Sermon Matthew 22:15-22 Paying Taxes

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Beaver Dam and Pitts Creek Churches

Sermon Matthew 22:15-22 Paying Taxes

October 19, 2014

I am continuing today with a series of sermons drawn from conversations Jesus had with religious leaders on the day after he had overturned the tables of the money changers in the Jerusalem temple. Today Jesus is back at temple and the question he is asked is about paying taxes. We will get to this, but first let's pray.

Lord God, giver of light and darkness, from the rising of the sun to its setting you have called me by name; there is no God besides you. Go before me and guide me this day; bless and keep me forever. Amen”.¹

^{Matthew 22:15 Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16 They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. "Teacher," they said, "we know you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"}

^{18 But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, "You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax." They brought him a denarius, 20 and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?" 21 "Caesar's," they replied. Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." 22 When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.}

^{The Pharisees have developed an elaborate plot to trap Jesus. They have sent some of their own disciples who believe that people should focus on their own personal piety rather than what is going on politically. They have also sent some Herodians who believe that cooperation with the government is the key to their safety. They plan on asking Jesus about paying taxes to Caesar. If Jesus says yes the Pharisees will be upset because it indicates cooperation with the Romans. If he says no the Herodians will be upset because they fear Roman power. Let's see what Jesus does.}

^{Jesus knows that when the Kingdom of God is fully realized there will be no more taxes. Our resources will not be used to support a king and his army. Rather, our tithes and offerings will go to care for the poor and the needy, the widows, the orphans and the aliens in the land. So Jesus has to be careful how he replies. So he asks them if they have coins in their pockets, which they do. As soon as Jesus sees the coin he makes the following statement, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."}

^{To a gentile or a government official listening in Jesus seems to be saying, “Pay your taxes.” But to the religious leaders, Jesus is saying something completely different. Let me explain.}

^{There is a well known history book from the first century before Christ called First Maccabees. This book is not in our Bibles. It is not scripture. The Protestant reformers put it into a group of books called the Apocrypha and told us that these should be read by Christians. And as we will see First Maccabees helps us to understand the New Testament.}

^{The story in First Maccabees takes place about 150 years before Jesus. Alexander the Great had conquered the Persian Empire and controlled Judea. At Alexander's death his kingdom was divided among three generals. A descendant of one of these generals was a king in Syria named Antiochus. Antiochus was a violent king. He captured several fortified cities in Egypt and plundered them. Then he came to Jerusalem. He entered the Temple where no gentile was permitted to go. And he stole everything of value.}

^{Antiochus wanted to unify his kingdom. He decided that the best way to do this was to have everyone worship the same god. For most people in his kingdom this was not a problem. They worshiped many gods and adding one more was not a concern. But in Jerusalem the Jews worshiped only one God. There was no possibility of adding another. Antiochus believed that he was the manifestation of Zeus on earth. So he had images of himself made and distributed to temples throughout his kingdom. Everyone was ordered to worship Antiochus. When a government official arrived in Jerusalem he put one of idols of Antiochus in the Temple of God for worship.}

^{A priest named Matthias was outraged by this. When the government officials arrived at his town with image of Antiochus, Matthias murdered him. Matthias and his sons then fled to a mountain for safety. But first Matthias shouted,}

^{1 Maccabees 2:27 "Let every one who is zealous for the law and supports the covenant come out with me!"}

^{The faithful men of Judea followed Matthias and his sons. Matthias had his son, Judas, form an army. Judas was known as “the hammer”, which in their language was the word “Maccabeus”. Matthias commissioned Judas Maccabeus as leader of the army with these words,}

^{1 Maccabees 2:68 68 Pay back the Gentiles in full, and obey the commands of the law."}

^{Jesus saw the coin from the pocket of religious leaders as he stood in the Jerusalem temple. The coin had the image of Tiberius Caesar on one side and an inscription saying that he was god on the other. The religious leaders had brought an idolatrous image into the temple just as the government official did in Matthias' day, and so Jesus responded with a paraphrase of Matthias' own words. Jesus' saying, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's", means: give the Romans what they deserve, and obey the law of God.}

^{This is a revolutionary statement. It means that the Kingdom of God is coming and will replace the kingdoms of earth. The Book of Revelation put's it this way,}

