***Ecclesiastes 11***
The author of Ecclesiastes would make a good financial planner. It is good to diversify one's investments... in more than just 7 or 8 things.
We spend our lives building wealth so that when we get older we can retire and enjoy life without worrying about work and finances. It's important to invest our money in such a way that it grows steadily with low risk.
So of course it is good to be diversified.
It is also good to share the gospel of Jesus Christ in many places, to invest in many people, because we never know who is going to soar and who isn't.
I became a member of St. John Lutheran Church in Romeo, MI in 1988, 23 years ago. My pastor, Pastor Mark came the same year. One of his many gifts was his ability to relate to youth. He was great with us, and he loved every kid. He has seen hundreds of kids go through that church, some have left the faith, some go to church every Sunday, and one is a pastor. But he treated every kid the same. He invested in people.
We should too. That is what it means to make disciples.
But in the end, there can be no diversification. Our hope is not in many things but one God. It is Christ alone that saves us... not a mutual fund.
***Ecclesiastes 12***
"Remember God in your youth"
Our denomination has a vacuum where the young people should be. We have a lot of people 40+, but not many 15-40. (I'm not saying 40 is old, I'm just saying it's not considered "youth" anymore)
Let it be said... or typed... THE CHURCH HAS FAILED THE YOUTH.
The youth aren't interested in church because of the church.
I worked for 2 years at Jacob's Porch, which is the Lutheran campus ministry at Ohio State. I promise you there are youth who want to know Jesus... there are youth who want to live out His commandments of love and make a difference, but the church hasn't given them the opportunity,
Lutheran worship and theology is great, but we need to do something with it that makes the world a better place. That is what the youth are interested in.
Set aside the politics of church and re-focus on the purpose of church.
Remember... the church of Jesus Christ does not have a mission... the mission of Jesus Christ has a church... every decision should be made with that in mind.
************************************************
We are officially done with Ecclesiastes! Tomorrow we will read Philemon. It is near the middle of the New Testament and it is only one chapter long. Page 1106 if you have the same bible I do.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Ecclesiastes 9 & 10
***Ecclesiastes 9***
Today is Ash Wednesday, a day when we are reminded that we will all one day return to dust. It says in Genesis 2:7 that God made man from the dust of the ground and science has proven that when we are die our bodies slowly return to dust... or we can speed up that process and be cremated.
Dust...
I hate dust, but no matter what I do I can't stop it from collecting on my furniture in my house. That's what dust does, it finds a place to settle and stays until something wipes it away.
The author of Ecclesiastes believes that just like dust, we find a place to settle and stay until something wipes us away... it may be war, disease, famine... anything really.
And just like the dust on my dresser we do not control when our end comes. Death is certain, for some it comes way too early and for others it waits... but it comes for all.
The verses from Ecclesiastes 9 that jumps at me today is verse 7-9... eat your food with gladness, drink your wine with a joyful heart and enjoy life with your wife, whom you love.
Take time to enjoy the small things. Eat your favorite food often and don't get so obsessed with work that you forget to be in love with someone.
Because we never know when the rag is coming.
But we have hope that the rag is not the end.
***Ecclesiastes 10***
I don't know about you but I am ready to be done with Ecclesiastes. Up until now work and wealth were meaningless, now a house leaks because of laziness and money is the answer for everything! Make up your mind!
What really sticks out to me is verse 4, "calmness can lay great offenses to rest."
So often we react in haste without thinking about the consequences of our actions. We mis-read what someone is trying to say and respond inappropriately, starting a conflict when one wasn't necessary.
The great majority of conflicts could be resolved if we learned to communicate better, and we comminucate our best when we are calm.
This verse reminds me of the Cuban Missle Crisis and President Kennedy taking 13 days to remain calm and make the best decision possible... and avoiding nuclear war.
The same concept holds true for our relationships. Chances are you have surrounded yourself with good people, people who you trust and care for.
But all people say and do stupid things. Expect that of others and yourself. If we can learn to not overreact, we can forgive and build stronger relationships.
But who knows, maybe money is the answer to everything! (I can't believe the bible says that)
Today is Ash Wednesday, a day when we are reminded that we will all one day return to dust. It says in Genesis 2:7 that God made man from the dust of the ground and science has proven that when we are die our bodies slowly return to dust... or we can speed up that process and be cremated.
