"To God Be the Glory" - Luke 17:11-19 - October 14, 2001

In the last several weeks church attendance has been higher than normal. On the one hand we normally experience an increase in the fall. On the other hand even more are coming because our nation is in a crisis. When more folks participate in worship there is additional energy in our midst. The spirit of the congregation is lifted since the singing is louder and there is fellowship taking place, above and beyond the norm. It lifts my spirit too, knowing that greater numbers of people are hearing the word of God and participating in the community of faith.

Someone asked me if I felt good about the increased attendance. "Of course I said, but I really anticipated even more." Where are they, I wonder? How could people ignore the opportunity of worship in such perilous time? Do they not see the need to give God any praise?

After Jesus had healed the ten lepers of this dreadful disease only one returned to thank him. Before he said anything to him Jesus turned to his disciples and said, "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Sounds like Jesus too had higher expectations. He expressed his disappointment as to the ungratefulness of the those who took their healing for granted.

There was a movie that aired on television recently called, "City of Angels." In the movie there is a doctor, played by Megan Ryan, whose name is "Maggie." During heart surgery her patient dies. She is devastated and feels guilty that she was unable to save the man’s life. She finally realizes that she is not totally in control of her patient’s fate, that there is a power greater than herself who is involved. Later in the movie she is able to help an infant and ultimately heal him. Only this time she acknowledges that God was involved.

Perhaps we live in a world where people really don’t believe that God has anything to do with healing us or making us whole. Have we become so cynical that the majority of society believes that human beings are the soul master of their fate? If that is the case are we not like the other nine lepers in the story who got what they wanted, but didn’t bother to give God any credit for their new found wholeness?

This is a story about humility. This is a story about being grateful. This is also a story about breaking away from the norm, acknowledging God as the source of our very existence.

When the one leper returned to Jesus he "praised God with a loud voice," and "fell on his face at his feet." It was far more than a "thank you" or a "thumbs up." This was an act of humility. The man passionately acknowledged God as the source of his wholeness. This was a sincere act of genuine adoration for God. The man both verbally and non-verbally humbled himself.

I am reminded of John’s words when he states, "I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth." (Rev. 3:15-16) Where is the passion when it comes to acknowledging God as the source of our being? We are quick to blame God when things go wrong but seldom do we praise God when things are going right.

Darryl Dawkins went straight from a high school in Orlando, Florida, to play professional basketball in the late 1970s for the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA. He quickly became famous for his Godzilla approach to basketball. With his 6'11" frame and 265 pounds of muscle, Dawkins developed a patented "Gorilla Dunk" that sometimes shattered the glass backboard in arenas; he was affectionately called "Chocolate Thunder."

Even though Dawkins became a millionaire, he would sometimes go back to Orlando during the summer to work at Charlie (Pop) Caperilla's tire shop. Why would a wealthy professional athlete work eight hours a day changing, stacking and delivering tires for $2.50 an hour? "It's because of Pop," Dawkins said, "I work at the shop because I owe a lot to Pop," Dawkins said. When I was in high school, when I was financially beat, Mr. Caperilla did things for me that people never knew about. My family never had a car, so Pop let me use his on weekends. And he got me a job here when I needed one." Dawkins' father had left home 15 years before. "The job Pop gave me helped my family survive when I was in high school. Now, I wanna help out Pop."

As big as his body was, Dawkins' heart was even bigger because it was filled with gratitude for all that "Pop" Caperilla had done for him. If thankfulness is anything, it is remembering how the Lord and people have cared about us, and then expressing our appreciation for what they have provided for us. (Jerry Fuller OMI)

God wants to be thanked and God wants us to be passionate believers who are willing to be on fire for our faith. The one leper who returned stood alone. Unlike the other nine who continued on, taking God for granted, this man broke away from the rest of the crowd to give homage.

Recently I was surfing on the Internet and found a site that would tell you about your high-school classmates. I found one of my old friends in the band. He and I sat next to one another in the trumpet section. He was first chair most of the time while I was in second. This particular web site gave alumni a place to make comments about their life. My friend made the comment, "In case you are wondering I am still a nerd."

He was a brilliant trumpet player and I always admired his ability. But, he was different. He was a non-conformist, one who didn’t always go along with the rest of society. On the one hand I was jealous of him but on the other I admired the way he could live his life uninfluenced by what was popular or "normal."

What the one leper did was not normal. For millionaire Darryl Dawkins to return to "Pops" garage and work for $2.50 day was not normal. God wants us to humble ourselves and break away from the status quo. God wants to be worshipped and adored. God wants us to be grateful for all God does.

Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio