During this service, Rev Derwyn changed the order of things slightly. Rather than have what would have normally been the hymn of reflection sung after the sermon, he had the congregation sing the hymn just before the sermon. The reason for this is because the lyrics of the hymn illustrate the point of the sermon and he referred to the hymn often.
It seems to be a rather common human tendency to make someone look worse than they are in order to make our hero look better. We see this happen in the hymn and in how we tend to read this week's Gospel passage. Rev Derwyn encourages us to consider that the generosity of various people, the beauty of Christ, and the goodness of God all stand on their own; there is no need for a character foil or villain to make them look better. These good things stand on their own, and we would do well to remember that, as this more positive approach is what will be seen in all we say and do as followers of Christ. If we don't, then the negative comparison is what will be seen more often than not...and that would not be good news.
