javateas and the Spirit

its a quaint little coffee bar on the north side of town. i've been in there twice now; once for a mocha and once for lunch. I would like to host a gathering there for conversation about Jesus, God, life, stuff...maybe to review interesting books, movies, or discussion topics. I hope to stop by this week to find out if they're interested in providing hospitality. We'll see...I'd like to publicize it soon. I think they host some other activities already.

a new look

time for a change. here is the new look for my blog. what do you think? i hope the content of my blog continues to build a community. i'm open to suggestions...

anyone intersted?

I'm calling it "x's and why's: the quest to question God." I intend to get a small group of peers together for conversation. This is a little tricky because I am an institutional man---I dress like a church pastor a lot. I have an office, etc...But I believe that my peers are interested in meaningful relationships and meaningful experiences that will motivate and inspire their lives. They hunger and thirst for GOD, for the mystery in the madness, and for JESUS (although they may not even know HIM yet). They're searching for someone to make sense of what they experience in life. They know it can be found in many places and ways, but they are savvy shoppers and know what is a cheap knockoff and what is authentic. Authenticity is key. The church does not appear authentic to them. Why? The mega church is not gospel, its culture with an agenda. The mainline church is not gospel, its what remains after the church gets inculturated and politicized and rich---which will happen eventually to the mega churches, too. Authentic followers of JESUS will thrive under only a few conditions; one, they are a persecuted or rejected minority, not "the moral majority or the leaders of nations"; two, they are small, weak, dying, suffering servants willing to give all to rescue one more. three, they are deeply sacramental--needing the water of baptism and the bread and cup often. they are evangelical, needing to listen to JESUS. They are apostolic---sent out with a clear mission for the day to live life in the world for the world, the neighbor.

Christ the King

Robert Powell in "Jesus of Nazareth"

Does anyone else find it subversive that Christians declare allegiance, faith, loyalty to this King whose Kingdom is not of this present world order? Does anyone find it contrary to follow this servant King, this compassionate Lord, this sacrifical monarch, while continuing to serve our own self-interests? Or our nation's self-interests, when those interests cause war, economic disaster, and global tyranny? How might we become ambassadors for Christ the King during this Holy Season of hope and peace? Are we not His loyal subjects, his servants, his students? To where does our king lead us? To the mall, the outlets, the online shopping plaza or to the prison, the homeless shelter, and the hospital bed? "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the Words of eternal life." If we echo Peter's commitment to Jesus, what does that mean? His crown, a crown of thorns. His throne, a cross and tomb. His power, made known in weakness. He stands in direct contrast to the powers of this world. Do we stand with HIM?

Pouring Justice

I've been drinking coffee for 10 years or more. Every Year I give it up for LENT. But I may not give it up in 2007. Not because I crave a caffeine fix more than I used to, but because I need to buy coffee to make a difference in a village in Nicaragua or Tanzania.
Do you drink coffee or tea? Do you drink folgers or maxwell house or starbucks? Do you know that for a dollar or two more you can actually bring justice to a global neighbor?
Thanks to Lutheran World relief and their partnership with Equal Exchange, a non-profit coop that supports growers in developing countries like Nicaragua, we can buy coffee at a fair price and know that the growers of that coffee are receiving a more just payment for their labor. You must buy the coffee in bulk cases (6-12 ounce bags per case, apprx. $31.00 per case).
For the Holiday Season, I have the coffee and tea available for sale at ZION. We have a mixed assortment of coffees and teas from around the world. The coffee will go for $6.00 a bag and the tea for $4.00 a box. I can also take additional orders for gifts, etc... And I can show yo how to purchase the coffee on line.
if you go to www.lwr.org and follow the link to buy coffee on line you will be taken to Equal Exchange's site for sales.
I only drink fairly traded coffee anymore. It makes sense and it's simple. And the Hazelnut blend from Central America is delicious!

