A Sermon
for the 13th Sunday after Pentecost (RCL A) 9-11-2011
Offered by
Nathan Ferrell for Trinity Episcopal Shared Ministry
Texts: Exodus
14:19-31; Psalm 114; Matthew 18:21-35
Themes: deliverance
from Egypt, anger and forgiveness
Children’s Sermon
Good morning! Do you know what day it is
today?
That’s right. Today is Kick-Off Sunday,
because you guys are starting a new school year, and we are beginning a new
year of Church School here, and because the football season is kicking off!
Today is also the day that we are
remembering the horrible attacks upon our country 10 years ago.
And so today we need to talk about two
things: anger and forgiveness.
Did any of you hear this story that I
just read which Jesus told about anger and forgiveness?
Here was a servant who had borrowed a
lot of money from his master – nearly $100 million dollars! His master wanted
it back, and there was no way that he could do it. So the master ordered that
he and his entire family be sold into slavery to pay it back! But he begged and
pleaded for more time and he promised that he would pay it back eventually.
Then when he was leaving, that servant
met another fellow servant who owed him about $200 dollars, and he was angry
because he wanted his money!
Can someone show me your angry face? "Rrrr, I want my money!" That's what this fellow said. (BTW, I had to use my angry face a few days ago when I made some sausage for breakfast. But I walked out of the room, and when I came back, the sausage was gone! And my dogs were just coming down off of the table! So I had to use my angry voice and say, "Rrrr, who ate my sausage!?")
Well, people saw all of this happen, and
they went back and told the master. Now, the master had been very patient and
kind, and when he heard that this servant had been so cruel and nasty to
another of his servants, guess who else was angry?
That’s right. The master was angry. And
so he punished that mean and nasty servant after all.
Sometimes it’s right to be angry, especially when we see people being mistreated, but we
must always be ready to forgive.
A lot of people were angry 10 years ago
when Sept. 11th happened.
2,973 people were killed here – in New York City and in
Virginia and in Pennsylvania - in the attacks on Sept. 11th .
But then we have to let it go. If
someone hurts us, we cannot stay angry at them forever. We have to forgive
them, because we hurt God and God forgives us! Always!
God always forgives us, and that makes
us want to forgive others as well!
So, to help you to remember this message
about anger and forgiveness, I have a present for each one of you. It’s a
little football, and as you watch the Eagles play today, you can have your
little football with you.
Do you remember your angry face? That’s
what everyone has to have when they play football!
It’s right to be angry when you play
football, because you need to be tougher and stronger than the other team, and
you need to push them around. So remember that sometimes it is alright to be
angry.
But when the game is over, then the
players let their anger go. They can even get together with the other team
after the game and pray together! Have you seen that? Some players from both
sides will get together to give thanks that they were kept safe, and they will
pray for the ones who got hurt.
So I want you to remember that, when the
time is right, you need to let go of your anger and learn to forgive those who
were your enemies. Just like they do in football. OK! Can you do that?
Praise God! Thank you for following
Jesus along with me and learning from him how to forgive. Amen.
8:46 AM – Flight 11 crashed into the
North Tower
9:03 AM – Flight 175 crashed into the
South Tower
9:37 AM – Crash of Flight 77 into the
Pentagon
10:03 – Crash of Flight 93 in
Schenksville, PA
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