Proper 26C (Luke 19:1-10)  10/31/2010

The cold weather has returned, many houses are surrounded with cobwebs and scary decorations, and the wonderful Pipescreams concert was held this past Friday: all reminders that tonight is Halloween. Preparing for Halloween prompts us to consider the all important question – what costume should I wear; or in other words, what or who should I transform myself in to for one night of fun? Many years ago when my son was in the first grade he had great difficulty in deciding on his costume. Having exhausted all hope that his parents would be of any help to him, he decided to visit our neighbor across the street. Seeking guidance for the perfect costume, he asked our neighbor what his favorite costume was when he was a young boy – Batman was the answer he received. After thinking a bit about that idea, he asked, “well, what other costumes did you wear?” Batman, that was the only answer…when our neighbor was a young boy he was Batman for 5 or 6 years in a row. Unfortunately, his answer did not prove very useful in helping my son determine his final costume choice. Who should I transform myself to become – he was still faced with a big dilemma.

This morning, we hear that Zacchaeus was also faced with a big dilemma in his life. Continue reading →