^{Revelation 21:23-24 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.}

^{All the king on earth will bow down and worship Jesus when he returns. Those who refuse will be destroyed. Jesus will be king over the entire world. And the taxes we pay will be to support God's purposes to care for the vulnerable in our society.}

^{Finally, the Kingdom of God must print money so that taxes can be paid. What kind of currency we will be using under Jesus' reign? We know that in the first century people valued coins that bore the image of Caesar and used these as currency. Today we value green pieces of payer, called dollars, with portraits of presidents on them and use these to pay our taxes. What will be our valuable currency in the Kingdom of God? We know that whatever it is it must have God's image on it. Right? We read in the very first chapter of the Bible,}

^{Genesis 1:27 27 So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.}

^{So in the Kingdom of God, when Jesus returns, we will value currency stamped with the image of God. We will value humankind, male and female, created in the image of God. We will pay our taxes by caring for others. Let's pray.}

^{Lord Jesus we confess that we value money with portraits of presidents on them more than people created in God's image. As we come closer and closer to your kingdom help us to place higher value on people. Help us to seek out those who need our help and use our resources to satisfy their needs. Amen.}

1Feasting on the Word Worship Companion: Liturgies for Year A, Volume 2 © 2014 Westminster John Knox Press p214.

Sermon Matthew 22:1-14 Come to the Feast

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Beaver Dam and Pitts Creek Churches

Sermon Matthew 22:1-14 Come to the Feast

October 12, 2014

Today we continue our look at Jesus' teachings in the Jerusalem temple. His audience is a group of religious leaders who are wondering why Jesus overturned the tables of money changers the day before. In today's conversation Jesus will the consider God's invitation list to the great banquet that the Messiah will have at the end of time to inaugurate the new Kingdom of God. We will get to this, but first lets pray.

“On this new day, O God, I thank you for clean air that fills my lungs, for water to drink and stream over the rocks, for light that creates life and shines on my path, for soil that grows fruits and vegetables, fashions hills and valleys, and makes homes for creatures in burrows and trees. Let me see Earth today with gratitude and feast my senses on its beauty; in Jesus’ name. Amen”.¹

^{NIV Matthew 22:1 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2 "The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. 4 "Then he sent some more servants and said, 'Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.' 5 "But they paid no attention and went off-- one to his field, another to his business. 6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 "Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.' 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 "But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless. 13 "Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 14 "For many are invited, but few are chosen."}

Jesus' story about a wedding feast refers to a great banquet that will be served to all believers when the Messiah comes. The prophet Isaiah talked about this.

Isaiah 26:6 On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines.

Notice that Isaiah says that all people are invited to this banquet. God's invitation is to everyone. But in the first century, the religious leaders thought that God's invitation would go only to a few. They had a saying.

^{Matthew 22:14 For many are invited, but few are chosen.}

So which is it? Does God invite everyone to the banquet or are just a few chosen? In the story Jesus told the King said this.

^{Matthew 22:9 Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.}

^{Jesus agrees with Isaiah everyone is invited. We will be invited to a great feast when Jesus returns, and the dead are resurrected, and the Kingdom of God is fully realized on earth. The church is only a partial realization of this Kingdom. The monthly meal we serve at the this table with the bread and wine is a foretaste of this banquet. But the time will come when our graves are opened and we are invited to real thing.}

^{But, according to Jesus, not all of us will accept the invitation. As astonishing as this sounds, there will be some people who decline the offer. They will choose not to attend the great messianic banquet at the end of the age. Why would some people make this choice? Well, Jesus has given us the answer. There are two reasons why people will reject Jesus when he returns. Here is the first.}

^{Matthew 22:5 But they paid no attention and went off-- one to his field, another to his business.}

^{So some people will be too busy to bother with the great feast celebrating Jesus' return. They will be too busy with their farms, and businesses, and other demands on their time. We see this today. Some people are too busy to come to church. Some people are too busy to pray and meditate on scripture every day. Some people are too busy to attend Bible studies. And so they will be too busy to come to the feast when Jesus returns.}

^{Jesus also gives us a second reason why some people will not attend the banquet. Let's listen.}