I want to be ready

I want to be someone who is ready to share my hope. Not only on Sunday morning from the pulpit. Not only in bible studies or in meetings. But everyday. In small and subtle ways with people I meet. I want to be ready to encounter strangers in such a way that the conversation will lead to Jesus. I don’t mean that I want to be comfortable asking passers-by if they believe in Jesus. I don’t mean to become a “bible beater” in the pejorative sense. I mean I went to embody the Spirit of Jesus in my daily encounters with others. So that in regular old conversation we might invite God to address us somehow. That we might experience Jesus.
I met her at the wash and lube. We were waiting for oil changes and tire rotations. She read a “Star Wars” novel. I noticed that everyone in the room was reading something; a newspaper, Popular Mechanics, an employee manual. The news was on the television, and as usual, it was all bad. So I commented in the awkward silence of a small room with four strangers waiting, “Good news again today.” That’s all it took. In the course of the next 7 minutes she and I talked about politics, war, religion, work, school. Not car washes. Heavier things. Things that sort of matter. She lives in Lititz, went to Warwick. She works for a local manufacturer exclusively doing government contracts, military safety equipment. She was 22 but had worked there for 3 years. “It’s a job,” she said. She’s Episcopalian, a member of St. James in Lititz. “But I’m 22. I like to sleep in on Sundays and haven’t been in a long time. I should go.” When she asked what I do I told her. She said, “So you must have some religious views and feelings about the war.”
Its then that the cashier’s window opened and called me up to pay. I hesitated. I felt like a moment was passing that I could not somehow control, get back, rewind. I needed a DVR or a TiVo so that I could simply pause the live action, reverse it, and start again--only more prepared to respond. You know, I guess what made people follow Jesus was that he was actively responsive. He seemed to know what to do immediately. He was able to address every encounter with meaning and hope. Or to address the enemy with passion and justice.
What did I do? I walked away. She was 22 and we were talking about religion, politics, war, work, life. And I walked away.
Advent is the season of hope, of anticipation, of preparation for the coming of the one who brings light and life and hope and peace to all. And although I was alert to the holy moment and its possibilities, I was unprepared to respond. I might have said, “Don’t go to church because you should. Go because you love it or you need to hear God or you want to give back and say thanks.” Or I could have said, “As a follower of Jesus I guess I’m against the war. The whole love your enemies thing, you know? What about you?” 7 minutes at the wash and lube could have meant so much more than a safer trip to NY. God wanted to change more than oil. As Christmas approaches, people are more receptive to sacred things. Next time I’ll be prepared. Maybe I’ll get my tires rotated too. With love

Hope in the dark

Hope in the Dark
Advent Night Worship
Mystically Candlelit, contemplative intimacy
December 3, 10, 17 6:04 pm
Gen Xers Seeking to Follow Jesus
Zion Lutheran Church, 435 Main St. , Akron

Advent ready

I want to be someone who is ready to share my hope. Not only on Sunday morning from the pulpit. Not only in bible studies or in meetings. But everyday. In small and subtle ways with people I meet. I want to be ready to encounter strangers in such a way that the conversation will lead to Jesus. I don’t mean that I want to be comfortable asking passers-by if they believe in Jesus. I don’t mean to become a “bible beater” in the pejorative sense. I mean I went to embody the Spirit of Jesus in my daily encounters with others. So that in regular old conversation we might invite God to address us somehow. That we might experience Jesus.
I met her at the wash and lube. We were waiting for oil changes and tire rotations. She read a “Star Wars” novel. I noticed that everyone in the room was reading something; a newspaper, Popular Mechanics, an employee manual. The news was on the television, and as usual, it was all bad. So I commented in the awkward silence of a small room with four strangers waiting, “Good news again today.” That’s all it took. In the course of the next 7 minutes she and I talked about politics, war, religion, work, school. Not car washes. Heavier things. Things that sort of matter. She lives in Lititz, went to Warwick. She works for a local manufacturer exclusively doing government contracts, military safety equipment. She was 22 but had worked there for 3 years. “It’s a job,” she said. She’s Episcopalian, a member of St. James in Lititz. “But I’m 22. I like to sleep in on Sundays and haven’t been in a long time. I should go.” When she asked what I do I told her. She said, “So you must have some religious views and feelings about the war.”
Its then that the cashier’s window opened and called me up to pay. I hesitated. I felt like a moment was passing that I could not somehow control, get back, rewind. I needed a DVR or a TiVo so that I could simply pause the live action, reverse it, and start again--only more prepared to respond. You know, I guess what made people follow Jesus was that he was actively responsive. He seemed to know what to do immediately. He was able to address every encounter with meaning and hope. Or to address the enemy with passion and justice.
What did I do? I walked away. She was 22 and we were talking about religion, politics, war, work, life. And I walked away.
Advent is the season of hope, of anticipation, of preparation for the coming of the one who brings light and life and hope and peace to all. And although I was alert to the holy moment and its possibilities, I was unprepared to respond. I might have said, “Don’t go to church because you should. Go because you love it or you need to hear God or you want to give back and say thanks.” Or I could have said, “As a follower of Jesus I guess I’m against the war. The whole love your enemies thing, you know? What about you?” 7 minutes at the wash and lube could have meant so much more than a safer trip to NY. God wanted to change more than oil. As Christmas approaches, people are more receptive to sacred things. Next time I’ll be prepared. Maybe I’ll get my tires rotated too.

