Monday, September 18, 2006

Good Morning 

 

Good to see everyone on Sunday.  Thought we had some good conversation, and I think we could have gone on for awhile if we had been able to.

 

I think that there were a number of things swirling about in our discussions, with probably the most conversation on the concept of "greed" which Max Lucado used in chapter 5 (pg 41- 52).

 

In general, if you boil down what the intention of that chapter is, I think he is saying that money isn't everything -- we shouldn't move away from doing the things that give us joy and that we are good at -- our sweet spot - just to chase after more money or power or some other benefit.  I think that is always a consideration when we considering changing careers, or jobs -- and I think most people, over the course of their lives, will probably turn down a career move or two that would pay them more money, with the understanding that money isn't everything.  So I think that is a relatively simple concept.

 

That said, I think that Lucado's approach to making that point -- particularly the way he set that up as "greed" -- is what created the conversation in the class.  Preachers are supposed to challenge us, and to clearly call us out on attitudes that are leading us away from Christ.  I think that a bigger point that Lucado was trying to make was not just to have us agree that money isn't everything -- but go a step further and have us examine our attitudes about how much money is enough, and to get us to perhaps consider the fact that our salary/income requirements might be set artifically high, due to our desire for things that might not be necessities.  In a sense, the lower we set the bar for what our financial requirements are, the broader our employment choices are -- thus the more likely we are to feel free to pursue our sweet spot.

 

More conversation on this to come, I'm sure.

 

This week's reading:

 

Monday:  Pg 173-178  -- some more time to review these questions 

Tuesday:   Pg 63 - 70  -- chapter 7 plus Q and A for this week.

Wednesday: Pg  179-182 

Thursday: Pg  179-182 

Friday:  Pg  179-182 

 

 Today's Scripture 

 

 But I tell you who hear me:  Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 

 Luke 6:27      

Today's prayer requests:      

Today's class member prayer:   

 

Brigitte Severance  

  

Jay