^{Matthew 22:11 "But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?'}

^{So we have to be dressed right. There is a dress code for those who desire to attend the great feast when Jesus returns. This is what you must wear.}

^{Revelation 7:14 … "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.}

^{To attend the messianic banquet we must be dressed properly. We must be wearing white robes that have been bleached by the blood of Jesus Christ. This means that we must believe in Jesus Christ and accept his offer of forgiveness of sin through his sacrifice on the cross. Do you believe in Jesus Christ? Do you believe that your sins are washed away by his blood? If so don't worry, you will be dressed properly.}

^{So what happens if we are too busy to attend this great banquet or if we are not wearing the right clothes. What will God do with people like this. Jesus tells us what will happen.}

^{Matthew 22:7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.}

^{Matthew 22:13 "Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'}

^{Not a pretty picture! So I urge you do not be too busy to attend to the things of God. Accept Jesus as your savior to be clothed with the robe of forgiveness. Do these things and you will be richly blessed. You will be resurrected to eternal life. You will be invited to the great banquet when Jesus returns. You will live forever in his presence. You will be a citizen in the Kingdom of God.}

^{Let's pray.} 

 ^{Lord Jesus thank you for your invitation to the banquet. Nothing will keep us from coming. We will be clothed in your righteousness. We look forward to seeing you. Amen.}

1Feasting on the Word Worship Companion: Liturgies for Year A, Volume 2 © 2014 Westminster John Knox Press p205.

Sermon Matthew 21:33 - 46 The Rejected Stone

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Beaver Dam and Pitts Creek Churches

Sermon Matthew 21:33 - 46 The Rejected Stone

October 5, 2014

Throughout the summer months we were looking at the prophets of Israel trying to help the people of God who had lost their land and found themselves in exile in Babylon. The prophets told the people that God had not abandoned them. God still loved them very much, and if they returned to him and obeyed his commands then God would restore to them their inheritance. Today we will hear Jesus talking to the descendants of those people, giving them hope in the coming Kingdom of God. We will get to this, but first let's pray.

God of hosts, at the dawning of this day, let your face shine upon me. Restore me, and be my salvation; through Jesus the Lord. Amen”.¹

Today we listen to Jesus speaking at the Jerusalem temple. He was talking to the religious leaders who were wondering why he overturned merchant tables in the temple the day before. They have stopped Jesus to ask a few questions. Jesus took this opportunity to tell them a story. Let's listen.

Matthew 21:33 - 39 ³³ "… There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. ³⁴ When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. ³⁵ "The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. ³⁶ Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. ³⁷ Last of all, he sent his son to them. 'They will respect my son,' he said. ³⁸ "But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him and take his inheritance.' ³⁹ So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

^{This story from Jesus is about land that has been lost. The tenant farmers who worked the land were the descendants of people who had owned it at one time. This was the promised land which had been taken away from them because of the disobedience of the people of God. The tenant farmers prayed for the day when God would restore their ownership of their family estates.}

^{Life for a first century tenant farmer was harsh. He had to pay high rents and high taxes, and there was not much left over for their families and to trade for what they needed. They longed for the day when they would own the land of their fathers.}

^{Originally Gentiles had lived on this land. But God had taken the land away from gentiles because of their idolatry. They worshiped other gods and sacrificed their own children. So God took the land away from them and gave it to the Hebrew people demanding their obedience to him in return. But the people of God had turned away from God and worshiped the idols, and refused to care for the poor and needy in their land. So God took the land away from them and gave it back to the gentiles. The people had a saying for this. "'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone”. The gentiles had been rejected by God, but now they are the owners of the land.}

^{Jesus told us that the gentile absentee owner had planted a vineyard. In ancient times when farmers planted a vineyard they would not harvest any of the fruit for three years so that the plants could be established. The production of the grape vines in the fourth year would be given to God. These are the first fruits we often talk about. First fruits, the first year harvest would go to God to feed the vulnerable in the society. The farmers would then keep or trade the fruit of the harvest in the fifth year and beyond.}