Its time

Its time to start a new way. I'm uncertain how to start, but I have to do it. Its been so long that I've been stuck. I don't know anybody. How will I meet them, my peers? I feel like I'm going to kindergarten for the first time. Who should I speak to first? If you are reading this and you are one of my peers and you are wondering how to be faithful to Jesus without being trapped in something called 'church' that hardly resembles the kingdom of God Jesus had in mind, pleae respond to me. I want to invite you to a conversation about things that matter, which may lead to some new thoughts, feelings, or passions. It may lead to a new understanding of God, yourself, your neighbor, the world, your small and important part in making it better. If it doesn't lead there, then its not worth doing.
In two weeks, we begin a season called Advent, which precedes Christmas. It is a four-week time of preparation for the end of the world as we know it. Four-weeks may not seem like much given that trajectory, but it is what we have. I would like to get together during that time. How about Sunday nights at 6:04?

Dear Church and other issues

I've been at a conference with a couple of peers for three days. I picked up a pile of new books and three of the dvds from the nooma series--a series of short films that deal with faith in Jesus. I'm reading a collection of books right now that I would like to call writings for the new reformation. The church must be reformed in postmodernity by faithful followers of Jesus who are tired of the church as it is; and tired of the culture as it is. Diagnosticians have been examining the body of the church for decades to determine where exactly the heart beat is and is not audible anymore. What is clear is that liberal mainline churches' vital signs had weakened. Many of those churches are on life support, barely breathing, hoping against hope to survive a little longer. But its terminal.
The evangelical megachurches appear vital and alive, but they have the same disease that eventaully weakened the mainliners. That disease is called 3P: POWER, privilege, prestige. When churches drink from that cup, the end is only a matter of time. Mostly because this disease first effects the hearing. And once the hearing goes, the church cannot receive the Word of God. Once that happens, the vision is next---the church loses sight of its teacher, its Lord, and the direction he travels. People begin to follow the bright lights, the flashy noise, the guy with the best smile, who can put a positive spin on anything. We fall back on our default mode of existence-ignorance, entertainment, and comfort. Things like service, mission, the cross, suffering, are forgotten. What we're fed is the poision of self-justification---we have what we have because we are special, blessed people of God. Forget the poor, the oppressed, the last, lost, and least. And reject those who reject you, too.
Soon, the church is so curved inward in attempts to keep the messiness of life out, that there is no air left.
So, the megachurch is really just the new mainline. 50 years ago mainline protestants were at the top of the religious food chain. Now, we are not. And the evangelical fundamentalists are. Funny how we are duped into thinking that the one with the most toys wins. The one with the most power, prestige, and privilege is the best. How wrong we are!
So, here I am. And I am not concerned about church attendance or membership. I am concerned about following Jesus and helping others to do so. The good news is that a big dose of humility can often heal the disease of 3ps. Since we've had that dose, I suspect that means we're on the road to healing as a body. But we have to be ready to reject the 3ps and listen for the voice of GOd. Being ready is called faith. I know we have that. Its a gift, not unlike humility. When you need it something happens to give it to you. In our case, loss, weakness, diminshment, fear, rejection, and the like have been the recipe for humility. We have been humbled so that we can arise, emerge, evolve.
I am hopeful in this moment. And right now I am ready to lead the mainline revolution. Taking the lessons of history, good and bad, into the present day we are able to see a clearer future.
Why don't we just ask ourselves these questions: Are we willing to experience humility and loss as a gift? Are we willing to die in order to live? Are we willing to seek the truth, when it hurts? Are we willing to follow where He is leading us, especially when we know it will NOT include the 3Ps that we love so much. (As much as one can love a disease of the heart).

ALL Saints

"On All Saints Day its not just the saints of the church that we should remember in our prayers, but all of the foolish ones and wise ones, the shy ones and overbearing ones, the broken ones and whole ones, the despots and tosspots and crackpots of our lives who, one way or another, have been our particular fathers and mothers and saints, and whom we loved without knowing we loved them and by whom we were helped to whatever little we may have, or ever hoped to have, of some kind of seedy sainthood of our own." F. Buechner, "Listening to your life", p. 290.