Dust...
I hate dust, but no matter what I do I can't stop it from collecting on my furniture in my house. That's what dust does, it finds a place to settle and stays until something wipes it away.
The author of Ecclesiastes believes that just like dust, we find a place to settle and stay until something wipes us away... it may be war, disease, famine... anything really.
And just like the dust on my dresser we do not control when our end comes. Death is certain, for some it comes way too early and for others it waits... but it comes for all.
The verses from Ecclesiastes 9 that jumps at me today is verse 7-9... eat your food with gladness, drink your wine with a joyful heart and enjoy life with your wife, whom you love.
Take time to enjoy the small things. Eat your favorite food often and don't get so obsessed with work that you forget to be in love with someone.
Because we never know when the rag is coming.
But we have hope that the rag is not the end.
***Ecclesiastes 10***
I don't know about you but I am ready to be done with Ecclesiastes. Up until now work and wealth were meaningless, now a house leaks because of laziness and money is the answer for everything! Make up your mind!
What really sticks out to me is verse 4, "calmness can lay great offenses to rest."
So often we react in haste without thinking about the consequences of our actions. We mis-read what someone is trying to say and respond inappropriately, starting a conflict when one wasn't necessary.
The great majority of conflicts could be resolved if we learned to communicate better, and we comminucate our best when we are calm.
This verse reminds me of the Cuban Missle Crisis and President Kennedy taking 13 days to remain calm and make the best decision possible... and avoiding nuclear war.
The same concept holds true for our relationships. Chances are you have surrounded yourself with good people, people who you trust and care for.
But all people say and do stupid things. Expect that of others and yourself. If we can learn to not overreact, we can forgive and build stronger relationships.
But who knows, maybe money is the answer to everything! (I can't believe the bible says that)
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Ecclesiastes 8
***Ecclesiastes 8***
Why do bad things happen to good people?
I think every one of us has been frustrsated in the same way the author of Ecclesiastes was in chapter 8. The wicked get what the righteous deserve and the righteous get what the wicked deserve.
Sometimes it just doesn't seem fair.
The truth is this... we are all bad people. That's what sin is, it corrupts us and we are stained by it. Sure, there are some people that are better than others, but no one is righteous. We may be good Christians 23 hours and 45 minutes per day, but there is still that 15 minutes where we give someone the finger for cutting us off, or we do not show proper respect to our parents, or we lust after that person or that new thing that our friend has that we have to have now.
We are all in the same boat when it comes to our ability to be righteous.
On Sunday I was ordained. It was a magical day. Hundreds of friends and family came to be a part of the worship and stayed for the dinner. There was so much love pouring out... it was humbling and overwhelming. All the while I kept thinking to myself "I don't deserve this." There is no way that I could have earned the love that I was given on Sunday.
That is why grace is such good news. Grace, by definition can not be earned, only given.
The question we should be asking is "why do good things happen to bad people (us)?"
Because of grace. Every gift we have been given is a sign of grace. And there is no greater sign of grace than this "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, so that those who believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life"
We are only righteous because He is righteous. We are saved because He saved us.
Why do bad things happen to good people?
I think every one of us has been frustrsated in the same way the author of Ecclesiastes was in chapter 8. The wicked get what the righteous deserve and the righteous get what the wicked deserve.
Sometimes it just doesn't seem fair.
The truth is this... we are all bad people. That's what sin is, it corrupts us and we are stained by it. Sure, there are some people that are better than others, but no one is righteous. We may be good Christians 23 hours and 45 minutes per day, but there is still that 15 minutes where we give someone the finger for cutting us off, or we do not show proper respect to our parents, or we lust after that person or that new thing that our friend has that we have to have now.
We are all in the same boat when it comes to our ability to be righteous.
On Sunday I was ordained. It was a magical day. Hundreds of friends and family came to be a part of the worship and stayed for the dinner. There was so much love pouring out... it was humbling and overwhelming. All the while I kept thinking to myself "I don't deserve this." There is no way that I could have earned the love that I was given on Sunday.
That is why grace is such good news. Grace, by definition can not be earned, only given.
The question we should be asking is "why do good things happen to bad people (us)?"
