Oct 26 2007
gripping talk - one
On Sunday we began a new sermon series on finances at Mountain. It is entitled “Get a Grip: On your finances.” The first sermon was challenging to me personally. I can’t remember every detail but I remember being overcome by this question ringing in my head.
For how long am I going to live at the edge of my financial limits?
For how long will I put up with the stress and frustration that comes from living with no financial margin?
For how long will I accept the materialism and consumerism of the culture as normal for my life?
For how long will I allow my sloppy financial choices to limit my freedom to follow Christ?
As I think about these things personally, I begin to reflect that these are communal questions as well. As Christians living in American, we are called to be a counter cultural force. And so I wonder, for how long will we accept that the church is a participant in the consumerism of American society?
I am excited about this series. I want to use this as an opportunity to take a stand in my life. I have been taught the proper values, I just have not lived them. This is my next best chance to live them.
on the walk
-Ethan
The most immediate steps I can take are personal.
One of the examples the speaker used on Sunday of “wanting more” was his progression of fancier cellphones - ouch! I’m getting ready to get a new cell-phone because our contract expired (months ago). Part of the hidden cost of the monthly subscription is underwriting the cost of new phones (there are given “free” or sold for less than retail as enticements to subscribers). So do I skip getting a new phone, realizing that a large chunk of my ongoing monthly bill is being “wasted” (not used)? In some ways the stand-against-consumerism thing to do is drop my cell-phone subscription all together.
Yes - these are communal questions AND the way to change the greater community of the church is for me to make a choice, and to influence the people I know (my small group? my Christian friends outside my small group) to make choices about cell phones, schools (school districts / private / public / home schooling), cars, cable-satellite, houses…
I went into Lowes yesterday (to buy trees) and the Christmas display was overwhelming. There were inflatables, lights, window lamps and a village of collectible buildings that would go well with my model train.
I found my self incredibly drawn and tempted. I don’t need them, would rarely use them, and never even wanted them, until that moment.
I did the only thing I could do. I left immediately. I didn’t even get the trees.
kire