Musings for october 10

Sunday, October 10, 2010
Lectionary 28
Proper 23
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

Midweek Musings

Reflection by Deb Johnson

Sharing Enough
What does “contentment” feel like? This is a difficult question in our current culture. When surveys have asked “How much is enough?” responses have consistently been “Twenty percent more than I have now.” If that is true, how do we break the endless circle that this leads us toward—it is always “twenty percent more.” We are told over and over every day—“You don’t have enough…What you have is fragile and could be gone at any moment…You have to go get more!” These messages come from a world focused on scarcity.

Prayer of the Day
God of abundance, you have poured out a large measure of earthly blessings: our table is richly furnished, our cup overflows, and we live in safety and security. Teach us to set our hearts on you and not these material blessings. Keep us from becoming captivated by prosperity, and grant us in wisdom to use your blessings to your glory and to the service of humankind; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Deuteronomy 8:11-18
11Take care that you do not forget the LORD your God, by failing to keep his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes, which I am commanding you today. 12When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them, 13and when your herds and flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, 14then do not exalt yourself, forgetting the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, 15who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, an arid wasteland with poisonous snakes and scorpions. He made water flow for you from flint rock, 16and fed you in the wilderness with manna that your ancestors did not know, to humble you and to test you, and in the end to do you good. 17Do not say to yourself, "My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth." 18But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your ancestors, as he is doing today.

Psalm 24:1-3
The earth is the LORD's and all that is in it,
the world, and those who live in it;
2for he has founded it on the seas,
and established it on the rivers.
3Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?
And who shall stand in his holy place?

Philippians 4:12-13
12I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. 13I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Luke 5:1-7
Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, 2he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." 5Simon answered, "Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets." 6When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. 7So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.

Reflection

There is a saying that "we spend the first 50 years collecting stuff and the next 50 getting rid of it." Having reached that point in my life I must admit that I fell to that adage. The rummage sale ended less than a week ago and I already have two boxes set aside for next spring! Now this reflection really isn't about personal confessions, but I would like to share with you what I have discovered. I have fewer things around me ... in the house and in the office. And, I enjoy my time in those spaces more. It is in the openness of space that I feel most comfortable.

The other evening I stopped by a friend's house. They had put it on the market and did what the realtor advised: put things away, less on the walls, no knick knacks. Buyers like to feel the open space.

During these days of stewardship conversations we are called to reflect on the gifts that God gave us. These are gifts not intended to be hoarded yet shared with others.

Jesus went to one of the boats ... went away from the crowd. It was there that he found the silence from which to teach the crowds.

Jesus too pulled away from the crowds ... to teach them from a pace of simplicity.

In the simplicity of life, we can learn from Jesus ...

It is in the simplicity of life that our nets are filled ... not with more stuff ... but rather with more life.

Quote:

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,

And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gain'd,

To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,

To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come round right.

Prayers

For children who are separated from parents because of military deployment

For strength and healing of those we name in our hearts and on our lips

For courage to say no

For courage to live simply

For communities that struggle to live in peace