Because of grace. Every gift we have been given is a sign of grace. And there is no greater sign of grace than this "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, so that those who believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life"
We are only righteous because He is righteous. We are saved because He saved us.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Ecclesiastes 6 & 7
***Ecclesiastes 6***
Back in 2002 I was lucky enough to go build houses in Fiji with Habitat for Humanity. Preparing for the trip was a long process. I had to raise money, get shots and get a passport. But what I couldn't prepare for was the way the trip was going to change me. I knew that I was going to be in a village with some of the poorest people in the world, and I was going to feel sorry for them for the rest of my life.
Then I went. And I was right, the people were very poor. The water they drank was rain collected from their corrugated steel roof. But they had something that Americans don't... real community. Every night they would gather as a family to eat dinner, sing songs and tell stories. The same way that their family had done everyday for generations and generations... aunts, uncles, moms, dads, grandparents, kids... everyday.
When I left Fiji, I wasn't feeling sorry for them, but I was feeling sorry for us. I love my family... but I don't get to see them very often. I live in Texas, my sister lives in Atlanta, and my other sister and parents live near Detroit. I have an uncle in Denver, an aunt in Memphis, cousins in Orlando, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Denver, Minneapoils, North Carolina and Memphis... and a whole bunch of family still in Detroit. We have lived so far apart for so long that some have become like strangers to me.
They have nothing, but they are happy because they have each other. We have big TV's, big houses and big cars... we have wealth, posessions and honor...but in the end who really has more?
***Ecclesiastes 7***
"It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person than to listen to the song of fools."
When I worked for Chrysler, my territory was Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire and my office was in Boston. I traveled a lot around the northeast and met a ton of good people. I noticed that the people who live in the northeast are different than the people who live in the south, they are more blunt.
People in the south are gentle and kind. People in the northeast are honest and blunt. I read a book by Ernie Harwell, he was the longtime voice of the Detroit Tigers and he was from Georgia. He wrote in his book that it was more important to be kind than it was to be right.
The truth is, we like people to say what we want to hear... even if its not the truth. Often times, we don't want to hear the truth, we don't want to know what someone is really thinking because it might hurt our feelings. Often times we mistake the truth for meanness.
But in the end, all that matters is the truth. Studies have shown that divorce rates are much lower in the northeast than they are in the south. The only communication that matters in marriages and in life is the truth. (There is no evidence that people in the northeast tell the truth more often than people in the south, it is only my experience and I realize I am painting with a really broad brush and divorce rates may have nothing to do with anything, but it's my blog and I think it's an interesting point)
If we tell people only what they want to hear then we are playing the role of the fool. And if we only listen to what we want to hear then we are a fool.
Don't play the fool and don't let yourself be fooled. Instead tell the truth in love and demand others to do the same for you. Otherwise, communication is meaningless.
See you on Tuesday!
Back in 2002 I was lucky enough to go build houses in Fiji with Habitat for Humanity. Preparing for the trip was a long process. I had to raise money, get shots and get a passport. But what I couldn't prepare for was the way the trip was going to change me. I knew that I was going to be in a village with some of the poorest people in the world, and I was going to feel sorry for them for the rest of my life.
Then I went. And I was right, the people were very poor. The water they drank was rain collected from their corrugated steel roof. But they had something that Americans don't... real community. Every night they would gather as a family to eat dinner, sing songs and tell stories. The same way that their family had done everyday for generations and generations... aunts, uncles, moms, dads, grandparents, kids... everyday.
When I left Fiji, I wasn't feeling sorry for them, but I was feeling sorry for us. I love my family... but I don't get to see them very often. I live in Texas, my sister lives in Atlanta, and my other sister and parents live near Detroit. I have an uncle in Denver, an aunt in Memphis, cousins in Orlando, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Denver, Minneapoils, North Carolina and Memphis... and a whole bunch of family still in Detroit. We have lived so far apart for so long that some have become like strangers to me.
They have nothing, but they are happy because they have each other. We have big TV's, big houses and big cars... we have wealth, posessions and honor...but in the end who really has more?
***Ecclesiastes 7***
"It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person than to listen to the song of fools."
When I worked for Chrysler, my territory was Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire and my office was in Boston. I traveled a lot around the northeast and met a ton of good people. I noticed that the people who live in the northeast are different than the people who live in the south, they are more blunt.
