I know we cherish the thought that we are free. I phrased that sentence very carefully. Listen to it again. I know we cherish the thought that we are free. I mean, no one wants to be told or to think that one is shackled. No one wants to be told or think that one is a prisoner. No one wants to be told or think that one isn’t in control of his or her own life or destiny. “I govern my own thoughts and my own life and no one tells me what to do! I AM FREE!” Or so we like to think.
But are we really free?
A couple of chapters before this story, Jesus confronts a group of Pharisees, and he tells them, “Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’ They answered him, ‘We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, “You will be made free”?’
Jesus answered them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there for ever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”
Now, you may say to me, “Well, pastor, I know that I sin, but I’m hardly a slave to it. It doesn’t control me. I ask God for forgiveness, and I continue on in doing the things that make me happy.”
And so I ask you, “Are you then a slave to happiness? By your own words are you not a slave to your desires?” I do the things that make me happy.
And I am sure you are happy–for a time. But do you have joy? Do you have peace? Do you have a sense of fulfillment about you? If you do, then congratulations, but do you think this is what I hear most people say about their lives? Do you think when I ask people about how their lives are going, they say they are at peace and have contentment? Not a chance. In fact, I cannot think of anyone who has ever answered me that they are at peace. Of course, everyone first says that they are doing fine, but in a matter of moments, if you really engage them in conversation, they begin telling you how busy they are. They begin telling you how they are chasing after their kids, or their commitments, or after volunteer opportunities, or at work or what have you. Our conversations constantly revolve around all the stuff we have to do or get done, and time and again I hear the stress and the strain. “I’m tired.” “I’m stressed.” “I don’t want to deal with all of this stuff anymore.”
And if I got up here this morning and said, “Just walk away from it then,” what would you tell me? Many would say, “I can’t.” Others might say, “Well, I’ll just stop coming to church because that’s a place where I can cut some time.” Let me offer you this. First, if you say you can’t stop doing the things you are doing, then I submit to you, you are not free. You are a prisoner. Second, I submit to you that if you decide to cut out going to church and coming into contact with the living God, then you are actually leaving the one place where you can be assured to encounter the one who can make you free.
Let’s turn to our gospel lesson this morning from the 11th chapter of the book of John. It’s the story of Jesus’ raising of Lazarus. We see how Jesus is made aware early on that Lazarus is very ill. Jesus purposely procrastinates in going to his friend’s side knowing full well Lazarus will die. When Jesus does finally head to Bethany, He is confronted with the human condition–our bondage to sin and death.
Upon His arrival, Martha runs out to meet him. Martha tells Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Interestingly enough, this is not the first time we will hear this statement. It will be spoken again later. “Lord, if only you had been here...but nevertheless, I know that God will grant you what you ask.”
Jesus responds, “Your brother will rise again.”
Martha says, “Of course he will at the resurrection.”
And Jesus snaps back, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Do you believe this? Jesus confronts Martha with the Truth. In the midst of our struggles and stresses and anxieties, we usually become so overwhelmed that we leave the Truth behind. We focus on all the stuff of the world, but neglect the source of our strength and hope. We neglect the source of true freedom. “I am the resurrection and the life!” Jesus says, “Do you believe this?”
Martha says, “Yes. I believe you are the Messiah.” Are we so bold as to say the same thing?
It’s interesting that the story doesn’t progress from here straight to Lazarus’ tomb. There is more, and this time, Martha’s sister Mary is involved. Mary now comes to Jesus, and she says the exact same phrase Martha said earlier. “Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died.”
But this time, Jesus’ response is vastly different. This time, instead of appealing to the Truth, Jesus responds with tears. Seeing Mary’s grief and the grief of those surrounding her, Jesus is troubled deeply. Actually, that’s not the proper term. The proper term is brought to a place of roiling anger. It’s an anger that causes Jesus to weep. Why? Why does Jesus weep?
Let’s take in three more sentences of the text. 36So the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’ 37But some of them said, ‘Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?’ Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed (billowing with anger!), came to the tomb.
