From the Pastor’s Desk – November 2009

 

This fall I am gathering together with a few members for Bible Study.  We are studying select passages from the Gospel of Luke.  Luke is rich with imagery, teaching, and inspiration for renewed holiness in our lives.  I find that Holy Scripture is a profound resource for growing deeper in our understanding of what it means to live in the character of God.  One example occurs in the twelfth chapter of Luke where Jesus tells this story.  The story is in response to someone from the crowd asking Jesus to settle a sibling rivalry over an inheritance. “Teacher, order my brother to give me a fair share of the family inheritance” (Luke 12:13 ). In response, Jesus tells the story of a rich man who owns a farm.  The farmer produces a terrific crop and decides his barn isn’t big enough.  He decides to tear down the existing barn and build bigger barns in its place.  Then, being impressed with his accomplishment, says he can retire and take it easy.  Then God speaks up and says that tonight the farmer will die and asks the farmer who will get his beautiful barns?  This, Jesus tells the man in the crowd, is what happens when you fill your barns with self rather than God. 

 

This passage of scripture causes us to pause and consider, “For what or whom do I spend my life?”  In other passages of scripture Jesus challenges us to love God, serve others, and measure our life by what we share and whom we bless, not by what we accumulate for ourselves.  Pastoral ministry has placed me in the lives of people at pivotal times in their lives.  Death and illness in families are certainly such times and we all become more introspective and self-aware at such critical moments.  When any of us face our mortality, we are faced with an assessment of where our heart and soul have been invested, and what becomes of the investment of our lives on earth.  In the story Jesus told to the crowd, he reaffirms that some things pass away.  This is true.  It is also true, however, that some things do not.  Our response to Jesus’ story can be renewed consideration of what does not pass away, and then go there with our heart, soul, gifts, and talent.