Humbling Ourselves Before God

The Message

*Note: There is no sermon recording today because we will be spending most of the sermon time in discussion groups.

Does it ever feel to you like our society has shifted from a “we” society to a “me” society?

It should. A while back, Google released a searchable database of 5.2 million books published since 1500.

Researchers quickly discovered that, between 1960 and 2008, individualistic words increasingly overshadowed communal ones.

The usage of “kindness” and “helpfulness” dropped by 56%.
 
The words “modesty” and “humbleness” dropped by 52%.

Our language is a reflection of our lives. Phrases like “community” and “common good” have been overshadowed in popularity by phrases like “I can do it myself” and “I come first.”

In essence, we’ve moved from “we” to “me.” And I suspect that many of you have noticed this shift throughout your lifetime.

It is not overly surprising.
 
Today’s scripture passage from 1 Peter says, “be humble in the presence of God’s mighty power, and he will honor you when the time comes. God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to him.”

The virtue of humility seems to be increasingly lost in our “me, me, me” society. And along with it, compassion seems to be reduced, as well.

For those who are wondering, humility can be defined as “the quiet, powerful practice of recognizing one's own limitations, valuing others, and putting ego aside.”
 
What I would like to do today, since it’s been a while since we have had a chance to have some dedicated conversations with one another, is I would like to share a short story with you and then have you break into discussion groups.

I know that some of you really enjoy this – especially those of you who find fellowship time to be overwhelming and prefer 1:1 conversations.

And I know that some of you grin and bear it. ☺ 

But, I hope you will find some value in being in conversation with one another today as we talk about compassion and humility in community.
 
I’ll share a short story with you, and then I’ll keep the questions on the screen for you to discuss.

I encourage you to find a person to talk with who you do not talk with often.

You can get into small groups of 2-3 for this conversation so that you can have some good time to discuss together.

Please be back in the sanctuary in 15 minutes if you choose to go elsewhere to talk.

I’ll ring my singing bowl to bring us back together.
 
Here is the short story I’d like to share with you:

“In the late 70s, two Buddhist monks -- Rev. Heng Sure and Heng Chau -- began a mind-blowing bowing pilgrimage along the California coastline.

For 900 miles, they would walk three steps and take one full bow to the ground.

Their practice was to meet everything as a reflection of their mind and rebound it with a heart of love.
 
One day, crossing through a rough neighborhood in LA, they found themselves surrounded by a bunch of gang members.

One of them threw down a trash can, removed the rod connecting the can with its lid, and threateningly started screeching that rod around the side of the trash can.

It was as if he was sharpening his blade and signaling the impending fate of the monk’s head. Other friends egged him on with a menacing chant.
 
As Rev. Heng Sure would later write in his journals, “All the hair of my body stood up in fear.”

Yet his commitment was to unconditional compassion: no matter what you bring to this moment, I bow to the goodness in you. May you be blessed.

And so he humbly went for that final bow at the teenager’s feet.

His would-be attacker’s fist was raised in the air poised to strike, but he froze.
 
Completely froze.

Others around him fell silent.

Imagine if you’re about to pummel someone and he bows to you with great compassion.

The monks continued bowing right past the dumbstruck gang.”

So, my questions to you today are these:
 
Considering our definition of humility: the quiet, powerful practice of recognizing one's own limitations, valuing others, and putting ego aside.

AND,

The story of the monks and their incredible humility and compassion,
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What does having humility and compassion mean to you, and how can you apply these lessons to your life? Do you have any stories to share about humbling yourself in your own life? What does it mean to humble yourself before God?
 
Let us pray:
 
Loving and gracious God, help us to humble ourselves before you. Help us to understand what that means. Help us to set aside our own egos - the personas we have created to protect ourselves - such that we can open ourselves fully to a relationship with you and with others. God, help us to bring more compassion into the world, and help us to work toward a “we” society instead of a “me” society. In your holy and loving name, we pray. Amen.

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