Dear Church Family,
How much is too much?
It is claimed that when John D. Rockefeller was asked how much money would make him happy, he replied,
Just one dollar more.
Whether you are a gozillionaire or not, we are discipled by a world that tells us we can never have too much. Adam Sandler in The Wedding Singer believed his love interest would pay him more attention if he had more money. He applied for a job at a bank. When asked if he had ever worked at a bank, he replied,
No, sir, I have no experience but I'm a big fan of money. I like it, I use it, I have a little. I keep it in a jar on top of my refrigerator. I'd like to put more in that jar. That's where you come in."
When we admit that we will never have a bankroll like Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk's, we Christians turn pious and quote Jesus,
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.
Our next step is to judge. How could the super-rich enter the kingdom of God? Can they not see poor Lazarus from Jesus’ story? Have they not heard what happened to the rich man who ignored the starving?
When Luke gives us the Acts of the Apostles, volume 2 of his Story of God, we take note of the early church having everything in common, such that if anyone had need, the community rallied to provide. We found the story of Peter raising Tabitha, restoring her to her ministry to poor widows, to be beautiful.
And then there is Lydia.
We have been working with the theme, Jesus Changes Everything, for the Season of Eastertide. This season was given to discipling new converts. We take this season as a reminder that Jesus still changes everything. And maybe Jesus changes our judgments about the wealthy. After all, Scripture tells us that to whom much is given, much is required. We don’t keep the tally. It is above our pay grade. Or should be.
On Sunday, we will look at the story of Lydia from Thyatira. She is likely connected to the people from the kingdom of Lydia that predates her story by at least 600 years. But the influence of that kingdom and its location make her story meaningful for the intersection of commerce, travel, East and West, and the Gospel for those seeking the God who changes everything. Underlying the activity of God is the Spirit of God that effects the purposes of God.
Take time to read John 14:23-29 and Acts 16:9-15. What do you see when you mash up these two passages?
Looking forward to Bible Study and Worship with you on Sunday.
Glad I’m Your Pastor,
Todd
Important Prayer Chain Note
The app we use to communicate prayer concerns for those committed to praying when our Prayer Chain is alerted has made some changes. We traced this change back to the end of April. Only about one-third of those who asked to be added to our prayer chain prayer team are receiving the notifications and text messages.
We are looking for a solution.