GRACE

"A crucial eccentricity of the Christian faith is the assertion that people are saved by grace. There's nothing you have to do. There's nothing you have to do. There's nothing you have to do. The grace of God means someting like this: Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are because the party wouldn't have ben complete without you. Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things wil happen. Don't be afraid. I am with you. Nothing can separate us. Its for you I created the universe. I love you. There's only one catch. Like any other gift, the gift of grace can be yours only if you'll reach out and take it. Maybe being able to reach out and take it is a gift too." F. Buechner, "Listening to Your Life, p. 289.

All Hallow's eve

“Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly, for he is victorious over sin, death, and the world.” M. Luther.
On All Saints Day, we are compelled to remember the past and the good we were permitted to give and to receive. We remember those faithful departed ones, most dear to us, who are the saints of our lives. And we remember all the saints, from the apostles and martyrs to the exemplary witnesses and teachers of the faith who we never met, but upon whose foundation our faith is built. We dare not forget them, for their memory in part inspires our living. When we remember them, we remember their innocence and the way in which they somehow showed GOD to us. We remember their exemplary behavior, their good nature. We remember His compassion and her servant heart. We remember her joy and his stalwart commitment. We remember the pew they sat in or the ministry they exercised. It is the good we recall with some sorrow in their passing. We light a candle in memory of the light they shared with others.
And yet, on the eve of all saints we are mindful of those devils among us, too. Some Christians avoid Halloween and its paganistic origins. “We dare not empower witches and devils by observing such a night.” I disagree. To avoid Halloween is to avoid SIN. How can we remember the ways in which God’s grace is incarnate among us in the saints of life, if we don’t also recall the power of Sin and the devil’s wicked ways as well? No saint is purely innocent, though our memories and observances might falsely report it. Halloween helps to tells the whole truth about the saints and devils we’ve known and loved. It also reminds us that we are both saint and sinner, angel and devil, blessing and curse. And we can thank God that both are true. Because without God we are bedeviled sinners with no hope.
So as we think back on our loved ones, we recall that his faithfulness to church was coupled with unfaithfulness to his wife. We remember that her diligent service was rivaled by her passionate bigotry.
We dare not forget that evil pervades the human heart as well as the good. We dare not forget the holocausts, the genocides, the school shootings, the diseases, the war, the famine, the abhorrent injustice that bedevils us. We dare not forget how greed, lust, and excessive comfort beguile us. We dare not forget how doubt, frustration, and impatience plague us daily. We dare not forget our Sin. A memorial of Sin reminds us of our need to stand before God humbly, vulnerably, without privilege or power. All Saints and All Saints Eve demonstrate the human condition to us. We are sinners, devils, wicked foes of God, and enemies of Jesus. And we are blessed saints, beloved of the LORD, partners in the gospel and heirs according to the promise of God in Christ. Without Sin, there is no Cross. Without the cross, there is no salvation. Without salvation there is no life outside of Sin.
So trick someone before you treat them. Sin and grace are not an “either/or”, but a “both/and” reality. I for one can’t wait to see their faces! Happy Halloween. And a Blessed All Saints day, too.

X’s and Why’s? the quest to question GOD

Coming Soon: Watch for posting about date, place, and time

WHAT?---A Gathering of peers with questions to ask. ““To be on a quest is nothing more or less than to become an asker of questions.” Sam Keen, religious philosopher.

WHO?---- I am a person of faith and a follower of JESUS. I am 32 years old. They have labeled us GENeration X. If you are between the ages of 18 and 35, you’re in it. I seek to gather others for conversation, coffee, and cake. (deep in the conversation, dark on the coffee, chocolate on the cake).

WHY?---- To engage my peers in the quest for a better world. To identify and encounter GOD in the mysteries and questions of life. To NOT have all the answers. To be a faithful follower of JESUS. To make community. To find what’s missing.

With conversation topics: Is it possible to experience God? What is religion good for? Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha, Moses, and me? Sacred text? Am i spiritual and what is spirituality? Why is there nothing on TV? Bono vs. Bush, and compassionate politics? Are we a lost generation? What is faith? How can we be hopeful in a big way? Why we need Dr. Phil and why we don’t need Dr. Phil.

