Tag Archives: Abundance

What Constitutes Abundance

Living in the Spirit

September 17, 2020

Scripture Reading:
Psalm 145:1-8
I will extol you, my God and King,
   and bless your name for ever and ever.
Every day I will bless you,
   and praise your name for ever and ever.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
   his greatness is unsearchable.

One generation shall laud your works to another,
   and shall declare your mighty acts.
On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
   and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
The might of your awesome deeds shall be proclaimed,
   and I will declare your greatness.
They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness,
   and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

The Lord is gracious and merciful,
   slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

I know of ancestors who owned slaves and others who settled on land taken from the indigenous people of the USA, and I morn those facts. Yet, I am a Christian today because of the devout faiths of my ancestors. My mother was a Deaconess in the Methodist Church during the Great Depression, where she served as a community organizer in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia. My dad had a beautiful voice and often led the singing at our church from his pew. He would rise up on his toes as his baritone voice reached for high notes. It does not work for me, but it did for him. His grandfather hosted the first worship service in his home among the pioneers who traveled together from Pennsylvania to Illinois. His great grandfather was one of the trustees who purchased the land to build a new church in Pennsylvania. I visited the grave of a seventh great grandfather in a churchyard while traveling in London a few years ago. I could feel Paul’s presence when I walked the streets of Ephesus, now in ruins, and saw the symbol of the fish, the Ichthys, representing Christ, marked in paving stones.

What legacy are we leaving the next generations? According to the PEW Forum, Christianity is declining in the U.S. at a rapid pace*. I noted when I was doing some research recently on Central America that the percentage of the populations identifying as Christian in those countries is much higher than in the U.S.** Do we only turn to God when we are oppressed? When things are going right for us, do we no longer feel we need God? That seemed to be the trend in the history of the Israelites and appears to be the way we act today. The Good News of Jesus does proclaim an end to oppression, but it also includes the vision of a world ruled by love where everyone has enough.

I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly***– beyond what is anticipated, exceeding expectation.

We tend to measure abundance by wealth and power. God measures it by love and wants to be a part of our success in loving one another as well as saving us from oppression. The sad fact is as we work toward wealth and power, we increase the oppression of others. God will not put up with that forever.

Prayer: Lord, help us learn a new song of abundance, celebrating love rather than wealth and power that leads to oppression. Amen.

*https://www.pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/
**https://www.pewforum.org/2014/11/13/religion-in-latin-america/
***John 10:10b

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Abundance

Eastertide
May 7, 2017

Scripture Reading: John 10:1-10

So again Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. –John 10:7-10

The Greek word translated abundantly here is perissos and means properly all-around, “more than” (“abundantly”); beyond what is anticipated, exceeding expectation; “more abundant,” going past the expected limit (“more than enough . . . “) *

The word/thought of abundance takes me back to Psalm 23:
You prepare a table before me
   in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
   my cup overflows.

I fear many perceive an abundant life as being blessed with material wealth, good health perhaps, and happiness. Some go so far as to judge other’s relationship with God based on such earthly measures.  Somehow, I think Jesus is talking about overflowing love and joy not worldly riches and short term happiness as abundance. If God expects us to love God and others surely, God provides in excess the basic tools to do that. The human dilemma relates to the inability to receive or recognize the readily provided source gift of love because we are too caught up in seeking abundance in wrong places and always falling short of finding it.

An ageless retired couple, I am privileged to call friends, buys their clothing at thrift stores, and if they get a new TV for themselves they get one for someone else who needs one too. They just enjoy giving back from the abundance of love they have received from God over the decades of their lives. Their cup runs over all the time.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your gift of abundant love. Remove the blinders from our eyes that stops us from basking in your love. Amen.

*http://biblehub.com/greek/4053.htm

All scriptures are quoted from the new Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Real Abundance

I am the vineEastertide
May 2, 2015

Scripture Reading: John 15:1-8

‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.  –John 15:1-6

I have spent more time studying the Hebrew Bible during the last year than I probably ever have. It was not by any pre-arranged design of mine; I have wondered if it was God’s intent. First, last summer, my Sunday school class explored in depth 1 & 2 Kings with a little Chronicles thrown in for good measure, and to get both sides of the story. My Bible study group decided to explore Isaiah in the fall and upon determining the fertile wealth of knowledge it contained moved so slowly we had to continue it into our spring session. The question this infusion has raised in my mind is this: Is the greatest challenge faced by we who chose to follow God our ability to continue in God’s love and service within the gift of God’s abundance? I like to describe that in biblical terms as what happens when the oppressed becomes the emperor? History does not give it a good rating.