Remember when I said Jesus was confronted with the human condition? Jesus is confronted with the reality of death, and His first encounter is with Martha who says, “Lord if only you had been here, this stuff wouldn’t have happened.” There is both a statement of trust and condemnation in that statement. Martha trusts that Jesus would have healed Lazarus, but she also has a hint of chastisement, I think. Not just if you would have been here, you should have been here. How often do we think the same things of God–you should make my life better. You should take away my problems. You should take away my anxiety, my fear, my guilt, my shame–if only you were here!
Mary offers another aspect of the human condition to Jesus. She falls on her feet in front of Jesus and with tears says, “Lord if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.” She is consumed with grief; with pain; with frustration; with agony. Jesus sees this pain–pain brought on by death and suffering. And He gets angry about it.
Finally, Jesus knows the hearts of those who are saying, “Well, He opened the eyes of the guy born blind. Surely taking care of a cold would have been pretty easy.” They are doubting Jesus. They are doubting that He is the Messiah. Confronted with death, grief, illness, and suffering, they doubt that Jesus is who He says He is. And Jesus gets angry once again.
What is He angry at? Is He angry at Martha and Mary? No. I don’t think so. Is He angry at those who were expressing doubt? No. I don’t think so again. He was getting angry before their statement. Is He angry with Himself for not getting there? No. He engineered this situation from the get-go. If He’s not angry with any of the players in the play, then who or what is Jesus angry at?
The human condition. He’s angry at the whole situation of brokenness that we face when it comes to facing death. And where did that brokenness come from? Where did it all start?
Long ago, in the garden when man and woman chose to be like God instead of depending on God. The sin of Adam once again rears its head. Selfish desire strikes out showing just how we are trapped. We are in chains. Death holds sway, and many of our pursuits of life are efforts to deal with the fact or to avoid the fact that we will die. We rush and hurry and scurry to get as much in as we can because we are going to die. We enslave ourselves to our jobs and our possessions and our plans and our desires so that we can die having done and seen as much as we possibly can. We end up stressed out burning the candles at both ends with no peace and no joy because we are afraid of death. And Jesus sees this. He’s angry about it. Deeply and passionately angry about it because He knows, He knows this is not the way it is supposed to be.
He knows that we are meant to have peace.
He knows we are meant to have fulfillment.
He knows we are meant to have joy.
But we will not find them pursuing all the stuff we think will give it to us. We will only find such things in Jesus. He knows He must show us, and in the raising of Lazarus, we get a foreshadowing of why Jesus came into the world.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but so that the world may be saved through Him.
“Show me where you buried him!” Jesus exclaims. “Roll the stone away!”
“LAZARUS, COME FORTH!”
Lazarus is raised from the dead to the astonishment of all. Jesus shows that He has power over death. “I am the resurrection and the life.” Abundant life. Fulfilled life.
And Jesus’ last words in our lesson today are, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
Unbind him, and let him go. On Calvary, Jesus stretched out His arms and died to reconcile the world unto God. Three days later, another stone was rolled away and another tomb became empty, and the freedom released wasn’t just for one man. It was for the world. It was for you. It was for me. By grace, you have been set free, and it was and is through Christ alone. Amen.
Showing posts with label contentment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label contentment. Show all posts
Monday, April 7, 2014
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
The Monster isn't so Bad
How many of you here this morning have ever read “The Monster at the End of this Book?” I think we have at least a couple of copies of this book at my house. It’s based upon the Sesame Street character Grover. Grover is a furry, lovable monster who is quite full of drama. I used to love him as a kid because every once in a while, he’d become Super Grover and fly through the air. But that is beside the point.
For those few of you who might not be familiar with this kids’ book, Grover starts off by saying, “What, what did that say? On the cover? Did that say there would be a monster at the end of this book? Oh no. That’s terrible. I am so afraid of monsters!” As the book goes on, Grover begs the reader not to turn the page. He nails the pages together. He builds brick walls. No matter what happens, the pages keep getting turned.
