Gilbert Meilaender’s son had just gone away to college. Meilaender wrote him three “open” letters, the first having to do with keeping one’s commitments. The dad wrote, “Much too often we suppose that the way to live is to think through what we want to do and then figure out how to do it,” i.e. set goals. All of us do this to some degree. Goals are helpful, but only to a point, says Meilaender.
“Thinking this way does not really prepare us well for living as responsible people… Much of the time we’re already committed in important ways before we really decide what our goals should be. And because we’re already committed, other people have expectations based on those commitments.” They will be devastated if we change directions. God, who keeps his commitments, is not honored when we scrap ours.
“The trick of life is not to figure out who I am and then decide what sorts of commitments such a person should make. The trick is to become the person who can carry out the commitments I’ve already made. Don’t imagine that the point of life is to set goals. Think, instead, that its point is to be faithful to the commitments already built into your life.”
Commitments like what? One is stewardship. We are to be faithful stewards or managers of all that God has given us, including our life in Grace Presbyterian Church.
“Intent to Give” Cards will be distributed soon. Stewardship Commitment Sunday is Nov. 7
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
PASTOR’S COLUMN Oct. 10, 2010
“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6: 31-33 (NIV)
God provides Our food, drink, and clothing, i.e., our material necessities. “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them.” This is a given according to Jesus, but how are we to understand his statement?
As we all know, not every individual has sufficient food, drink, clothing, or access to housing, schools, clinics, etc. Material necessities, even though there is plenty to go around for all humankind, are not always available to each person. Not only are many unemployed who would like to make a living, but around the globe humans starve, die from drinking contaminated water, live on the streets, and suffer because basic medical care is not available. But it’s not because there isn’t enough. It’s because opportunity and abundance are not well-distributed.
Humankind faces a distribution problem not of Divine making, one perpetuated by human short-sightedness, selfishness, apathy, greed, stupidity, injustice, in short, sin; one that God seeks to rectify, in part, through the charity and outcry for justice of Jesus’ followers. It was prophets such as Amos who cried out, “Woe to those who oppress the poor and crush the needy!” And it was Jesus who said, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Whenever we “seek first God’s kingdom” we do such things as distribute our Heavenly Father’s abundance to all. In this way “all these things will be given to you as well.” God wants all to have enough.
God provides Our food, drink, and clothing, i.e., our material necessities. “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them.” This is a given according to Jesus, but how are we to understand his statement?
As we all know, not every individual has sufficient food, drink, clothing, or access to housing, schools, clinics, etc. Material necessities, even though there is plenty to go around for all humankind, are not always available to each person. Not only are many unemployed who would like to make a living, but around the globe humans starve, die from drinking contaminated water, live on the streets, and suffer because basic medical care is not available. But it’s not because there isn’t enough. It’s because opportunity and abundance are not well-distributed.
Humankind faces a distribution problem not of Divine making, one perpetuated by human short-sightedness, selfishness, apathy, greed, stupidity, injustice, in short, sin; one that God seeks to rectify, in part, through the charity and outcry for justice of Jesus’ followers. It was prophets such as Amos who cried out, “Woe to those who oppress the poor and crush the needy!” And it was Jesus who said, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Whenever we “seek first God’s kingdom” we do such things as distribute our Heavenly Father’s abundance to all. In this way “all these things will be given to you as well.” God wants all to have enough.
Monday, October 4, 2010
PASTOR’S COLUMN (Oct. 3, 2010)
Growing up in Roswell, NM, my summers were filled with dragonflies—jillions of dragonflies everywhere a kid went. I assumed every town in America had dragonflies, but later learned this is not the case. I have seen a few in the Twin Cities, but nothing like in my hometown.
Dragonflies are unusual in appearance, somewhat out-of-this-world. Many people think that dragonflies are proof positive that aliens landed in Roswell in 1947. Aliens kept them as pets on their interplanetary journey, and after they colonized Roswell would take dragonflies for late-afternoon walks/buzzes on leashes with little collars.
Another theory is that the prevalence of dragonflies has something to do with Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, 7 miles east of Roswell. But again, many people think that Bitter Lake is proof positive that aliens landed in Roswell in 1947. It is a strange place, much like the aliens’ home planet, Blspida. (I learned long ago that it is no place to fill up a canteen.) Tours of Bitter Lake Refuge are now included during Roswell’s annual Dragonfly Festival, which was held a few weeks ago. Thousands of visitors showed up to learn about Roswell’s almost 100 species of dragonflies. They also may have visited Roswell’s two UFO museums.
Actually, some of these dragonflies are damselflies. It is hard to tell the difference, but we boys had to learn the difference growing up. Why? Because the mannerly thing to do was tip our caps to damselflies. (We’d just high-five dragonflies.)
Mannerly people are certainly different today. They look like other people, but the way they act and speak gives them away. Oftentimes mannerly people are followers of Christ, who when compared to the ways of the world, behave in an alien manner. (Alien in this sense has nothing to do with Roswell.)
1 Peter 2:11,12 puts it like this:
Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul. Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that, though they malign you as evildoers, they may see your honorable deeds and glorify God when he comes to judge.
Dragonflies are unusual in appearance, somewhat out-of-this-world. Many people think that dragonflies are proof positive that aliens landed in Roswell in 1947. Aliens kept them as pets on their interplanetary journey, and after they colonized Roswell would take dragonflies for late-afternoon walks/buzzes on leashes with little collars.
Another theory is that the prevalence of dragonflies has something to do with Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, 7 miles east of Roswell. But again, many people think that Bitter Lake is proof positive that aliens landed in Roswell in 1947. It is a strange place, much like the aliens’ home planet, Blspida. (I learned long ago that it is no place to fill up a canteen.) Tours of Bitter Lake Refuge are now included during Roswell’s annual Dragonfly Festival, which was held a few weeks ago. Thousands of visitors showed up to learn about Roswell’s almost 100 species of dragonflies. They also may have visited Roswell’s two UFO museums.
Actually, some of these dragonflies are damselflies. It is hard to tell the difference, but we boys had to learn the difference growing up. Why? Because the mannerly thing to do was tip our caps to damselflies. (We’d just high-five dragonflies.)
Mannerly people are certainly different today. They look like other people, but the way they act and speak gives them away. Oftentimes mannerly people are followers of Christ, who when compared to the ways of the world, behave in an alien manner. (Alien in this sense has nothing to do with Roswell.)
1 Peter 2:11,12 puts it like this:
Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul. Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that, though they malign you as evildoers, they may see your honorable deeds and glorify God when he comes to judge.
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