September 22, 2013 - Is God on Your List?
Posted on September 17, 2013 by faithlens
Contributed by John B. Hougen, Elkins Park, PA
Warm-up Questions:
Contributed by John B. Hougen, Elkins Park, PA
Warm-up Questions:
- Do you have a “to do” list?
- If you had the power to do whatever you want for the next week, what would you add to your list?
- What would you subtract?
Is God on Your List?
Everybody’s busy. Children are “driven” from one scheduled activity to another. Parents try to balance their responsibilities at work and home. Students are notoriously short of sleep because of all they pack into their lives. Churches and non-profits struggle to find people with time to volunteer. Retired people say, “I’m busier now than when I was working.”
Many of us feel that we’ve lost control over our lives. We are frustrated that we don’t have enough time for what would make our lives vibrant and marvelous. What we want to do and what is important to do get lost as we try to keep up with what we have to do.
Where is God in our busyness?
It is possible to raise our awareness of God’s presence when we are not being “religious,” even within the routine and mundane. (Monks learn to transform gardening, wine-making and other everyday work into prayer.) But, a healthy relationship with God also requires us to give God our full attention for some of our moments, some of our hours.
Today’s gospel reading (Luke 16: 1-13) challenges us to reassess our priorities. It challenges us to make our relationship with God our top priority, echoing the first of the Ten Commandments: “I am the Lord your God; … you shall have no other gods before me.”
Discussion Questions
Amos 8:4-7 1 Timothy 2:1-7 Luke 16:1-13
Everybody’s busy. Children are “driven” from one scheduled activity to another. Parents try to balance their responsibilities at work and home. Students are notoriously short of sleep because of all they pack into their lives. Churches and non-profits struggle to find people with time to volunteer. Retired people say, “I’m busier now than when I was working.”
Many of us feel that we’ve lost control over our lives. We are frustrated that we don’t have enough time for what would make our lives vibrant and marvelous. What we want to do and what is important to do get lost as we try to keep up with what we have to do.
Where is God in our busyness?
It is possible to raise our awareness of God’s presence when we are not being “religious,” even within the routine and mundane. (Monks learn to transform gardening, wine-making and other everyday work into prayer.) But, a healthy relationship with God also requires us to give God our full attention for some of our moments, some of our hours.
Today’s gospel reading (Luke 16: 1-13) challenges us to reassess our priorities. It challenges us to make our relationship with God our top priority, echoing the first of the Ten Commandments: “I am the Lord your God; … you shall have no other gods before me.”
Discussion Questions
- Are you able to devote moments or hours to “giving full attention to God” in the midst of your busy schedule? If so, how?
- How would your days and weeks be different if you put as much energy, time, and thought into your relationship with God as you put into your favorite “discretionary time” activity or your relationship with your best friend?
- In the process of challenging us to reassess our priorities, today’s Bible readings suggest that for many the pursuit of “mammon” (financial security, wealth, money, property, or profit) can distract us from the pursuit of “spiritual riches.” Discuss the pressures present in our society pushing us to prioritize getting rich. Consider advertizing, America’s obsession with competition (with its prizes of fame and fortune), society’s definition of success, and others. Does the lure of getting rich seduce Christians away from faithfulness to God?
Amos 8:4-7 1 Timothy 2:1-7 Luke 16:1-13
Is it a sin to be rich?
Luke 16: 1 – 13 ends with the statement that we cannot serve both God and wealth. Make a list of the temptations to stray from God’s way that confront someone striving to become rich. Make a second list of the ways a rich person can use wealth to serve God. Then compare what is on your lists with what the Bible says in 1st Timothy 6: 7 – 17. It warns Christians about the temptations of wealth, but also provides a “code of ethics” for the wealthy. We shared in class the view of Shane Claiborne when he was asked the question " Is it a sin to be rich?" |
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Closing Prayer
Merciful God, help us to be good managers of our time, talents, and possessions. Forgive us when we fail. Inspire us to put You at the top of our lists. Open our eyes to your presence with us in all we do, and guide us to make time in our busy schedules for worship and service. Amen. |