us was that we admitted that we were sinners and therefore sought God's forgiveness. Jesus in our Gospel spoke directly to this when he said, "The healthy do not need a doctor; sick people do. I have not come to invite the self-righteous to a change of heart, but sinners." There is no shame in admitting that we are not perfect, only in trying hide our frailties behind the lies of pride and deceit. I wish I could tell you that this revelation changed the life of this man. But, I have no inkling. He has not come into this worship space in over a year. You see the blinders immediately came back down and he rationalized away everything I said. I pray for him, just as we all should. And yet, there is some sadness in knowing that when our family in faith comes together, he and so many others are not present. No one, no where can ever take their place here and so we are the poorer. We desperately need the witness and solidarity of one another. With this in mind I would sincerely encourage you all to constantly support one another, not with the badgering of a people who think they are better than others but with the example of a faith lived out both here in this church and in the world outside. You see the Pharisees and the scribes to whom Jesus spoke did not realize that they most of all needed Christ's forgiveness and healing. Let it be a lesson of which we shall always be mindful.