At last, we get to the page just before the end. Grover pleads and pleads and pleads. “The next page is the end of the book, and there is a monster at the end of this book. I am so afraid of monsters. Please don’t turn the page. Please. Please. Please. Please.” Grover is sorely afraid.
Most of the children I have read this book to in my life love this story. In many ways they resonate with it. What child isn’t afraid of monsters? I mean, I don’t care how hard we as parents try, eventually our kids are exposed to those things which go bump in the night. Whether or not it’s Scooby Doo or Twilight or some other such fiction, sooner or later they learn about vampires, werewolves, blobs, ghosts, and goblins. Sooner or later they have nightmares about such things, and we as parents have to comfort them and tell them, “These things are imaginary. There’s no such things as monsters.”
Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t. Hopefully, as they get older, kids grow out of such beliefs in monsters, ghouls and goblins. But the interesting thing that I have found, is that even as we grow up and put those fears aside, we do not stop being afraid. In fact, in many ways, our fears just leap from one particular thing to another. And I have come to think that as a nation, as a society, we suffer from an incredible amount of fear.
What are we afraid of? Let’s start the list:
One of the main items of fear since September 11, 2001 is terrorism. To stave off any sort of terrorist attack, we’ve battened down the hatches at airports. We’ve created the NSA. We’ve allowed spying on citizens lives in cyberspace and in reality. We’ve killed suspected terrorists and their children without trial or evidence that they have indeed committed an act of terror. And there is more that such agencies and the government would like to do to keep us safe.
There are many who are extremely afraid of crime. There is a heightened sense of fear as one reads the news stories about school shootings, inner city gang violence, and the beatings/killings of innocent people who are just going about their daily lives. Depending upon which side of the political aisle you sit on, you believe the answer either has to do with more government power or making people take personal responsibility.
We are afraid of losing our health. Talk to anyone who is having to deal with the recurring nightmare of dealing with a major injury or cancer or an extended hospitalization. They will flat out tell you how much of a headache they get from dealing with the whole medical industry. They will tell you they wonder how it is possible for anyone who is poor to pay for healthcare. They will tell you how much it costs them to regain some semblance of normalcy in their lives. They will tell you the frustration in dealing with medications and their side effects. So, we throw ourselves into all sorts of exercise routines and diets. We are told to eat organically and locally even though it costs quite a bit to do this.
We are afraid of losing our money and income. Whether it’s by losing our jobs or by having the government increase taxes or by the oil and gas companies increasing the cost of gasoline, we are afraid of not having enough money to live on. We are afraid of having to cut back on what kind of lifestyle we live in. We are afraid to be more generous with the money we have and make just in case we might need it in the future.
We are afraid of the weather. Whether it’s the threat of climate change or the threat of drought or the threat of hurricanes or tornados, we are flat out scared of the weather. It’s unpredictable, but that doesn’t mean we won’t try to control it. We’ve got to change our behavior so that the climate changes and we won’t have more rain, less rain, more hurricanes, more tornadoes, or what have you. Think about that for a minute–the suggestion we can actually control the weather.
Oh, and I think I’m just touching the tip of the ice berg. I think there are more than a few more fears and concerns I could throw out there. I haven’t even dealt with the fears we as parents face when dealing with our children. Will they do well in school? Will they run with the right crowd? Will they end up making good decisions? Will they end up like Miley Cyrus?
Fear after fear after fear pounds us. News story after news story raises our anxiety. Television commercial after television commercial scares us and then promises a product witch will offer salvation. Documentary after documentary appears telling us that food isn’t safe to eat, water isn’t safe to drink, our cars aren’t safe to drive, and our homes are full of toxins.
Is it any wonder people in our society tend to be more and more isolated? More and more inward focused? More and more depressed? More and more unwilling to simply engage and talk to each other? It’s much safer to text or email or perhaps call someone instead of having a real, live, sit down conversation. After all, that other person might get angry with something you say or challenge a point of view you hold and realize one more fear: the fear of conflict.
