04-09-21

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING
April 9, 2021
Scripture: Luke 12:15
And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”

Thought for the Day: As I was preparing for this Sunday’s sermon, I did a quick search to see how others might answer the question, “What does the Bible say about the meaning of life”? Of course, there was stuff all over the place, but one website gave a list of a dozen of the most important passages in the Bible for learning the meaning of life. Number four on the list was this passage from Luke’s Gospel. Now I would be among the first to join the voices of those who say that greed is a significant problem in our world, and the followers of Jesus need to make sure we are not overly obsessed with possessions. But for me, this passage from Luke’s Gospel (along with some others that were mentioned in the list) attempts to describe the meaning of life by telling folks what they should not do. There is a time and place for that, but I would think the “Good News” – with emphasis on the word “Good” – would want to begin with what we promote and encourage, not what we oppose. I would think it would be helpful to point people in the direction of where we want to go, not what we want to avoid… at least as a starting place. I am going to say something that others might disagree with, but I believe a lot of what has hindered the Christian message in the last hundred years is our obsession with telling people what not to do instead of sharing what is possible in life through love.

Prayer: Connect me anew, Lord God, to the beauty of your life-giving message. Let me hear it again; embrace it once more; share it with new fervor. There are some things I do need to be cautious about, but they most often fall inline when I focus myself on your unconditional love. Amen.

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