Sin, what sin?

I haven't yet figured out how to make a sermon archive so bear with me. I'll include sermons once in a while as posts here although I will re-edit them somewhat (they tend to be a bit long). Here's the first one which is from last Sunday. It deals with sin and forgiveness.

Sin, what?

Both the media and the churches themselves very often fall into the trap of only talking about sinful actions. Huge horrible words are used to describe them. For the most part since sex is something that seems to interest just about all, sins that have to do with it fascinate most. And yet my thesis is: our actions really are not the actual problem. The problem lies in our heart and more specifically in our attitudes.
Sin is one of those words that seems to have lost a lot of its meaning. Ice cream is advertised with the seven deadly sins. A multitude of things are sinfully wonderful be it lingerie, chocolate or hair conditioner.

The problem is, sin is neither wonderful nor has it any redeeming qualities. It is unfortunately a part of the human condition, but it is the part that was not originally supposed to be there - at all. God did not create us to be sinful. To put is simply sin is quite simply all of that which comes in between us and God. There is nothing wonderful about that.

Now, actions are a minor part of the sin syndrome. By far the biggest problem is our attitude. The very same one that cannot see God’s work when it’s being performed right in front of one's eyes like in our Gospel reading today. (Which, incidentally, was Luke 11: 14-23.) The basic fact is that it is from our attitudes that actions are born.

We may value truth and beauty and yet, it doesn’t seem to show in our lives. We make calculated choices when it comes to others, money, work - everything. We get sentimental when we really ought to show compassion and do something. We go along with mean and ugly thoughts, actions and words because it’s easier than going against them. Facing truth is often times the very last thing we want to be doing and half-truth serves us fine. Other times we’re convinced that we know it all and those questioning our truth are just plain stupid. We know better.
Artificial life seems more real than our actual lives. We let it determine what we consider beautiful, worth striving for. And to top it off we let it creep into our life of worship by looking for big feelings and yet more feelings. We suffer when people are insincere to us and yet we turn around and do the very same. We hate hollow words and gestures but what is it we find ourselves doing? It seems to be so much simpler than being genuine and caring.
All of us are more often dull, pompous or rude to others than we'd like to admit. And gossip is just a part of any community right? We get cynical not only about others but about politics, schools, health care and at the end of the day about all of the world. And, so, we start to become intolerant to others and what is even worse we get indifferent. “Aids, global warming, wars, famine. Horrible things of course but what am I supposed to do?” we find ourselves thinking. We allow desperation to creep in and don’t even try to stop it.
Since things are fine or at least not too bad in our lives we get satisfied with things the way they are. The church is not really what I’d want but I’m just a spectator anyway so let it slide. And the world, well, things could be worse couldn’t they. Only, the thing is that for many they really are – much, much worse.
I has become much more important than we and so, I get selfish, I indulge myself and at times when life shows it’s nastier side I happily allow myself to crawl into a huge hole of self-pity. We know of course that we should be interested and concerned for the needs of the poor, so we fake it. We may try to mean good but honestly, we fake it. We confuse faith with good feeling and blame God when it turns out that it isn’t so. And we hurt ourselves and others time after time with relationships that are based on our need to be loved but not on actual love.
All of this and everything else in our mindset that hides God’s light in our lives; this is what the big problem is. It is the minute raise of an eyebrow to make someone feel that you are superior to them or a smirk on your face that destroys the other one’s confidence. That is where our problems start. At home, at school, at our place of work.
We as Christians and as God’s beloved need to stop pretending that we can do it all; be faithful, sinless and perfect. We cannot. If we could, Jesus would have died for no reason at all. Sin is a part of who we are and we really needed to be forgiven. We need to be forgiven. And we will continue to need to be forgiven. That is why we pray for forgiveness in every service and that is why God gave us Holy Communion. So that we would not only hear the words of forgiveness but become one with God’s Son and God’s forgiveness in the bread and the wine.
As Lutherans we believe that we are at the same time holy and sinful. So much of this sermon has been about our sinfulness that what needs to be emphasized is this: we ARE holy at the very same time as we are sinners. We are forgiven and will be forgiven. We are loved. We are accepted exactly as we are and there is nothing God wants more than to continue making our lives and us even more holy. So, be not afraid but stand in front of God at awe with His love toward you, dare to look at your sin as it is and then filled with trust to God ask for forgiveness and accept that you are forgiven.
Standing in God’s presence means standing in the presence of truth and love. There is nothing He does not already know and yet it does not stop Him from loving us and never, ever will. As you accept forgiveness you need to remember that you have to forgive yourself, too. You do not get to condemn yourself, quite simply because God himself does not choose to do so. We are forgiven; thoroughly, wonderfully and absolutely. Remember that.
Therefore, God’s beloved, be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Live as children of light— for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.