People in the south are gentle and kind. People in the northeast are honest and blunt. I read a book by Ernie Harwell, he was the longtime voice of the Detroit Tigers and he was from Georgia. He wrote in his book that it was more important to be kind than it was to be right.
The truth is, we like people to say what we want to hear... even if its not the truth. Often times, we don't want to hear the truth, we don't want to know what someone is really thinking because it might hurt our feelings. Often times we mistake the truth for meanness.
But in the end, all that matters is the truth. Studies have shown that divorce rates are much lower in the northeast than they are in the south. The only communication that matters in marriages and in life is the truth. (There is no evidence that people in the northeast tell the truth more often than people in the south, it is only my experience and I realize I am painting with a really broad brush and divorce rates may have nothing to do with anything, but it's my blog and I think it's an interesting point)
If we tell people only what they want to hear then we are playing the role of the fool. And if we only listen to what we want to hear then we are a fool.
Don't play the fool and don't let yourself be fooled. Instead tell the truth in love and demand others to do the same for you. Otherwise, communication is meaningless.
See you on Tuesday!
Ecclesiastes 4 & 5
***Ecclesiastes 4***
The more we read of Ecclesiastes the more I think that the writer really needs a hug. Clearly he is depressed and having trouble finding the point of life. He says that the dead are happier than the living and the happiest are those who are never born.
I think we all can relate to that. Life is hard.
I listen to a lot of sports talk radio when I'm driving and recently I heard an interview with a retired football player. He said that when he was new in the league he was so afraid of getting cut from the team that he would sleep under his bed so that the coaches couldn't find him. He did this for years... slept under his bed to hide from bad news.
There are times when we all want to hide under our bed. Hide from doctors and what they might say, hide from our boss so that we can't be told that we no longer have a job, hide from bill collectors, hide from the mortgage company, hide from whatever bad news is coming. But the reality is we can not hide from life. And bad news comes, it hits hard and it hurts.
And we have to pick up the pieces and try to move on.
But there is great wisdom in these melancholy words. The wisdom of friendship, of community.
Life is too hard to make it through alone. We need each other. We need friends and family to pick us up when we fall. That's what love is... being there for each other in their times of need.
Do your friends know they can call you anytime no mater what? Do you know you can call your friends anytime no matter what?
If not, what's the point?
***Ecclesiastes 5***
An ancient Jewish Rabbi named Gamaliel used to say "Everything is decreed by God, except the fear of God."
We were all created in the image of God. But we were not created to be mindless robots, like a clone army. Instead God gave us free will and the ability to decide for ourselves how much we fear God.
Fear is a great motivator. In high school fear makes us do all kinds of things, like pretend to be someone we're not and do things we don't want to do to fit in... you know, peer pressure. As adults we fear all kinds of things, read my post for Ecclesiastes 4.
But do we fear God? Should we fear God?
I don't think we do fear God. In Jesus. God revealed to the world a love that is beyond comprehension, so when we think of God we think of love. How can we fear God when God loves us so much?
But I think we should fear God when we are God's enemies. And don't kid yourself, we are all God's enemy at one time or another.
When we are a part of oppression we are God's enemy. Never been a part of oppression? Where are the clothes you're wearing from? Do you know who made your shirt? Could it have been a 10 year old in China or Singapore? It's impossible to escape institutionalized oppression.
When we speak for God and our message is anything other than love, then we are God's enemy. Unless of course God has called you to be a prophet.
When we do what God has asked us not to do we are God's enemy. When we don't love our neighbors we are a force working against God's goal for humanity.
We should have a healthy fear of God. Enough fear to motivate us to fight for God's goals. To stand up to the oppression in our neighborhoods and around the world. Enough fear to think long and hard before we speak for God and enough fear to take God's commandments of love seriously.
It is only when we have a healthy fear of God that we can be truly grateful for grace. Grace saved us from something... Something bad, something to fear.
Thank you Lord for being powerful enough to punish us and loving enough not to. Amen.
The more we read of Ecclesiastes the more I think that the writer really needs a hug. Clearly he is depressed and having trouble finding the point of life. He says that the dead are happier than the living and the happiest are those who are never born.
I think we all can relate to that. Life is hard.
I listen to a lot of sports talk radio when I'm driving and recently I heard an interview with a retired football player. He said that when he was new in the league he was so afraid of getting cut from the team that he would sleep under his bed so that the coaches couldn't find him. He did this for years... slept under his bed to hide from bad news.