And it would be fortunate if we could come to church and find some comfort. It would be nice to come to church to hear a word from God which would cut through the fear and anxiety and help us to walk through the world with confidence. But all too often, we hear the opposite–or we hear claims of falsehood. We either arrive to have the hell scared into us so that we may believe to avoid the pitfalls of the eternal fire. Or we arrive to have our awareness raised about some other problem we cannot possibly hope to solve. Or we arrive to have a preacher tell us if we just believe enough, our best days are ahead of us and God will provide us with wealth, health and prosperity.
Alas, oftentimes, we leave the confines of these four walls beaten down even further thinking we are somehow inadequate because we do not measure up to God’s standards. We are sinful. We are part of sinful structures. We don’t have enough faith to attain prosperity and the perfect life.
Is there a word of hope for us? Is there a word that actually speaks to our situation? Is there a word which acknowledges the reality of fear and anxiety; acknowledges our inability to overcome it and change ourselves and the world; and yet offers us hope? Is there such a word?
Take a listen to this word; a word given by the writer of Hebrews. See if it hits you where you live: 3Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured. 4Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers. 5Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’ 6So we can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?’
What can anyone or anything do to me? We know how we are called to live. We know not everyone accepts this way of life. We know we may suffer along the way, but we know how it all ends. We know the page will turn.
When the final page of “There’s a Monster at the End of This Book” is reached, Grover looks around and says, “Well, what do you know? This is the end of the book, and the only one here is me. I, lovable, furry old Grover am the monster at the end of this book. I told you and told you there was nothing to worry about.”
For those of us who are Christian, the end of the book is God and His Kingdom. The end of the book is resurrection. The end of the book is hope. Therefore, we can live God’s Word daily by saying with confidence: the Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?” Amen.
For those few of you who might not be familiar with this kids’ book, Grover starts off by saying, “What, what did that say? On the cover? Did that say there would be a monster at the end of this book? Oh no. That’s terrible. I am so afraid of monsters!” As the book goes on, Grover begs the reader not to turn the page. He nails the pages together. He builds brick walls. No matter what happens, the pages keep getting turned.
At last, we get to the page just before the end. Grover pleads and pleads and pleads. “The next page is the end of the book, and there is a monster at the end of this book. I am so afraid of monsters. Please don’t turn the page. Please. Please. Please. Please.” Grover is sorely afraid.
Most of the children I have read this book to in my life love this story. In many ways they resonate with it. What child isn’t afraid of monsters? I mean, I don’t care how hard we as parents try, eventually our kids are exposed to those things which go bump in the night. Whether or not it’s Scooby Doo or Twilight or some other such fiction, sooner or later they learn about vampires, werewolves, blobs, ghosts, and goblins. Sooner or later they have nightmares about such things, and we as parents have to comfort them and tell them, “These things are imaginary. There’s no such things as monsters.”
Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t. Hopefully, as they get older, kids grow out of such beliefs in monsters, ghouls and goblins. But the interesting thing that I have found, is that even as we grow up and put those fears aside, we do not stop being afraid. In fact, in many ways, our fears just leap from one particular thing to another. And I have come to think that as a nation, as a society, we suffer from an incredible amount of fear.
What are we afraid of? Let’s start the list:
One of the main items of fear since September 11, 2001 is terrorism. To stave off any sort of terrorist attack, we’ve battened down the hatches at airports. We’ve created the NSA. We’ve allowed spying on citizens lives in cyberspace and in reality. We’ve killed suspected terrorists and their children without trial or evidence that they have indeed committed an act of terror. And there is more that such agencies and the government would like to do to keep us safe.
There are many who are extremely afraid of crime. There is a heightened sense of fear as one reads the news stories about school shootings, inner city gang violence, and the beatings/killings of innocent people who are just going about their daily lives. Depending upon which side of the political aisle you sit on, you believe the answer either has to do with more government power or making people take personal responsibility.
We are afraid of losing our health. Talk to anyone who is having to deal with the recurring nightmare of dealing with a major injury or cancer or an extended hospitalization. They will flat out tell you how much of a headache they get from dealing with the whole medical industry. They will tell you they wonder how it is possible for anyone who is poor to pay for healthcare. They will tell you how much it costs them to regain some semblance of normalcy in their lives. They will tell you the frustration in dealing with medications and their side effects. So, we throw ourselves into all sorts of exercise routines and diets. We are told to eat organically and locally even though it costs quite a bit to do this.