What I believe about Christian Worship, pt. 3

It is catholic and apostolic---We who are invited and gathered are sent to share the good news and feed the hungry. Our apostolic mission is universal. It excludes no one. No one is outside the possibility of GOD”S saving grace. No one is outside the possibility of becoming part of CHRIST’s body. Worship is catholic when its scope is universal. That is, when it does not cater to the preferences of a homogeneous group, but is cast in broader strokes. Catholic worship is expressed through variety and embraces new and old, familiar and unfamiliar, ancient and modern, music and silence. Worship that is not catholic is narrowly defined in its language and practice. It is characterized by a dull uniformity to the likes/expressions of the few, rather than expansive worship expressions of the many.
Apostolic worship is missional and inspires a lifestyle outside of the four walls of the church building and the 1 ½ hours of weekly worship. Worship that is not apostolic only satisfies the inner needs of the self, without inspiring service.

What I believe about Christian Worship, pt. 2

It is sacramental---That is it mediates the spiritual presence of God by actual physical means. We believe that GOD is truly present in the crucified yet living, resurrected body of JESUS made visible and edible in the sacrament. We remember Jesus when we eat the bread that is HIS body and drink the wine that is HIS blood. We are washed, drowned, revived, refreshed in the waters of Baptism. The sacramental character of worship is personal---it is expressed in daily living. Every day we are renewed, remade by GOD. Every day GOD nourishes us. Faith tells us this is true. Worship reflects this truth.
Sacrament is invitational---we are invited to the table freely and openly because JESUS welcomes us to meet HIM there. We are invited to the waters of Baptism because JESUS commissions us to “Go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the FATHER, and of the SON, and of the HOLY SPIRIT…”. That GPD chooses to invite is historically obvious. Why and who and when GOD chooses to invite is a mystery. So too the presence of GOD in sacrament is a mystery we cannot fathom by reason, but only by faith—a blind trust in HIS promise recorded in Scripture. When the table includes everybody and the baptismal life is offered to those who do not know GOD, we are sacramental.

What I believe about Christian Worship, pt. 1

It is evangelical---the core of it is the message of the gospel, the good news proclaimed by JESUS. Contained in this message is hope, love, peace, joy, new life, forgiveness, freedom, justice, rescue. This message is radically inclusive. No one is excluded. Everyone is invited to hear, see, believe and live. Mark’s JESUS embraces Jew and Gentile. Matthew’s JESUS embraces the nations. Luke’s JESUS is the savior of the world who inspires witnesses from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. And John’s JESUS is the savior of the cosmos. It comes to us as a promise from GOD for all humanity. It comes with a commission to its hearers and believers---to share this message with all humanity. Evangelical worship inspires evangelical living. We are called to bear Jesus’ message in the world for the sake of all people. Worship must reflect this radically inclusive gospel. This inclusivity is expressed in hospitality. We invite and welcome all by what we do together in worship. If we do not welcome and invite all, we are not evangelical.

Apples and Community

On Saturday, nine of us joined 180 other people in an apple orchard in Lebanon County. For over two hours we picked fallen apples off the ground and bagged them up to be taken to the central PA food bank, among other places where the needy are not forgotten. Several church youth groups, adult volunteers and teens, spent their Saturday morning on a crisp fall day serving hungry people they would never see. The event coordinator invited me to address the group and pray before we began gleaning. I reminded the group that the agricultural practice of gleaning is biblical, found in Deuteronomy. The LORD commanded the farmers to leave a portion of their produce for the poor, the widows, and the orphans so that they might not be neglected in the harvest. The first fruits that the farmer picked, a tenth or tithe, was also dedicated to God for the priests to eat. So the LORD got the firsts and the poor got the required leftovers. I prayed for the orchard-owners who generously shared their bounty. I blessed God for abundantly providing. I commended the poor and hungry into the hands of the compassionate God who feeds us all. After that, we started gleaning on hands-and-knees. Some picked faster than others. A veteran harvester like me could pick six or seven times faster than some of the teens. In the end, we all participated. I met some people there. On the back of an old ford pickup truck, I met two teenage girls who attend Trinity Lutheran in Lebanon. One of them is a student at Cedar Crest middle school, where my wife taught before our boys were born. My wife taught her older sister. I made sure to get their names to tell my wife that I met the sister of a former student. It’s fun to make connections.
After we picked apples and loaded them onto trucks and wagons, we stopped by the farmer’s store for some apple cider and cookies. Then we drove to camp Kirchenwald for a picnic lunch and a hike to a favorite spot. It was a beautiful fall day. We picnicked under the pavilion. Then we hiked out to Buzzard’s rocks, a place like Devil’s den in Gettysburg, where large boulders make for fun climbing. Along the way there we missed a turn and bumped into two hunters. We tracked back to the left turn and finally made our way to the rocks. The kids climbed. We watched. I sat down atop one of the large boulders. As I sat there, about a mile from camp I gazed down at the rock to see a name etched in it. It was the name of the girl I met at the orchard followed by ’06. There were 186 gleaners. I knew one new name, the name of the sister of one of my wife’s former students. She is a 7th grade Lutheran. At some point in the past, she had climbed that rock with a youth group, a church group, a summer camp cabin group, a family, and written her name. When had she been there? Why is it that I met her and found her name at Buzzard’s rock? What forces are at work to create such a coincidence? The church, the people of God who serve and live in the name of Jesus, is a family. We travel along the same pathway. We journey together. We seek the same God, the same justice, the same grace. We work in the same valley and climb the same rocks. We share the same bread and cup, hear the same Word. And every once-in-awhile we are reminded how good it feels to be in relationship with these people who belong to Jesus and share His dream of a new creation. With love, Pastor Matt