^{What seems to be happening in this story from Jesus is that the absentee landlord is demanding his share of the fruit in the forth year. The Jewish farmers wanted to obey the law and give the first fruits to God. The gentile owner wanted his rent. This disagreement led to violence. The landlord sent a bill collector to get his share. The farmers responded violently and killed him. The landlord escalated the conflict by sending another bill collector with some armed men. The farmers responded by killing them all. Finally the landlord sent his son with a small militia to get what he wanted. The farmers were ready and the landlord's men and son died. We know were this leads. The landlord will come to Jerusalem. He will talk with the Roman governor. The Roman Legion will be dispatched. And all the farmers will die.}

^{This is the viscous cycle of violence. One act of violence leads to another and then another and the level of violence escalates each time. We see this today. ISIS beheads American journalists. We respond with surgical bombing. We know where this will lead: terror in America, and yet another war in the Middle East.}

^{Jesus knows how destructive the vicious cycle of violence is. And he wants it to stop. Rather than respond to violence with greater violence Jesus tells us to do this:}

^{43 "Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.}

^{Jesus told the farmers of Judah that if want their land back they should not respond to violence with violence. Rather they should respond to violence by doing what God commands. Bring the first fruits of the harvest to God, feed the hungry, and let God deal with the absentee landlord.}

^{Like the farmers in Jesus' story we often get angry at injustice. Maybe you have been working long hours doing a good job, but the company downsizes anyway and you are gone. Maybe, you have put everything into your relationship and love your spouse, but he leaves you anyway. Maybe, you have lived a healthy life exercising and eating right, but you still get sick. It doesn't seem fair. You get angry and complain to God. What should you do? Try to get even?Respond violently? Jesus says no! You are not to respond to injustice with more injustice. Two wrongs do not make a right. Rather, when bad things happen to you, you are to respond with greater obedience to God. Come to worship every Sunday, attend Bible studies, pray every day, give your first fruits and tithes for the work of the church, and care for the vulnerable. Never respond to evil with evil. Be obedient to God. Do these things and the Kingdom of Heaven is yours.}

^{This is an important lesson for us. We have been richly blessed by God. We have inherited the Kingdom of Heaven. But if we respond violently to violence we risk losing everything we have. We must respond to violence with nonviolence exhibiting God's grace and love to the world. If we do this God's promise is that the Kingdom of Heaven will be given to us.}

^{Let's pray. Father in heaven we thank you for all the blessings you have given us. And we pledge to obey you. We will not respond to violence with violence. Rather we will respond to violence with your overwhelming love. In your son's name we pray. Amen.}

1Feasting on the Word Worship Companion: Liturgies for Year A, Volume 2 © 2014 Westminster John Knox Press p179.

Sermon Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32 Repent and Live

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Beaver Dam and Pitts Creek Churches

Sermon Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32 Repent and Live

September 21, 2014

There is an old story you have probably heard. Johnny is a 5^th grader. One day at school his teacher asked, “Johnny, where is your homework?” Johnny replied, “I don't have it.” So the teacher asked, “Why don't you have it, Johnny?” And he said, “Because my house was too noisy last night.” “Why was your house so noisy?”, the teacher asked. “Because the TV was too loud?”, Johnny replied. “But couldn't you have asked someone to turn the TV down?”, the teacher asked Johnny. To which he replied, “How could have I asked someone to turn the TV down? I was the only one in the room!”¹

We all want to blame our problems on others. It makes us feel better. We will get to this, but first let's pray.

“New every morning are your mercies, Lord. Your steadfast love stayed with me through the night and greets me as I rise this day. This morning, I remember and give thanks for parents and grandparents, for teachers and friends in generations past who showed your love and told your stories to me. I pray that I will also share this faith with a new generation so that our praise of you continues forever. I will not be idle today, but will find a way to do whatever work you set before me with a glad and generous heart. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen”.²

^NIV Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-28 1The word of the LORD came to me: ² "What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: "'The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'? ³ "As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. ⁴ For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son-- both alike belong to me. The soul who sins is the one who will die.

²⁵ "Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Hear, O house of Israel: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust? ²⁶ If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin, he will die for it; because of the sin he has committed he will die. ²⁷ But if a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will save his life. ²⁸ Because he considers all the offenses he has committed and turns away from them, he will surely live; he will not die.

