In college when I moved into an apartment for the first time, one of the things I was most excited about was having a kitchen. What I quickly learned was that cooking was much easier for me than baking. With cooking, you could ad lib, play with ingredients, make replacements easily, but with baking, every time I tried to play or experiment, it completely flopped.
This week's Bible reading from the gospel Luke 16:1-13, also called the Parable of the Unjust Manager, could be easily misunderstood but depending on its' interpretation, can be a rich spiritual resource. A resource especially when we are dealing with the problems that occur when we are not caring for, as best we can, the gifts that God gave to us and depended on us to be good stewards of them.
Why do some people become wayward, reckless, and irresponsible? And, why do others react to them in ways that are indifferent? What is your reaction to people who have strayed into self-destructive behavior? We sometimes refer to them as contrary, messy, hardheaded, hardhearted, egotistical, cheating, unpredictable, "sometimey," and disloyal. But, there are other types of wayward people.
When you attend social gatherings or events do you like the ones where you're filled with excitement because you're standing or sitting beside VIPs like politicians, celebrities, professional athletes, film and music stars? Or do you prefer the ones where your excitement comes from relaxing and having fun talking with people who are not concerned with who wields the most political influence or whoever is the most famous celebrity that everyone wants to be close to?
I've always been fascinated by the lessons we have to learn from the patterns of nature! This week in worship as we celebrate Children's Sabbath, our lesson comes from Romans, and from butterflies. Butterflies are beloved, colorful creatures. In the Christian faith they symbolize resurrection, and for many they are a sign of hope and beauty. But those beautiful, winged creatures don't always look like the ones we love to see in gardens. They transition and process from caterpillar to cocoon to butterfly.
How do you act when you're doing things that you're passionate about? Most people are noticeably excited and even if the thing that they are passionate about gives them joy, it often brings along with it a sense of uneasiness. That uneasiness usually rises from being impatient and wanting to rush into it or from thinking about the things that they may have to struggle through in order to get to the source of their passion.
I can remember planning a church event, a public demonstration, or a long road trip of one kind or another, and saying, "Let's do everything that we can to be prepared should something happen unexpectedly." The response that I usually received was, "Okay, let's try to do as much as we can to cover ourselves with a plan 'B.'" But one time after I said that phrase, the response was, "I'm sorry pastor, but how can we possibly prepare for the unexpected?"
What do you consider wealth? Is it the level of your lavishness, privilege, means, or possessions? Is your wealth found in how much power, prestige, or knowledge that you have now or are gathering? Is your wealth the time that you invest in your family, in their well-being, and the emotional security that they give to you as well? Or, is your wealth founded on the faithfulness and connectedness that you have gained from your friends which you have come to depend on over the years?
"He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished,
one of his disciples said to him, 'Lord, teach us to pray,
as John taught his disciples.' " Luke 11:1
I am a product of a family and a United Methodist Church tradition that taught me, through God's love, guidance and power, to focus my priorities on helping to better the lives of those around me of every kind of people, of every station in life. I've also been taught that in order to do that, I should begin by assisting the people who need help by first trying to meet their temporal needs as much as I humanly can and creating a genuine, caring relationship with them.
This past week I had the opportunity to go to Church Camp at Wesley Woods with many from our church and community. There was swimming, singing, Bible study, and so much more! Throughout each day we got to try a variety of different activities. There was action everywhere I looked: tie dying, paddle boating, chalk drawings, dancing. Children, youth, and adults alike were enjoying all that camp had to offer.
In John 14:8, Philip, one of Jesus' disciples, basically asked him to show us the Father, or show us that you are God. Jesus responds that he is in God and God is in him, they are one in the same. Further on in John 14:14-16, we see that Jesus told his disciples "When you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it.If you love me, you will keep my commandments. I will ask the Father, and he will send another Companion, who will be with you forever."