"This Tent Sleeps Six... Really?”

Luke 12:13-21

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."

My mom told my son when we were recently visiting that she shared a room with her two sisters and that her bed was a fold up bed that got put up and down every day. And she said that the three of them shared a closet that was about 2 feet wide.  Three girls, one small closet, one small room.

We all talked about how people "had less" then, about how you only had three or four outfits and you didn't seem to need as much.  Which got me to wondering... why is it different now? Why do we need four and five bedroom homes and three car garages and a bathroom for each member of the family? When did we get so greedy and need at least one of everything for each person. 

I have also been contemplating this as I struggle with what kind of space or lack of space my son will have in his new dorm this fall? Is there a dresser, how many drawers?  What kind of space is under the bed? And so on... It didn't seem to be a problem I worried about back when I moved in my own freshmen dorm in 1985. Why do I worry about the space he will or won't have?

Consider camping tents. Have you ever seen a tent that is supposed to hold six people? We have a six person tent and I cannot imagine six people in there.  We feel that we need ample space between one another, and room for our 'stuff' and well, we have cots to sleep on... you get the picture. We have taken a six person tent and made it crowded for our family of three.  What happened? Where does greed fit into this? At what point doe we realize that 'life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.'  And don't you go camping precisely to get away from the 'stuff' in the first place?

This scripture begins our month long series called "Camping Out" which culminates with our first church-wide campout in our church yard on Aug 24, with worship following on Aug 25.  All month long we will be looking at camping and how it relates to the nitty gritty of our biblical texts.

What does it mean to need a lot of stuff and a large tent when we camp? Why do we need all the accoutrements? What are we hoping to achieve when we camp?

This scripture ends with the words: 

But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God."

When do we finally learn that we can only reach God through our willingness to stand before God with only ourselves, nothing else?  What does greed or consumerism do to prevent us from standing naked before God? And is it necessarily a bad thing to have stuff, to need a six-person tent to sleep three?

Email me or comment below.

Stealing Home

Luke 10:38-42

Don't you just love that tense moment when someone is trying to steal a base? Especially if it is a runner on third who is trying to steal home. I don't know why that always seems like the hardest one to steal, but it doesn't happen that often, and when someone DOES actually steal home it is a beautiful scene to witness. Sports at its best.

Someone's eye is momentarily off the mark when an opportunity to steal home occurs. The pitcher, usually, is the one who has the ball and has taken his eye off the whole picture, even if only for a moment.   And someone else's eye is, at that same time, perfectly and acutely focused on the whole picture and takes advantage of that moment to make a break for it, to run for his life and make the play. To get a run for the team. To steal home.

It is always such a shock to the other team when home base is stolen. What happened? How did we not notice this could occur? How DID it occur?  And the team with the great player who stole home is so happy, so ecstatic that they SHOWED that team a thing or two.

So what does that have to do with Mary and Martha in the house with Jesus? Well, Martha is really busy, for sure... has her eye on everything going on. She has that household in shape, ready to host Jesus, everything and everybody working. Except that she doesn't have her eye on Jesus, at least not solely focused on the man and his message.

And Martha, she does. She has Jesus accurately in her sights. She is watching his every move. She sees what is actually important in this moment.  Martha is on the pitcher's mound, minding the home, and yet it is Mary who actually has her eye on the prize and steals home, so to speak. Mary who actually gets the point, understands that all that is necessary is to focus on Jesus.

When do we get so involved in the game that we forget to focus on Jesus?  Email me or comment below.

Die-Hard Fan

Colossians 1:1-14

This is the beginning of the letter, the salutation, to the Colossians, written by Paul and Timothy to encourage these new upstart church folk.  It is written in a highly supportive and flattering style, speaking of their faithfulness and their wisdom and understanding of the tasks set before them.

It is encouraging and hopeful: We have not ceased praying for you...May you be made strong... (the Father) has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints....

and so on... words full of spirit and hope and faith.

Like the most dedicated of fans.  Right?  The most dedicated baseball fan never gives up on the team. If you love the Chicago Cubs or the Colorado Rockies, you always stick it out with them, come hell or high water... come great season or terrible season, they remain your team.

The Chicago Cubs have not won the World Series in over a hundred years. Some people call them the Lovable Losers, but they have very, very loyal fans.

The Rockies have had their share of ups and downs over the years, sometimes feeling like mostly downs, but their dedicated fan base hangs on... and loves it when the purple hits the field every year. And who among us Rockies fans doesn't get a twinge of excitement when we hear the name Cuddyer or Tulowitzki?

Paul and Timothy are showing their ability to be die-hard fans for the Colossians.  And they are encouraging those folks to be die-hard fans for the Christ whom they have chosen to follow.  And they also let it be known that God is, without question, a die-hard fan of all of humankind.

You'd think, then, that it wouldn't be so hard to get along. That it wouldn't be so hard to want to invite others to the game. That it wouldn't be so hard to win, rather than lose, at this church game.

Maybe we have quit being die-hard fans. Maybe we never were.  Jesus certainly was a die-hard fan (literally!) of the potential of all human beings to create a new heaven and a new earth.  How might we best model his example and be willing to die to self, die to stuff, die to our way or the highway?  It isn't the easy way; we've talked about that before.

And, just for the speculation of it all, suppose we did start to "WIN" at the Christ-following business?  Then what? Would we still be classified as die-hard fans, or would we begin to feel complacent and kick back and care less?

Comments? Email me or comment below.

The Club and The Player

Galatians 6:1-10

As July gets underway, I thought we might spend a month at the ballpark. The sermon series for this month is The Boys of Summer: Biblical Baseball.  It's kind of funny, because I am not athletic at all. My two years playing little league softball were pathetic... I like to think it was mostly because I needed glasses and didn't know it... but in reality, even if I could have seen the ball, I doubt I could have hit it, caught it, or otherwise.  But, I do love watching a good baseball game... being a part of the experience and, though I may not know the ins and 'outs' (ha, a pun) of the game like some of you, I do hope to be able to use some great baseball imagery this month as we talk about being people of Christ.

This week's scripture reading says at least two things that are worth pondering.  1) bear one another's burdens. 2) all must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbor's work, will be a cause for pride. All must carry their own loads.

Hmm... so as a player on a team, it is important that we understand that we carry one another, to some degree... we are not a 'team of one,' even though the US Army used that as an advertising slogan a few years ago.  The "Club" as it is called in professional baseball is a group of people all working for the "W," hard to win if you are on your own.

But, the "Player" can't rely on the "Club" to pull him through, to make him or her look good.  When I think back to my own days of pitiful softball... I sat on the bench (willingly and gratefully) and I prayed the ball would not come to me when they did let me play in the outfield.  Not the best team player, huh?  The real and dedicated player has the club's best interests at heart.  "Put me in coach, I'm ready to play..." as the song "Centerfield" says...

How do we carry our own loads, take our own stands, be our own voice for God in a context that also needs us to be part of the team, the Club?  What times is it ok to be on your own and what times is it best to figure out what role you play as a member of something larger than yourself?

Email me or comment below.

Oh, and P.S: Speaking of baseball imagery, when the professional players go up to bat, they have special walk-up music that plays as they head up to the plate... What would your walk up music be as you head up to be a part of the Community of God? What should mine be before I preach?