July 20, 2008 (Ruth Enns)

Ruth spoke about the parables of humility. She reminded us that the rights and freedoms that our society provides us with can cause us to focus too much on self-reliance and competition. The mass media preach self-promotion in a "me-first" world where humility is stereotypically associated with humiliation and depression. The parables of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector demonstrated how admitting one's shortcoming was valued over pious acts. The parable of the banker and the much-forgiven debtors was used to celebrate the beautfil action of the woman who washed Jesus' feet in gratitude. [[ SPOILER ALERT: parallels made with plot elements of the movie "Sex and the City" are in the recording from mm:ss 12:15-13:15 ]] Parenting is a lesson in humility, as is caring for the aging or infirm. Humility is not an excuse with withdraw in a sense of lowliness, but to recognize our limitations and attempt to value and understand the people we encounter -- even in our busy and crowded world. [KJH] Listen to the sermon audio MP3 recording from Sunday July 20th, 2008 using your browser's preferred media player.