There are times when we all want to hide under our bed. Hide from doctors and what they might say, hide from our boss so that we can't be told that we no longer have a job, hide from bill collectors, hide from the mortgage company, hide from whatever bad news is coming. But the reality is we can not hide from life. And bad news comes, it hits hard and it hurts.
And we have to pick up the pieces and try to move on.
But there is great wisdom in these melancholy words. The wisdom of friendship, of community.
Life is too hard to make it through alone. We need each other. We need friends and family to pick us up when we fall. That's what love is... being there for each other in their times of need.
Do your friends know they can call you anytime no mater what? Do you know you can call your friends anytime no matter what?
If not, what's the point?
***Ecclesiastes 5***
An ancient Jewish Rabbi named Gamaliel used to say "Everything is decreed by God, except the fear of God."
We were all created in the image of God. But we were not created to be mindless robots, like a clone army. Instead God gave us free will and the ability to decide for ourselves how much we fear God.
Fear is a great motivator. In high school fear makes us do all kinds of things, like pretend to be someone we're not and do things we don't want to do to fit in... you know, peer pressure. As adults we fear all kinds of things, read my post for Ecclesiastes 4.
But do we fear God? Should we fear God?
I don't think we do fear God. In Jesus. God revealed to the world a love that is beyond comprehension, so when we think of God we think of love. How can we fear God when God loves us so much?
But I think we should fear God when we are God's enemies. And don't kid yourself, we are all God's enemy at one time or another.
When we are a part of oppression we are God's enemy. Never been a part of oppression? Where are the clothes you're wearing from? Do you know who made your shirt? Could it have been a 10 year old in China or Singapore? It's impossible to escape institutionalized oppression.
When we speak for God and our message is anything other than love, then we are God's enemy. Unless of course God has called you to be a prophet.
When we do what God has asked us not to do we are God's enemy. When we don't love our neighbors we are a force working against God's goal for humanity.
We should have a healthy fear of God. Enough fear to motivate us to fight for God's goals. To stand up to the oppression in our neighborhoods and around the world. Enough fear to think long and hard before we speak for God and enough fear to take God's commandments of love seriously.
It is only when we have a healthy fear of God that we can be truly grateful for grace. Grace saved us from something... Something bad, something to fear.
Thank you Lord for being powerful enough to punish us and loving enough not to. Amen.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Ecclesiastes 3... and a video
***Ecclesiastes 3***
A time to blog... a little later than normal. I'm just doing one chapter today... but it's an important one!
There is a season for everything. It's good to think of stages of our life as seasons.
I grew up just outside of Detroit where I was able to experience all 4 seasons every year.
Summer was great! No school, baseball every day and fishing on the Detroit River.
Fall was good. My birthday is in fall, it's football season and watching leaves turn colors and fall to the earth is beautiful.
Winter is terrible. Everything is dead, it gets dark early and it's really cold.
But then there is spring... the snow melts, the flowers bloom, Ernie Harwell is on the radio broadcasting Tiger baseball and hope springs anew.
Life is full of ups and downs. Some ups last for a long time and some downs feel like they will never end.
I am very proud to say that I am a Lutheran and a Detroiter, although both the Lutheran Church and the city of Detroit have been experiencing some rough years.
People are leaving the church and people are leaving the city. The church doesn't have any money and the city is broke. Both are stuck in the middle of winter.
I've heard it said that mainline churches, as we know them, will be gone in 20 years. And Detroit is just barely hanging on. But spring is coming.
Jesus had seasons to his life. He was a traveling preacher and performed miracles in the summer. In the early fall his enemies began to plot against him, in mid-fall he was arrested and flogged and on the last day of fall he was crucified. He was dead, like winter for three days. But he rose again, just like the flowers of spring... and since then he has been giving new life to all.
I think it's a good time to be the church. The Lutheran church needed to be refocused, to have a renewed passion for the mission of Jesus Christ. As long as the church never forgets who they are, then the future of the church is bright... because it is God's church.
The city of Detroit needs to be refocused too. No longer can an entire population be dependent upon one industry. I am proud that Detroit is the Motorcity, but it needs to make more than just motors to rebound. I don't have all the answers, but I have faith. Faith that the people of Detroit are going to make it to spring. Faith that the race tensions that hangover from the 1960's will be overcome, faith that the can-do attitude that made Detroit so great won't be overcome by fear and anxiety... And I have faith in God. Faith that God loves Detroit as much as any other city in the world and God wants the best for the people of Detroit.
