October 21, 2007

29^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Preparation for Worship

Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart.

Luke 18:1

The parable poses a dilemma. A desperate widow is caught in the usual power play accompanying her husband’s death, and she is further enmeshed in the complexities of a Torah court. At first glance, her case appears hopeless. Everyone knows that the court will decide in favor of the party offering the most “appropriate” emolument, that is, bribe. One less widow in Israel! One more “righteous” verdict for the court! Unaccountably, the widow refuses to quit and threatens to blow the cover off the whole system. Her reward is justice at the gate.

William Herzog

The processional beginning our worship includes young acolytes who bring in the cross and the light of Christ; and the acolytes carry the light and cross out into the world at the conclusion of or service. This serves as a reminder that Christ is not confined to the walls of our church and that worship is, at its heart, a public worldly expression rather than an individual experience. The pouring of the water into the baptismal fount is a reminder of our baptismal vows renewed each and every Sunday as we come together. Our baptism is not something that happened in the past but a covenant lived out everyday!

     The central text for our worship today is the parable of the widow and unjust judge. One of the themes in this parable is that of prayer and faithfulness. Our Call to Worship is taken from Paul’s letter to the church in Thessalonica where he encourages the disciples to “pray without ceasing.” The opening hymn reminds us that our comfort and solace is found in Jesus whether at work or in prayer. The Profession of Faith following the sermon is taken from The Brief Statement of Faith and emphasizes how the Spirit gives us the courage to “pray without ceasing.” This statement was developed following the joining together of the southern and northern branches of the Presbyterian Church in 1983. The hymn following the sermon also highlights  the friend we have in Jesus with whom we can carry anything in prayer. The Benediction Response Hymn is our closing prayer asking the Lord to make us more faithful.