1 & 2 Kings describes a roller coaster of good and bad kings that follow the great King David. Putting self and wealth and power above God, the bad kings drove the Israelites into desperate straits until a good king would arise and guide them back into God’s fold. This was repeated until the bad kings finally succeeded in losing the kingdom altogether. But God even delivered them from exile and promised them a leader who would help them stay on course. We Christian see that leader as Jesus the Christ defined in our scripture today as the true vine.

I fear we today are reacting very much like our ancestors in faith who once they gain wealth and power, tell God, “We’ve got this now. We can take it from here.” Of course, we cannot. Our nourishment must remain with the vine and we must do his work of not gaining wealth and power, but abundance for not only us but all of God’s children.

Prayer: Lord, continue to nourish us in our faith. Give us the vision we need to see what real abundance is and help us live into it. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

 

Listening for God

Hearing GodEpiphany
Celebration of God
Manifested in the World
January 12, 2015

 Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20)

Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.

 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ and he said, ‘Here I am!’ and ran to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call; lie down again.’ So he went and lay down. — 1 Samuel 3:1-5

Whether we read this scripture literally or metaphorically, it is ominous in nature. In the second chapter of 1 Samuel we read of an oracle confronting Eli about his work and more particularly the lack of commitment of his sons. God was going to pass the torch to someone else who would be God’s prophet for the people that someone was Samuel. The first verse begs the question: was the word of the Lord rare or were people not listening for it? Apparently the priestly functions were continuing as hollow acts of habit. Samuel, no doubt by Eli’s instruction, was tending the lamp of God even before he knew who God was. The lamp was to remain lit until the sun rose. On this morning a new and different dawn was coming. God will not let God’s people go without God’s light.

The birth and dedication of Samuel to God is mirrored in the birth of Jesus, another chosen one conceived to spread even a greater light into the darkness that was overcoming the world. Similar challenges faced Samuel and then Jesus and they still face us today. We humans, children of God though we are, do not handle prosperity well. We have a long, long history of begging for God in the bad times and not being aware of God in what we consider to be the good times.

The abundant life that Jesus described most likely included all having enough to eat and other basic needs met not more than enough. God’s abundance is having more than enough love for God and each other.

Prayer: Lord help us to carefully consider what is enough, and let us work toward assuring that the basic needs of all are being met. More importantly, open our ears and our eyes to hear your word and see your visions as we work to make them real in our world today experienced in the depth of your love. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Where are You Investing Your Talents?

Abundant lifeLiving in the Spirit
November 15, 2014

Scripture Reading: Matthew 25:14-30

‘For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. — Matthew 25:14-18

Someone forwarded me the report of a study regarding the Top Ten Sources of Discouragement of Pastors and Church Staff* and it was very insightful. They make sense when we stop and think about them. The first is conflicts/complaining/murmuring. The second is lack of fruit and spiritual maturity in church members. The third is apathy. Our scripture today speaks of the last two so I have to assume they were problems with which Jesus had to deal. Society, in general in the USA at least, is suffering from an epidemic of apathy. We just had one of the lowest voter turnouts this country has ever experienced.

Jesus envisioned the Kingdom of God as being a place where all had a stake in its success. Where the contribution of each citizen is essential and where all citizens live not just adequately, but abundantly. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:10b). Now, Jesus’ definition of abundance may be different from our definition for I fear that we sometimes limit living abundantly to material wealth. I think Jesus is talking about all aspects of life overflowing our expectations. More than financial wealth, we will each have more love, more kindness, and more justice. We will be whole and we will be one in the Kingdom of God.

I have always thought it interesting that the Greek word talenton that is a measure of weight for silver or gold and its sister Latin word talenta became our English word talent that is the abilities, powers, and gifts bestowed upon a man:  natural endowments**. As we contemplate the use of our gifts in service to God, we certainly need to consider how we share our material wealth but just as importantly we need to use our gifts in service and in love.

Prayer: Lord, we praise you for the abundance of life you poured out on us in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Help us return your gifts in service to your Kingdom so that all can life in your abundance. Amen.

*www.thomrainer.com
**http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/Talent

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.