The greatest gifts God has given us are faith. hope and love. I have faith in the city and in God, I hope for spring and it is love that is going to make it happen.
I posted a song by Kid Rock below. I think it says everything that I wish I could. This post is about Detroit, but it's also about everyone everywhere. We all go through hard times, we all persevere with the help of God, and we all overcome, just like Christ overcame death.
"Even though it's bittersweet and brings us to our knees, it makes us who we are in times like these."
Lord of all people and places, we pray that you would be with us in the long, dark days of winter and that you would bring each of us into spring. Help us overcome all the ups and downs in life and lead us to the eternal spring, which you have prepared for us. Amen.
A time to blog... a little later than normal. I'm just doing one chapter today... but it's an important one!
There is a season for everything. It's good to think of stages of our life as seasons.
I grew up just outside of Detroit where I was able to experience all 4 seasons every year.
Summer was great! No school, baseball every day and fishing on the Detroit River.
Fall was good. My birthday is in fall, it's football season and watching leaves turn colors and fall to the earth is beautiful.
Winter is terrible. Everything is dead, it gets dark early and it's really cold.
But then there is spring... the snow melts, the flowers bloom, Ernie Harwell is on the radio broadcasting Tiger baseball and hope springs anew.
Life is full of ups and downs. Some ups last for a long time and some downs feel like they will never end.
I am very proud to say that I am a Lutheran and a Detroiter, although both the Lutheran Church and the city of Detroit have been experiencing some rough years.
People are leaving the church and people are leaving the city. The church doesn't have any money and the city is broke. Both are stuck in the middle of winter.
I've heard it said that mainline churches, as we know them, will be gone in 20 years. And Detroit is just barely hanging on. But spring is coming.
Jesus had seasons to his life. He was a traveling preacher and performed miracles in the summer. In the early fall his enemies began to plot against him, in mid-fall he was arrested and flogged and on the last day of fall he was crucified. He was dead, like winter for three days. But he rose again, just like the flowers of spring... and since then he has been giving new life to all.
I think it's a good time to be the church. The Lutheran church needed to be refocused, to have a renewed passion for the mission of Jesus Christ. As long as the church never forgets who they are, then the future of the church is bright... because it is God's church.
The city of Detroit needs to be refocused too. No longer can an entire population be dependent upon one industry. I am proud that Detroit is the Motorcity, but it needs to make more than just motors to rebound. I don't have all the answers, but I have faith. Faith that the people of Detroit are going to make it to spring. Faith that the race tensions that hangover from the 1960's will be overcome, faith that the can-do attitude that made Detroit so great won't be overcome by fear and anxiety... And I have faith in God. Faith that God loves Detroit as much as any other city in the world and God wants the best for the people of Detroit.
The greatest gifts God has given us are faith. hope and love. I have faith in the city and in God, I hope for spring and it is love that is going to make it happen.
I posted a song by Kid Rock below. I think it says everything that I wish I could. This post is about Detroit, but it's also about everyone everywhere. We all go through hard times, we all persevere with the help of God, and we all overcome, just like Christ overcame death.
"Even though it's bittersweet and brings us to our knees, it makes us who we are in times like these."
Lord of all people and places, we pray that you would be with us in the long, dark days of winter and that you would bring each of us into spring. Help us overcome all the ups and downs in life and lead us to the eternal spring, which you have prepared for us. Amen.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Ecclesiastes 1 & 2
***Ecclesiastes 1***
"Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever."
It seems like going green is getting more and more popular these days. Scientist warn about global warning, companies advertise that their product is good for polar bears and our recycle bin is more full every week than our garbage can. But why do we do it?
I have heard people say that we need to save the earth... which I don't think is accurate. The earth has been around a long time. I just googled "How old is the earth" and the internet says that it is over 4 billion years old.*
You and I are not going to destroy something that has survived for 4 billion years. The earth has an amazing ability to adapt to change. We are not saving the earth.
We are making the earth a better place to live. It is better for us if the polar ice caps are bigger, it is better for us if we do not plow through the world's natural resources, and it is better for us if we keep landfills to a minimum. Going green is about us.