We are afraid of losing our money and income. Whether it’s by losing our jobs or by having the government increase taxes or by the oil and gas companies increasing the cost of gasoline, we are afraid of not having enough money to live on. We are afraid of having to cut back on what kind of lifestyle we live in. We are afraid to be more generous with the money we have and make just in case we might need it in the future.
We are afraid of the weather. Whether it’s the threat of climate change or the threat of drought or the threat of hurricanes or tornados, we are flat out scared of the weather. It’s unpredictable, but that doesn’t mean we won’t try to control it. We’ve got to change our behavior so that the climate changes and we won’t have more rain, less rain, more hurricanes, more tornadoes, or what have you. Think about that for a minute–the suggestion we can actually control the weather.
Oh, and I think I’m just touching the tip of the ice berg. I think there are more than a few more fears and concerns I could throw out there. I haven’t even dealt with the fears we as parents face when dealing with our children. Will they do well in school? Will they run with the right crowd? Will they end up making good decisions? Will they end up like Miley Cyrus?
Fear after fear after fear pounds us. News story after news story raises our anxiety. Television commercial after television commercial scares us and then promises a product witch will offer salvation. Documentary after documentary appears telling us that food isn’t safe to eat, water isn’t safe to drink, our cars aren’t safe to drive, and our homes are full of toxins.
Is it any wonder people in our society tend to be more and more isolated? More and more inward focused? More and more depressed? More and more unwilling to simply engage and talk to each other? It’s much safer to text or email or perhaps call someone instead of having a real, live, sit down conversation. After all, that other person might get angry with something you say or challenge a point of view you hold and realize one more fear: the fear of conflict.
And it would be fortunate if we could come to church and find some comfort. It would be nice to come to church to hear a word from God which would cut through the fear and anxiety and help us to walk through the world with confidence. But all too often, we hear the opposite–or we hear claims of falsehood. We either arrive to have the hell scared into us so that we may believe to avoid the pitfalls of the eternal fire. Or we arrive to have our awareness raised about some other problem we cannot possibly hope to solve. Or we arrive to have a preacher tell us if we just believe enough, our best days are ahead of us and God will provide us with wealth, health and prosperity.
Alas, oftentimes, we leave the confines of these four walls beaten down even further thinking we are somehow inadequate because we do not measure up to God’s standards. We are sinful. We are part of sinful structures. We don’t have enough faith to attain prosperity and the perfect life.
Is there a word of hope for us? Is there a word that actually speaks to our situation? Is there a word which acknowledges the reality of fear and anxiety; acknowledges our inability to overcome it and change ourselves and the world; and yet offers us hope? Is there such a word?
Take a listen to this word; a word given by the writer of Hebrews. See if it hits you where you live: 3Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured. 4Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers. 5Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’ 6So we can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?’
What can anyone or anything do to me? We know how we are called to live. We know not everyone accepts this way of life. We know we may suffer along the way, but we know how it all ends. We know the page will turn.
When the final page of “There’s a Monster at the End of This Book” is reached, Grover looks around and says, “Well, what do you know? This is the end of the book, and the only one here is me. I, lovable, furry old Grover am the monster at the end of this book. I told you and told you there was nothing to worry about.”
For those of us who are Christian, the end of the book is God and His Kingdom. The end of the book is resurrection. The end of the book is hope. Therefore, we can live God’s Word daily by saying with confidence: the Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?” Amen.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
With Reluctance...A Word About Miley
There is a saying on internet chat boards: don't feed the troll.
Now, a "troll" is a person lurking on internet chat boards who makes it his or her job to incite anger and fury, taking things out of context and blowing them up to be something larger than what is intended. Or, the person intentionally adds a comment beyond the scope of the original thread simply to cause conflict. The theory is if you don't "feed" the troll by responding, it will go away.
