Month: October 2012

Text: Ecclesiastes 5:10-20
Date: Pentecost XXI (Proper 24) + 10/21/12

“Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!’ And the disciples were amazed…. And they were exceedingly astonished” (Mark 10:23-24, 26). “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 5:10). “Uh, oh! It must be time for the annual stewardship program. Grab your checkbooks, gentlemen, the preacher’s going to preach about money.” And if that is your fear let me begin by putting your mind to rest. Today we’re not going to use these scripture readings to give Biblical advice only on God-pleasing financial planning and sensible budgeting, though we could.

Rather I draw your attention to the final two verses of today’s reading from Ecclesiastes. “Everyone to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.” “With Joy in Your Heart” is the message of how God’s people discover how to live in this world with the certain hope of the greater eternal life promised us by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Continue reading “With Joy in Your Heart”

Text: Amos 5:6-7, 10-15
Date: Pentecost XX (Proper 23) + 10/14/12

The prophet Amos was sent to deliver a challenging word to a people who had become spiritually self-secure. They were convinced God was on their side but only by virtue of their outward connection with the covenant nation. The evidence showed (in verses 10-12 of our text) that true repentance and faith of the heart was lacking. It was the same with the rich man in today’s Gospel who, thinking he had the catechism pretty well down pat, and having fulfilled all the requirements of the Law was shocked at Jesus’ further challenge to “go, sell all that you have and give to the poor.” St. Mark reports, “disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” Yes, repentance, faith and salvation do have an effect also on your money. So in every generation there is the temptation to resist daily repentance and a lively faith and presume on God’s grace taking refuge only in our outward affiliation with the Church. Amos calls God’s people of every age to the renewal of repentance and faith (the two always go together) saying that if you will, “it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you and be gracious to you.” Continue reading “The God of Hosts Be With You”

Text: Genesis 2:18-25
Date: Pentecost XIX + 10/14/12

One Hundred and seventy-six years ago on October 2, 1836 naturalist Charles Darwin (1809-1882) returned to Falmouth, England aboard the HMS Beagle after a five-year journey collecting biological data he would later use to develop his theory of evolution. Increasingly through the years his so-called “theory” has taken on the illusion of “fact” in the public realm even without passing the usual scientific tests that alone distinguish facts from theories and mere hypotheses from fantasies. Such is the wisdom of this world. Continue reading “One is the Loneliest Number”