Chasing after Wind – 31 July 2016 – 11th Sunday after Pentecost/ Lectionary 18/ Proper 13

Jesus said, “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”

We can chase after the winds of ephemeral, temporal pleasures. Or we can let the winds of the Holy Spirit push us toward the treasures that do not rust, disappear, burn down, or disappoint.

Luke 12:13-21

To understand the laws of inheritance found in the Torah, often an heir would come to a religious leader or teacher, like Jesus, when a question about how to divide an inheritance came up. Jewish law allowed for the religious leader to be the arbiter and demand that an inheritance be distributed equitably. However, Jesus would not allow himself to be triangulated in this family argument, but took the opportunity to warn this man and those who were listening about the danger of greed. . . .

Jesus then tells the parable of the rich fool. This man, having produced more than his barns could hold, finds himself in a dilemma: what to do with this abundance? Rather than sharing it with others, he decides to tear down his existing barn to build a bigger one and then rest on his laurels, never having to worry about the future. However, God had other plans—the man would die that night. Just as the Teacher in Ecclesiastes concluded, the man died before enjoying his bounty. . . . [C]an we find hope in the promise of life when our riches are toward God rather than toward the things of this earth? – Carrie L. Lewis La Plante

Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14; 2:18–23

Building bigger and bigger barns is a common human undertaking. Even when Ecclesiastes was written (ca. 250-167 BCE), life’s toil could seem meaningless. “All is vanity and a chasing after wind,” sums up the view.

Everything that humans do is like chasing the wind. It never lasts and it can never fulfill us. We spend our time seeking out wisdom, but the quest is unhappy, because gaining all knowledge and skill is simply not attainable in this life. Pleasure is also put to the test, looking for self-fulfillment in many things but with no satisfaction. . . . To top it all off, the Teacher realizes that ultimately, his toil will be turned over to another at his death (who may be undeserving and foolish with it), and he will not be able to reap the good that he sows. What is the point of straining at my work everyday? For what does my labor, and by extension, my life, count? We are left to wonder. – Carrie L. Lewis La Plante

Colossians 3:1-11

[B]aptism has significance for our lives and should affect the way in which we behave. We have died to the life that worships the things of this earth and that indulges in idolatrous vices (vv 5–8). Rather we have been raised with Christ and are “hidden in Christ with God” (v 3). Therefore, we have been given a new life that is Christ-centered, and are to be clothed with the virtues of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness, love and peace. When we have allowed the vices to die and concentrate on the virtues of our life in Christ, we are then able to live with one another in the image of the creator, as a family where race, ritual, culture and social divisions no longer matter. As Christians, we are not immune to the trials and temptations of this earthly life. However, this advice reminds us that we have been given defenses to face those snares. Serious spiritual formation heeds this advice. – Carrie L. Lewis La Plante

Carrie L. Lewis La Plante, pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Indianola, Iowa, has written for Currents in Theology and Mission as well as for Homily Service.

Homily Service 40, no. 9 (2007): 3-12.

Let the Children Come – 27 December 2015 – First Sunday after Christmas

The readings for this week are liturgically suggestive as we encounter the child Samuel performing priestly functions at Shiloh and the young Jesus in the temple among the teachers. Indeed, the Septuagint uses the root word for liturgy to describe Samuel's ministry. Are there children at work in the liturgies of our churches or is this seen as an exclusively adult occupation?

The presence of children in the liturgy blesses the whole community by reminding us of the joy and pleasure that accompanies being received into the presence of the living God. . . .  All of us who are baptized into Christ Jesus can say with our Lord that we must be in our Father's house, especially our children. – Ben Sharpe

Luke 2:41-52

It can be slightly shocking to think of Jesus not paying heed to his parents, not letting them know where he was going, giving them reason for worry. But in his bond with the synagogue and the community there, we might find a way to consider how we welcome children into our worship.

[I]n a church that sees itself first as the gathered household of God, children are not merely the concern of their parents, but are the responsibility of all the baptized. Especially in churches that baptize small children, congregations have made solemn promises to be involved in their formation as Christian disciples. Parents need to be reminded that they have forfeited the right to shield their baptized children from a word of correction that comes from person sitting beside them in the pew! . . .  Jesus said to receive a child in his name was to receive him (cf. Matthew 18:5).

One still sees this modeled occasionally in small churches in the rural South and in African American churches: infants are passed among the eager hands of relatives and friends during worship. Crying babies are taken out and brought back into the sanctuary when they quiet down. Young children easily move from sitting among their immediate family to sitting with family friends. . . .

This same atmosphere of communal responsibility for children probably accounts for the young Jesus being left behind in Jerusalem. The expectation was that if Jesus was not with his parents, then he must be with friends or family who had also come up from Nazareth to Jerusalem for the Passover. – Ben Sharpe

1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26

Several commentators note that the stories told in our readings today of the young Samuel and young Jesus portray a “natural” interaction of home and temple, of family and religious life. While it is easy to either bemoan the separation of church and home so visible today, or to nostalgically yearn for some (imagined) golden age of their unity, we can rightly ask about and explore the ways church and home interact to cultivate holy wisdom in persons of all ages. Where and how is this happening in your community? – Ron Anderson

Colossians 3:12-17

Especially at this harried time of year, this admonition to the Colossians can serve to help us all find our bearings again so that we can “let the peace of Christ rule” in our hearts.

Perhaps connected to the garment Hannah provided Samuel, this text speaks of putting on the garments Christ has given, so that the world may see “compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience” and concern for others; forgiveness, tolerance, love and the peace of Christ are to govern all actions. Lastly, be thankful for the salvation that has come through God in Christ. – Sara Webb Phillips

E. Byron (Ron) Anderson is the Ernest and Bernice Styberg Professor of Worship and the Director of the Nellie B. Ebersole Program in Music Ministry at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois.

Sara Webb Phillips is a United Methodist minister serving North Springs UMC in Sandy Springs, Georgia.

Ben Sharpe is Rector of Christ Church, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Homily Service 40, no. 1 (2006): 73-84.