September 25, 2022

Indianola Presbyterian Church, Columbus

Sermon by Rev. Trip Porch

September 25, 2022                   Based on Luke 16:19–31 

This week I gave myself a little test.

It had just two questions on it and for each one I gave myself a 2-minute time limit. The first question…

Without consulting google or my phone… how many billionaires or even multi-millionaires can I name?

In 2 minutes, the list was over 20 people, and it included the tech magnates we all know, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill and Melinda Gates, then other folks finance people, royalty and politicians, celebrities, famous actor and musicians. All of them I was able to name on a whim without hesitation.

Then the second question… same 2-minute time limit. How many people could I name living below the poverty line, folks who are living on the streets and unhoused. People who can only survive off charity.

 My pen hit the paper. I thought of the folks I pass almost every day off interstate exits, the people I drive past in my car. I thought of the people who live underneath the Iuka bridge just 300 feet from our church.

I thought of the guy who sought shelter at our church’s back door for months last year, who would arrive late at night, and try to leave early every morning, in order to stay totally anonymous. I thought of these folks, some of whom I could even picture their faces…but after two minutes I had not one name written down.

 It was telling. Unlike the ultra-rich celebrities who’s names I know even though I’d rather not, the poor people I know are people I have actually seen in the flesh, our paths have crossed, often regularly, and yet they are anonymous to me. I don’t even know their names.

 We place a high value on names in our world. This isn’t a new phenomenon either. Names are important as we look back over years and years and across global culture and certainly important in the world of the Bible. 

 William Shakespeare famously asked the question: “what is in a name?” Well, I would argue a lot. 

Our names show our individuality, they show that we are more than just a body or a number, but a unique person with a unique soul.

 I’m not great at it by a long shot, but when I meet someone new, I always make a point to try to say their first name over and over. I repeat their name in my head and say it out loud to them again and again in conversation hoping I’ll have it memorized so I can say greet them by name the next time I see them.  Why do I do this? Because when we know a person’s name, it’s like we are showing that person we see them as they truly are, it’s like we are showing them that they matter to us, that they have value to us.  

 But of course, there is more to it than that. In our world, there is some strategy in knowing names. It’s not just that you remember a person’s name… it’s whose name you know that matters.

 If I walk into a restaurant, come up to the host, and name drop the owner I’ll get much different treatment than if I come up and name drop the busboy. 

 And so, we all seek to know people who can benefit us, who can help us climb the ladder, who can help improve our lives. We play the name game, and seek relationships that will increase our social status and ensure our success in the structures our world.

 With all this name conversation in the background, let’s look again at the parable Jesus tells in our scripture today that we just heard.

 There are two main characters in the story, do you remember their names? There is Lazarus, a poor beggar who sits at the closed gate of a rich man’s house. This person whose only friends were dogs that would come to lick his sores. And then there’s the other character, the rich man who owned the house, this person who lived in the lap of luxury, who feasted every day and spent his wealth on opulence and extravagance… what was his name?

 It’s a trick question of course… In this story Jesus is telling, this parable meant to illustrate God’s kingdom, the new reality in which we are called to live. Jesus right from the get-go flips our expectations on our head. In the upside-down world of the gospel… it is the poor who are named, the marginalized and oppressed ones who are suffering in this life who are valued and given personhood and seated at the feet of God in the next. Jesus knows Lazarus’ name

 It is a story that is meant to challenge the deeply rooted structures of our world which are unjust. It’s supposed to cause us to question a reality where we can live our life with the poor at our gates, and in our communities and be so disconnected that we never even know who these people, these beloved children of God are.

It’s a challenging story, a story that Jesus tells to stir us and provoke us out of our place of comfort and complacency. And frankly, it’s meant to cause trouble so that we feel moved to change.

 The rich unnamed man in the next life is tormented by how he lived in this life. He desperately wishes he could go back with a do-over, he wants to go back and change his ways, or at the very least warn his friends and family so that they might still have a chance to change. 

 It’s not an opportunity that he is given, but the underlying take away Jesus wants us to hear is that, we in this life still have a chance to change. We still have a chance to hear this ancient message from God that has echoed through Generations of prophets calling us to open our gates, to be in relationship with the poor and the suffering. To know their name, to see their personhood and individuality, to know their struggle and identify their pain and then, out of love…. Do something about it.

 Sermons often have a concrete lesson for us to apply in our life, something that we are called to think about or do as we leave church and return to our week. Here is what I am taking home.

 A year from now, I am going to challenge myself to take that little test again. I am sure the names of those billionaires and celebrities will still be easy to recall, but my hope is that next year, when I ask myself that second question of how many people I know who are poor, who are marginalized, who are oppressed, who are right at the gate of my life…

I’ll be able to pull up just as many of those names. Because it will mean that I have opened up the gate, that I’ve chose not to ignore those people anymore, but instead have chosen to go out and be in relationship with them just as God, in Christ, has called all of us to do.