Miley Cyrus' performance at the VMA show qualifies as such behavior, I think, and I am loathe to even comment on it. Yet, the performance achieved at least one goal--it raked in lots of viewers during and after the fact. Advertisers are licking their chops with the revenue generated. Such a thing, perhaps is at the root of the whole issue, by the way. Money. Money. Money.
I generally don't watch any sort of award show. It simply doesn't appeal to me, and I rather frankly don't care. In my estimation, there are much more important things in life to deal with and worry about than who can best keep us entertained and out of our boredom. For that is what such entertainment is all about, is it not? Isn't that the reason people flock to the movies: to be entertained and escape reality for a while? Isn't that why we tune into sporting events in record numbers? I mean, the Romans perfected sporting events a couple of thousand years ago, and we've managed to ratchet it up entertainment wise while minimizing the amount of blood spilled. And the business which has sprung up around these industries is amazing. Billions upon billions of dollars are sucked out of the average Joe's and Jane's pockets to fund this stuff, and we keep paying it because we are bored with our lives.
And face it, we all like a bit of excitement from time to time. Yes. We really do. We need something to get our hearts pumping and our adrenaline racing. We need something to make us take notice and help us believe there is something more to our lives than simply earning a paycheck, being at home watching our kids, sitting in front of pixellated screens watching characters enact lives full of excitement, adventure, and cunning, and then going to bed only to step into the same routine the next day.
Heck, yesterday, with the kids out of school and not much to do around the house, I found myself actually going nuts a bit. I wanted to be engaged in doing something besides just sitting at the house and watching my kids play. I wanted to be active. It was too hot to fish or hunt, and I've gotten to the point where playing video games no longer keeps me occupied very long. I craved some adventure and excitement of my own.
I needed a reminder of that one line from the book of Hebrews--a line I read the past Sunday (that sermon will be posted tomorrow): 5Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’ 6So we can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?’ (Hebrews 13:5-6 emphasis mine.)
Be content with what you have.
My God, what a concept! It actually goes quite counter to what I've been taught most of my life through my schooling and society. The spoken and unspoken mantra pulsing through our culture is: don't ever be satisfied; push on; attain more; rise through the ranks; there are no limits; don't allow yourself to have any boundaries.
And there is something to be said for such a thing, especially when it comes to rising out of poverty and becoming self-sufficient. There is something to be said for "making it" and living the American dream. And, of course, that involves some work on our part. There is much satisfaction in creating and doing and earning something on your own. Simply having it given to you or expecting someone to give it to you isn't quite the way it works. And so, I think it important to draw a fine line between contentment and laziness.
And most of us should be more content. Should be.
I think about my own situation. I have a loving wife and three adorable children; a roof over my head; food on the table; a job I love; places to hunt and fish; congregation members who I truly enjoy working with and interacting with; plenty of "toys" to play with; good health; cushion in my bank account. I should be content. All of my needs are being met.
Ah, but there is that little voice which creeps in. "Wouldn't it be nice if...
Be content with what you have.
Miley Cyrus actually has it all. She made millions as Hannah Montana. If she and her parents invested wisely, she would never have to work again. In the minds of millions of kids, she is/was a heroine of sorts. Fame. Fortune. Millions of devoted fans. What more could one want?
Apparently a lot.
Just like a lot of us want a lot more even though we've got what we need.
Some of us are much more adept at listening to that other voice within our heads that says, "Slow down. Think. Think about what you have. Think about how you have been blessed. Think about what you are doing and what you would like to do. Think about what is most important and then think about what the best situation for you to achieve those things might be."
I am quite convinced when we stop and think about such matters, we will realize that we can indeed follow the writer of Hebrews' advice: be content with what you have. And we can stop feeding that other voice which is pretty much a troll in disguise.
Now, a "troll" is a person lurking on internet chat boards who makes it his or her job to incite anger and fury, taking things out of context and blowing them up to be something larger than what is intended. Or, the person intentionally adds a comment beyond the scope of the original thread simply to cause conflict. The theory is if you don't "feed" the troll by responding, it will go away.
