“No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” Luke 16:13

“It’s not riches alone, but the blind pursuit of wealth that “enslaves” a person. Money can help us do tremendous good for others. But all who focus on getting more and more stuff are caught in a vicious cycle. Like drugs, alcohol, or gambling, money and stuff can be powerful addictions. The powerful trap of pursuing wealth is always present in our world. But Jesus is always present, too, and he is more powerful than money and any stuff we can accumulate.” (Laurie Hanson. The Funny Shape of Faith: Devotions for the Rest of Us (Kindle Edition.)

Heaven: A Place With No Class (Read on McDuff before you crucify me)

Rich or poor – all fall short of the glory of G-d. Rich or poor – all are dependent on G-d’s love, mercy and grace. Rich or poor, Nasty or Nice – it is G-d who chooses who will be a part of the Kingdom. Paul will write in Galatians 3: “…in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” In other words, there is no class system in Heaven – there is only our G-d who chooses based on his system of determination – not ours. As such I have this feeling that once we get to paradise, we might be just a little surprised at who is being welcomed. It will not be based on our list of qualifications – for we are too quick to make class distinctions.

Instead of fighting to be at the front of the line or spending too much time deciding who should be at the end of the line, why not focus on paving the way for others to join the line of those who feel welcome and invited. Yes, heaven has no class, because all are equally welcome to the kingdom.

Let us pray,

Lord of the rich, poor, and all creation, help me avoid the trap of class distinctions when it comes to offering your love, mercy and grace. Give me the strength to help break down the divides that separate people, and help me see all people as your children. Amen.

Pastor Dave

“So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.” Luke 15:20

“Jesus tells a story about a wayward son. This son wastes his inheritance, finally comes to his senses, then stumbles home in utter defeat. We wouldn’t be surprised if his father launched into a big lecture at this point. But instead, the father runs to his son, hugs him, kisses him, and throws a huge party! This story offers encouragement to all of us who need “quality time” with God. God is in charge of the universe, but never too busy for us. Just as a parent hovers adoringly over a sleeping child, God stays in our midst. No matter how long we are absent or distracted or just plain rebellious, God greets us with nothing less than unbridled joy.” (Laurie Hanson. The Funny Shape of Faith: Devotions for the Rest of Us (Kindle Edition.)

Quality Time With God

“God is in charge of the universe, but never too busy for us.”

We need to remember that sentence every day of our lives – G-d is not too busy to listen to our prayers. All too often we get to be so busy with our chores and tasks and “to-do” lists that G-d gets whatever time we have left – and often that time is not “quality” time. I know it is hard to set aside time for family and for home chores, etc – but just like we work hard to keep our homes nice and our kids close to us, we also need to work hard on our relationship with G-d. After all, if G-d is never too busy for us, then why do we allow our “over-scheduled” lives to allow us to be too busy for G-d?

Let’s start today with making more time for G-d. Let’s not just approach G-d when the wheels are falling off our lives. Why not start today with making time for G-d – perhaps that change may keep at least one of our wheels attached when all else is falling off.

Let us pray,

God of quality time, there never seems to be enough time – time is not always on my side. I know I need to spend more quality time with you. I pray for your love and understanding, especially when I am pressed for time. Perhaps next time I will have more time. Amen.

Pastor Dave