Posted by: rclpc | June 27, 2007

August 5

Ordinary 18
luke 12:22-31 (slightly off-lectionary)
Jesus said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

We spent a lot of time talking about worrying, how some folks seem more “anxious” than others, and how most of us can hardly imagine what it must be like to truly worry about basic necessities like food and clothing. We also wondered if Jesus is really being fair here, asking us not to worry. Great, first I’m worried, then I’m worried about being worried because Jesus says don’t be worried! Ultimately we decided worry here has less to do with a feeling and more to do with our actions. (The Bible is usually more interested in what we do than what we think or feel.) So the issue is not whether or not you feel anxious. The issue is how you act, what you do, despite (or with) that anxiety. Bottom line: spend your time striving for God’s kingdom rather than striving for self-preservation (which is where so much of our anxiety comes from). If we act out of a basic trust in the provisions of God, rather than fear, then everything else will fall into place (or so the text promises).

Posted in Musings on Scripture | Tags: ,

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Responses

Sounds like a good week to use drama to illustrate your point. Worry can be debilitating to some while others plow right on through in spite of their worries. How can the presence of God change that? What can you promise those who worry about our world and where it’s headed? Family members who are sick/dying? To someone who hasn’t worked in over 10 years? What can you give people to assure them that worrying isn’t what they need to focus on but trust; God will take care of them? Maybe easy to say or preach (or not) but not easy to grasp or act on.

Just some thoughts to perhaps give you a perspective from the pew.

“No worries”

By: Melanie Wesa on July 9, 2007
at 5:28 pm

It’s too bad no one is catching on to this blog idea. Maybe it needs to be illustrated better. Maybe people don’t get the concept and need to be reminded other than the same message in the bulletin every week. After awhile I think people stop reading the same old thing. An attention getter (whatever that might be) There must be a way to make this fly. It’s a great concept but perhaps the non- computer geeks don’t know how to make it work. who knows? I suppose you’ve already thought of these things.
If I come up with a better idea I’ll let you know…

By: Melanie Wesa on July 9, 2007
at 5:36 pm

Hey Melanie—thanks for commenting! Do you have any drama suggestions? How can we make this very abstract idea more concrete? Is it bad if we’re worrying about how to talk about worry? ;-)

By: rclpc on July 16, 2007
at 11:13 pm

Hmmmm, I don’t see it as so abstract. I would’ve answered sooner but didn’t realize there was a response for me. Yipee! I see worry as very concrete, everyone does it at some time or another don’t they?
Anyway, I think you could have a very simple illustration of what someone does when they worry and how that “helps” them. Perhaps add another person who is trusting that whatever is to come God is there and the worry only hurts you and doesn’t really do anything but cause more stress (illness, etc which would be illustrated by the first person). Does that make sense?
Hope this helps and isn’t too late.

By: Melanie Wesa on July 24, 2007
at 10:55 pm

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