Estimated reading time: 5 minute(s)

We were having a conversation with my sister and her husband yesterday during our kids’ nap times (there were 6 children 6 years old and under in our house that day… so nap time was a VERY welcome part of the day!) about some things Jen & I are processing at the moment.

I said, “We would still be the church if we did nothing that we do in those buildings.” They nodded in agreement, “It’s true.” And I thought afterward how silly it is that we cling so tightly to our religious services or community outreach programs as the identifying mark of who we are as “the church” when it has absolutely nothing to do with that. All of that is well and good, and helps people along the way, but if we stopped doing ALL of that right at this moment, we would not cease to be the church, we might even become more of who the church should be!

So, with that conversation fresh in my mind, I tackled some financial problems last night. We deposited a check this week that bounced which resulted in a processing fee for us, so now I am short more money than I thought I had deposited, and the bigger problem is, I already spent that money. So, I will probably be charged my OWN insufficient funds fee in the next few days. Argh!

Recently, due to various financial pressures, which I am certain many of us are facing, I have had the urge to just put my whole life on eBay and see what I might get. Pay off all our debt, and just move on with the clothes on our back. We’d probably have enough money for McDonald’s, (or even Skyline, if the bids are high enough) … and we’d be FREE of all our STUFF that only seems to generate headache after headache.

This has been a frustrating week with things electronic. Usually I am quite enamored with them. I love my wireless high speed internet, where I can access the world on a tiny machine from anywhere in my house, or even in my yard! I love the way my whole office network works together so that I can access and save and use files from any machine on the network, anywhere. I love all the neat little tricks built into Mac OS X that I can execute with the push of a button or two. Quite amazing.

But not this week.

And thankfully, it has nothing to do with my equipment this time. Those times are frustrating as well. When the world is just on the other side of a stubborn router who won’t connect. Or my computer is almost within site, if I could just get it to recognize the hard drive.

Those times are frustrating, too.

This week, it’s Time Warner Cable. I pay them a significant amount of money each month, each year, and I hope that their service is working most of the time, or when it’s not that they will be able (and willing!) to come fix it promptly. Such has not been my experience this week, although I did have a pleasant conversation last night with one of the phone answerers. We’ll see how it goes from there.

I am still offline at the moment. I will probably either post this from my laptop using a friend’s wireless internet, or… *GASP*… by DIAL UP!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

All of this has made me think again about what’s important. What really matters. Obviously none of this stuff does. I love it! It’s fun! It’s amazing! But it’s all absolutely nothing compared to “the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” Paul said it so well, so I just quoted him. He had tons of personal achievements, perhaps a bit of wealth, he had a great reputation… all worth absolutely nothing.

I get to know the creator of all life. The one who made everything that I see, and even me! The one who made the air that I breathe and the food that I eat (Well, the stuff that makes the food, at least!) The one who made that comet that we just slammed into! The one who gave me Jen, and my kids. I get to live with him. To know him. And to be known, and still loved.

If for whatever reason I ceased to own anything that he has given us… if we catastrophically lost everything in an instant, I would not instantly be less loved by him. My life would not be worth less. It might even be worth more.

The simplicity of life is definitely hard to find in our busy, technological American lives. We have so many places to go and people to see and things to do because we can. Our technology has made it possible (and even fun!) to do as much or more as time will allow. Again, it’s amazing… but also amazingly sad.

Love God with all you are and love the people around you. That’s what Jesus said life was all about. He didn’t mention anything about stuff. I think this is important. Because I don’t want to be misunderstood. Jesus did not say stuff was bad. He said don’t store up treasures here (where things are not permanent) because that’s bad for our hearts. But neither did he condemn all “stuff” as evil. He just cautioned us to keep it in its place. Don’t make it your treasure, or you’ll be disappointed.

That’s for sure!

So, I guess God is helping me get back to my real priorities in life. What really matters. We get so wrapped up in the worlds we have built, it’s easy to forget. It’s not about my stuff. It’s not about anything scheduled that happens in a church building. It’s just about knowing him, and loving people he has put us near. How can he teach me that so often and I still don’t really get it? I still get caught up in the little stuff. In the temporary. My treasure placing gets slightly misdirected. Usually only for a time, until he calls me back.

I trust him. He has never failed me, or anyone for that matter. I trust what he says, and what he will do.

Can’t wait to see what’s next.