The people of God in the sixth century before Christ were living in exile in Babylon. There cities, farms, homes and lives had all been destroyed. The prophets of God had made it very clear that the people had brought this on themselves by not following God. The had not taken care of the poor, the needy, the widow, the orphan, and the alien. Rather, they hoarded their wealth and eventually lost it.

Now a generation had passed and the people still found themselves in exile. It seemed that they were being punished for the sins of their parents, and considered this unfair. They had a saying which described their situation. “The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge.” The Law of Moses seemed to support this idea.

Exodus 20:4-6 ⁴ "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. ⁵ You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, ⁶ but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

So the people of God in exile believed that they were being punished for what there parents did. They thought that they were innocent victims. Today in America many people are encouraged to think of themselves as victims. If you are a victim, we are told, then fairness requires that you be compensated. And this is exactly what the people of God in Babylon wanted. They wanted compensation to pay for the unfair treatment they had experience by suffering for what a previous generation had done.

But this is not God's way. God sent a prophet, Ezekiel, to explain to the people his way. Ezekiel told them that God will bless everyone who turns to him and away from their evil ways. Their behavior alone determines what God will do. What their parents did is of no concern to God. But the people thought this was unfair. They thought they had suffered because of what their parents had done. They considered themselves victims and wanted to be compensated.

But Ezekiel told them that everyone received the same deal from God. Turn from sin and return to him and you will be blessed with a good life. Your parents may have turned their back on God and lost everything they had. Or your parents may have turned toward God and be richly blessed. It didn't matter to God. All that matters to God is that you turn from sin. And if you do not, you life will be cursed. If you do your life will be blessed. You are no victim. Your life is up to you and your relationship with God. Ezekiel explained it like this.

Ezekiel 18:5-13 ⁵ "Suppose there is a righteous man who does what is just and right. ⁶ He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor's wife or lie with a woman during her period. ⁷ He does not oppress anyone, but returns what he took in pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked. ⁸ He does not lend at usury or take excessive interest. He withholds his hand from doing wrong and judges fairly between man and man. ⁹ He follows my decrees and faithfully keeps my laws. That man is righteous; he will surely live, declares the Sovereign LORD. ¹⁰ "Suppose he has a violent son, who sheds blood or does any of these other things ¹¹ (though the father has done none of them): "He eats at the mountain shrines. He defiles his neighbor's wife. ¹² He oppresses the poor and needy. He commits robbery. He does not return what he took in pledge. He looks to the idols. He does detestable things. ¹³ He lends at usury and takes excessive interest. Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he will surely be put to death and his blood will be on his own head.

So, we are responsible for what we do. The righteousness of our parents will not cover our sins. But what if we repent and turn to God? Let's go back to Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 18:14-18 ¹⁴ "But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do such things: ¹⁵ "He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor's wife. ¹⁶ He does not oppress anyone or require a pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked. ¹⁷ He withholds his hand from sin and takes no usury or excessive interest. He keeps my laws and follows my decrees. He will not die for his father's sin; he will surely live. ¹⁸ But his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people.

If we do what is right. If we turn to and follow God, the promise of scripture is that we will be richly blessed with a good life. Ezekiel concludes his argument this way.

Ezekiel 18:21 ²¹ "But if a wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die.

But the people considered this to be unfair and they argued with the prophet.

²⁹ Yet the house of Israel says, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Are my ways unjust, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust? ³⁰ "Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. ³¹ Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? ³² For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!

This offer is made to us too. Repent, turn away from evil and turn to God, and you will be blessed with a good life. This promise is offered to everyone. You are not a victim of the mistakes of others. Any problems you now have are your responsibility, because you have turned away from God. So turn around, go back and be obedient to God and live a blessed life. Let's pray.

Lord Jesus we thank you for offering the gift of forgiveness to everyone. We know that it is unfair to offer this gift to the undeserving. But you are not a God of fairness. You are a God of unmerited grace. You love us and will not let our failings come between us and you. So we pledge to follow you and to obey your command to love one another. Amen.

1 http://www.hope1032.com.au/shows/on-air-guide/morning-devotions/blaming-others/

2Feasting on the Word Worship Companion: Liturgies for Year A, Volume 2 © 2014 Westminster John Knox Press p175.