Then Jesus said to them, “Watch out! Guard yourself against all kinds of greed. After all, one’s life isn’t determined by one’s possessions, even when someone is very wealthy.” Then he told them a parable: “A certain rich man’s land produced a bountiful crop. He said to himself…  ‘Here’s what I’ll do. I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. That’s where I’ll store all my grain and goods…’ But God said to him, ‘Fool, tonight you will die…’ This is the way it will be for those who hoard things for themselves and aren’t rich toward God.” – Luke 12:15-22

I will probably be posting twice today. This first one because I think you will enjoy the photos, then another – if I have time – looking at a more serious question regarding how we respond to God’s calling(s) on our lives.

A Fun Day:

Monday I drove down to Dunn to play golf with my friend George. It was a fund-raising event for his son Howard’s church so it was the best of all possible scenarios: fun, friends, golf and kingdom-building all at the same time.

It was a stormy afternoon but with no rain. Beautiful clouds, stiff breezes and a pretty course with surprising changes in elevation for Eastern North Carolina.

I’m not sure there is anywhere in the world more pleasant than North Carolina on a beautiful May day.

Pause:

Such an idyllic scenario gives me pause. This is what God had in mind when humankind was created. Not golf per se, but a world in which people can know God personally, be productive, live at peace, enjoy intentional community, and engage in recreation – all the while framing life in the context of God’s sovereignty and active love.

Our responsibility as believers, then, is not only to enjoy this life but to work actively to create a world where others have the opportunity to experience fullness too.

I believe we routinely misunderstand the meaning and the application of biblical ideas such as salvation, and blessing, and peace, and prosperity when we claim them for ourselves without acknowledging God’s mandate for stewardship, generosity, and social responsibility.

Gospel Truth:

Spreading The Gospel, then, is not so much about convincing other people to follow Jesus as it is to follow Jesus with more integrity ourselves.

When we do that, when we invite Jesus to walk with us to the extent that we love our neighbor with the full reach of the Good News, the we have truly reimagined the Gospel as invitational rather than exclusive, and ourselves as servants rather than gathering everything possible into our own – already overflowing – barns….

Peace – DEREK