In response to the Amish community tragedy

This week, a single gunman and a father of three kids, entered a one-room Amish schoolhouse and executed 5 girls before killing himself. As these childrens' families grieve and the Amish community mourns this tragedy, how must we respond?
IN Christian love, we mourn and weep with them. In Christian hope we commend these 5 children into the arm of thier loving Father in heaven. In Christian peace, we forgive the man---Charles Roberts---and release HIm into the hands of the forgiver.
How do we protect our kids? Perhaps if we teach tolerance and compassion for all people. Perhaps if we teach that violence is never a solution to a problem. Perhaps if we listen to the pain in the lives of adult neighbors and offer grace to them. This was not the work of one madman. This was the work of a broken community in need. And until we begin to reach one another with compassion and peace, there will be no safety.
Can it be done? The church asks that question and attempts to live an affirmative response. But it is not a perfect affirmation. Not all Christian people are good or safe or compassionate. But the Lord who teaches and demonstrate these things is. I can only be faithful to Jesus and be helpful to my neighbor. Beyond this, I have no control.

The Inheritance

“Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Mark 10:17b
We all ask that question one way or another. Is there life after death---whatever that death may be. Is there life after a divorce? After a loss of job or physical ability? What is life without one’s mental faculties? Is there life after one moves out of one’s home? Is there life after high School or college or retirement? What rich, deep meaning does my life have in the cosmos? And how do I get it? How do I come to understand the legacy of meaning for which I was born and lived? Try to avoid these questions. Eventually, some event in life will strike you like a cold gust of wind in February and you will hear this question or something like it burning in your heart and mind, longing for resolution. Ultimately, the question means, how do I come to grips with the ultimate losses in life when I cannot control them or hinder them from coming? Isn’t there some way that I can control my own fate, resolve to make a life for myself after death? What is my life’s meaning?
The answer is not easy. Jesus says its hard. For us, who control as much as we can, holding on to every vestige of dignified self-power we believe we have, this is NOT EASY.
What does Jesus say? Childhood obedience is not enough because it doesn’t get to the heart of the matter. What does is to give up. To surrender what you are clinging to. Give it to someone else. If its money, give it to the poor. If it’s work, retire or seek another vocation. If it’s travel, stay still. If it’s your family, spend some time alone. What we think is fulfilling us is usually emptying us of what we truly need. You get what you need when you leave it all behind. This kind of reverse logic is counterintuitive, seemingly counterproductive, certainly countercultural. Leave it all behind? But I’ve worked so hard for…
Nevertheless, doing so is the key to the inheritance. The question is, do you want to inherit what you do not deserve, what you cannot earn, and what, in spite of that, has been promised to you? Or are you satisfied with life as it is? I doubt you can truthfully affirm the latter question. More likely, you know that this is not all there is because you live with hope. I am unsatisfied, too. And I know that my feeble attempts to placate my hunger for more will simply create more emptiness. What I need is Jesus’ loving encouragement. Give it up. Don’t try so hard to make your own life meaning. With God, life is endless possibility waiting to be discovered yb those willing to watch and wait and listen for God. With love, PM