But we are not saving ourselves, Jesus already saved us. I would argue that going green is fulfilling Jesus' commandment to love our neighbors. We can't possibly love everybody, but we can care for the earth so that it is a better place for everybody to live.
But I'm keeping my Dodge Ram.
*Sidenote: Some Christians would argue that the earth is 6,000 years old and was created in 6 days... I don't agree with that, there is too much in science to convince me otherwise, but I respect their belief. I have heard every argument Under the sun on both sides, and I choose to believe that God waited 4 billion years for you and for me... it gives a whole new meaning to "love is patient."*
***Ecclesiastes 2***
This blog is meaningless. But then again, everything is meaningless according to the author.
Especially work and the accumulation of wealth. Seems like things 3,000 years weren't much different than they are today. Our society is driven by the accumulation of wealth.
Before I went to seminary I worked for Chrysler with a guy named Ron. Ron was in his 60's and had been with Chrysler for a long time. He could have retired any day, but he just kept working, kept building his wealth. He finally did retire, he moved down south to his retirement house and died 2 months later.
It is a sad story, but not an uncommon one. The quest for wealth is a scary road. It can change people, can lead to ruined marriages and can cause people to make bad decisions. It often leads to a meaningless life.
I'm not saying that working is a bad thing. But doing something with the sole motivation of getting rich is not a good way to live.
Instead we are called to be motivated by God's love... but how far are we willing to take it?
Here is the questions I have been struggling with: Am I willing to pay $5 per gallon for gas if it means that people who have been oppressed are now living as free people in a democracy? (Of course I realize that the price of gas is set by greedy commodity investors and oil executives... but it is still a fair question.)
Am I motivated by wealth or by God's love? The truth is I am motivated by both... we all are. We must live with both.
But know this: we will be fulfilled by one and the other is meaningless.
"Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever."
It seems like going green is getting more and more popular these days. Scientist warn about global warning, companies advertise that their product is good for polar bears and our recycle bin is more full every week than our garbage can. But why do we do it?
I have heard people say that we need to save the earth... which I don't think is accurate. The earth has been around a long time. I just googled "How old is the earth" and the internet says that it is over 4 billion years old.*
You and I are not going to destroy something that has survived for 4 billion years. The earth has an amazing ability to adapt to change. We are not saving the earth.
We are making the earth a better place to live. It is better for us if the polar ice caps are bigger, it is better for us if we do not plow through the world's natural resources, and it is better for us if we keep landfills to a minimum. Going green is about us.
But we are not saving ourselves, Jesus already saved us. I would argue that going green is fulfilling Jesus' commandment to love our neighbors. We can't possibly love everybody, but we can care for the earth so that it is a better place for everybody to live.
But I'm keeping my Dodge Ram.
*Sidenote: Some Christians would argue that the earth is 6,000 years old and was created in 6 days... I don't agree with that, there is too much in science to convince me otherwise, but I respect their belief. I have heard every argument Under the sun on both sides, and I choose to believe that God waited 4 billion years for you and for me... it gives a whole new meaning to "love is patient."*
***Ecclesiastes 2***
This blog is meaningless. But then again, everything is meaningless according to the author.
Especially work and the accumulation of wealth. Seems like things 3,000 years weren't much different than they are today. Our society is driven by the accumulation of wealth.
Before I went to seminary I worked for Chrysler with a guy named Ron. Ron was in his 60's and had been with Chrysler for a long time. He could have retired any day, but he just kept working, kept building his wealth. He finally did retire, he moved down south to his retirement house and died 2 months later.
It is a sad story, but not an uncommon one. The quest for wealth is a scary road. It can change people, can lead to ruined marriages and can cause people to make bad decisions. It often leads to a meaningless life.
I'm not saying that working is a bad thing. But doing something with the sole motivation of getting rich is not a good way to live.
Instead we are called to be motivated by God's love... but how far are we willing to take it?
Here is the questions I have been struggling with: Am I willing to pay $5 per gallon for gas if it means that people who have been oppressed are now living as free people in a democracy? (Of course I realize that the price of gas is set by greedy commodity investors and oil executives... but it is still a fair question.)
Am I motivated by wealth or by God's love? The truth is I am motivated by both... we all are. We must live with both.
But know this: we will be fulfilled by one and the other is meaningless.
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