 May it be so,

Amen.

We welcome all who worship here this morning!

 WE GATHER IN AWE AND PRAISE

PRELUDE            

INTROIT                                   “For Everyone Born”                                      Brian Mann                                                                                                           

*CALL TO WORSHIP                                                               Rev. Trip Porch                

           One:  The Lord Says: When they call to me, I will answer them. 

All: I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue and honor them. 

One: With thanksgiving and praise, let us worship God.                                             

*HYMN No. 307           “God of Grace and God of Glory”                    CWM RHONDAA

*PRAYER OF CONFESSION                                                                   Annabelle Brown

God of justice and righteousness, you lift up the lowly and fill the empty; yet we

adore the high and the mighty. You reach out to the poor; yet we ceaselessly

pursue wealth. You talk about treasure in heaven; yet we want dollars in our

accounts right now. Correct our misguided ways. Forgive our lack of generosity.

Free us from striving for more and more. Change our hearts so that we can tend

to things that matter and find our life in Jesus Christ.  

Silent prayers of confession are offered.

*ASSURANCE OF PARDON

*RESPONSE OF PRAISE # 695     “Change My Heart, O God”            CHANGE MY HEART     

*PASSING OF THE PEACE                                       

         One:   The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all,

All:      And also with you.

  WE LISTEN FOR GOD’S WORD

ANTHEM               “Hymn of Promise”                        Natalie Sleeth                       

CHLDREN’S MESSAGE                                                                                 Ruth Harold          

PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION

SCRIPTURE: Luke 16:19–31 

“There was a certain rich man who clothed himself in purple and fine linen, and who

feasted luxuriously every day. At his gate lay a certain poor man named Lazarus who

was covered with sores. Lazarus longed to eat the crumbs that fell from the rich

man’s table. Instead, dogs would come and lick his sores.

 “The poor man died and was carried by angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man

also died and was buried. While being tormented in the place of the dead, he looked

up and saw Abraham at a distance with Lazarus at his side. He shouted, ‘Father

Abraham, have mercy on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and

cool my tongue, because I’m suffering in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child,

remember that during your lifetime you received good things, whereas Lazarus

received terrible things. Now Lazarus is being comforted and you are in great pain.

Moreover, a great crevasse has been fixed between us and you. Those who wish to

cross over from here to you cannot. Neither can anyone cross from there to us.’

 “The rich man said, ‘Then I beg you, Father, send Lazarus to my father’s house. I have

five brothers. He needs to warn them so that they don’t come to this place of agony.’

Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets. They must listen to them.’ The

rich man said, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone from the dead goes to them,

they will change their hearts and lives.’ Abraham said, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses

and the Prophets, then neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.’”

  Holy Wisdom, Holy Word

Thanks be to God                                                                                                                                                

SERMON    Rev. Trip Porch                                              

HYMN NO. 762                  “Cuando El Pobre” (When the Poor Ones)              EL CAMINO                         

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH

THE LORD’S PRAYER

TIME OF OFFERING                                                      

*OFFERTORY RESPONSE #596                       “You Are Holy”                                                    DU ÄR HELIG 

*PRAYER OF DEDICATION

We give you thanks and praise, generous God, for every good gift that comes

from your hand: for food and clothing, for life and health, for family and friends,

above all for the treasure of your grace. Make us rich in good works, generous

and ready to share; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

 *HYMN NO. 773                            “Heaven Shall not Wait”                                       HEAVEN SHALL NOT WAIT

TIME OF COMMUNITY SHARING          

CHARGE AND BENEDICTION

BENEDICTION RESPONSE                            “For Everyone Born”                                                Brian Mann

POSTLUDE                         

Acknowledgments: Unless otherwise indicated, all texts and music are printed and broadcast under OneLicense.net license #A-702452

WORSHIP LEADERS

Pastor – Rev. Trip Porch

Liturgist – Annabelle Brown

Children’s Message – Ruth Harold

 MUSIC LEADERS

Chancel Choir

Organist – Orlay Alonso

Director of Music – Christopher Dent

Assoc. Director of Music – Ariel  Alvarado

**Women’s Christcare will have their first meeting tomorrow, Monday September, 26 at 10:00 am. They will be meeting in Thompson Lounge.

The CROP walk for hunger is scheduled - Sunday, Oct 9 following worship.
Join our team and walk with us (in person or virtually) in order to raise money to fight hunger! Set your own commitment and share with your family and friends.  2022 CROP Hunger Walk - Indianola Presbyterian Church