From my Pastor
Every Thanksgiving night at about 7:00 pm, about five hours after the conclusion of a wonderfully gluttonous Thanksgiving feast, something strange occurs. I find that I am hungry AGAIN. I want another piece of pecan pie, or better yet, a white meat turkey sandwich with Miracle Whip, and some more of those mashed potatoes. It always seems that I want more.
And such an attitude, with me, does not apply to only turkey. Wanting more is a way of life in our culture. And with a superficial glance, a pious Christian might comment that this constant wanting, this unending desire for more, is a bad thing. Instead, deeper reflection reveals that desire is a part of how God made us. There is a certain discontent that leads to desire a, and desire leads to work and striving, and work and striving give our lives a sense of purpose and direction. Without a wanting for more, no human would move forward. None of this is wrong according to Jesus. What Jesus says is that our sense of desire, our constant wanting and wishing, need to be redirected to the right things. We are like sailors thirsting for water, and we try to quench that thirst with sea water; it appears that it will quench the desire, but it only makes us thirstier.
Jesus says "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness." He says "blessed are you who hunger for righteousness." And he goes on to tell them that one day, they will be satisfied. The prophets of Scripture lived hungering and straining forward to that day when righteousness would reign, when God's reign would come on earth as it is in heaven.
During this holiday season, I challenge you this year to transform your desire for more stuff into a desire for more of God's reign in your life. What can I do this year to act a little more like Christ? What can I do to be a little nicer to that obnoxious cousin, or mend a broken relationship with my offended sister? How can I be more generous to those in need? How about, this year, more Jesus. Let's hunger for the things that matter!
-Rev. Tom Pace
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Mathew 5:6
Even if you're not a Christian, messages like this can be very meaningful in helping you live a good life, because even though you may not believe in God, you will often find that you agree with His positions on morality and ethics. Just replace things like "act a little more like Christ" with something less offensive to you, like "be a better person."
And such an attitude, with me, does not apply to only turkey. Wanting more is a way of life in our culture. And with a superficial glance, a pious Christian might comment that this constant wanting, this unending desire for more, is a bad thing. Instead, deeper reflection reveals that desire is a part of how God made us. There is a certain discontent that leads to desire a, and desire leads to work and striving, and work and striving give our lives a sense of purpose and direction. Without a wanting for more, no human would move forward. None of this is wrong according to Jesus. What Jesus says is that our sense of desire, our constant wanting and wishing, need to be redirected to the right things. We are like sailors thirsting for water, and we try to quench that thirst with sea water; it appears that it will quench the desire, but it only makes us thirstier.
Jesus says "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness." He says "blessed are you who hunger for righteousness." And he goes on to tell them that one day, they will be satisfied. The prophets of Scripture lived hungering and straining forward to that day when righteousness would reign, when God's reign would come on earth as it is in heaven.
During this holiday season, I challenge you this year to transform your desire for more stuff into a desire for more of God's reign in your life. What can I do this year to act a little more like Christ? What can I do to be a little nicer to that obnoxious cousin, or mend a broken relationship with my offended sister? How can I be more generous to those in need? How about, this year, more Jesus. Let's hunger for the things that matter!
-Rev. Tom Pace
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Mathew 5:6
Even if you're not a Christian, messages like this can be very meaningful in helping you live a good life, because even though you may not believe in God, you will often find that you agree with His positions on morality and ethics. Just replace things like "act a little more like Christ" with something less offensive to you, like "be a better person."