Miley Cyrus' performance at the VMA show qualifies as such behavior, I think, and I am loathe to even comment on it. Yet, the performance achieved at least one goal--it raked in lots of viewers during and after the fact. Advertisers are licking their chops with the revenue generated. Such a thing, perhaps is at the root of the whole issue, by the way. Money. Money. Money.
I generally don't watch any sort of award show. It simply doesn't appeal to me, and I rather frankly don't care. In my estimation, there are much more important things in life to deal with and worry about than who can best keep us entertained and out of our boredom. For that is what such entertainment is all about, is it not? Isn't that the reason people flock to the movies: to be entertained and escape reality for a while? Isn't that why we tune into sporting events in record numbers? I mean, the Romans perfected sporting events a couple of thousand years ago, and we've managed to ratchet it up entertainment wise while minimizing the amount of blood spilled. And the business which has sprung up around these industries is amazing. Billions upon billions of dollars are sucked out of the average Joe's and Jane's pockets to fund this stuff, and we keep paying it because we are bored with our lives.
And face it, we all like a bit of excitement from time to time. Yes. We really do. We need something to get our hearts pumping and our adrenaline racing. We need something to make us take notice and help us believe there is something more to our lives than simply earning a paycheck, being at home watching our kids, sitting in front of pixellated screens watching characters enact lives full of excitement, adventure, and cunning, and then going to bed only to step into the same routine the next day.
Heck, yesterday, with the kids out of school and not much to do around the house, I found myself actually going nuts a bit. I wanted to be engaged in doing something besides just sitting at the house and watching my kids play. I wanted to be active. It was too hot to fish or hunt, and I've gotten to the point where playing video games no longer keeps me occupied very long. I craved some adventure and excitement of my own.
I needed a reminder of that one line from the book of Hebrews--a line I read the past Sunday (that sermon will be posted tomorrow): 5Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’ 6So we can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?’ (Hebrews 13:5-6 emphasis mine.)
Be content with what you have.
My God, what a concept! It actually goes quite counter to what I've been taught most of my life through my schooling and society. The spoken and unspoken mantra pulsing through our culture is: don't ever be satisfied; push on; attain more; rise through the ranks; there are no limits; don't allow yourself to have any boundaries.
And there is something to be said for such a thing, especially when it comes to rising out of poverty and becoming self-sufficient. There is something to be said for "making it" and living the American dream. And, of course, that involves some work on our part. There is much satisfaction in creating and doing and earning something on your own. Simply having it given to you or expecting someone to give it to you isn't quite the way it works. And so, I think it important to draw a fine line between contentment and laziness.
And most of us should be more content. Should be.
I think about my own situation. I have a loving wife and three adorable children; a roof over my head; food on the table; a job I love; places to hunt and fish; congregation members who I truly enjoy working with and interacting with; plenty of "toys" to play with; good health; cushion in my bank account. I should be content. All of my needs are being met.
Ah, but there is that little voice which creeps in. "Wouldn't it be nice if...
- You had your own ranch.
- You had a bigger church.
- You had a better paying job.
- You had more opportunity for upward mobility.
- You had a better car.
- You had a larger audience to hear you preach.
- You had more opportunities to travel and get away.
Be content with what you have.
Miley Cyrus actually has it all. She made millions as Hannah Montana. If she and her parents invested wisely, she would never have to work again. In the minds of millions of kids, she is/was a heroine of sorts. Fame. Fortune. Millions of devoted fans. What more could one want?
Apparently a lot.
Just like a lot of us want a lot more even though we've got what we need.
Some of us are much more adept at listening to that other voice within our heads that says, "Slow down. Think. Think about what you have. Think about how you have been blessed. Think about what you are doing and what you would like to do. Think about what is most important and then think about what the best situation for you to achieve those things might be."
I am quite convinced when we stop and think about such matters, we will realize that we can indeed follow the writer of Hebrews' advice: be content with what you have. And we can stop feeding that other voice which is pretty much a troll in disguise.
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