From the Pulpit: You Can’t Take It With You

Vicar Dana Corsello has some choice words for people who choose to pile up more money, more fame, more power for themselves.

Preaching on a string of scriptures that caution against greed and self-centered accumulation, Dana finishes this way:

What does it mean to be rich, to be invited, to share, in the eternal economy of Christ’s grace and mercy? For me, this means not being selfish or greedy with my gifts, my time, my care, my checking in, my reaching out, my prayers and my heart space. So much of it is used up by physical and emotional exhaustion. That’s a tired excuse. Literally, I know.

I also attempt and often fail to model my life on Paul’s advice to the Romans for ushering in the kingdom by letting my love be genuine, by hating what is evil, by holding fast to what is good, by loving one another with mutual affection, by rejoicing with those who rejoice, weeping with those who weep by persevering in prayer and certainly not repaying anyone evil for evil.

Jesus’s call to renounce greed is for all of us. How you do that is a personal discipline based on God’s unique call on your life.

And finally, one more verse of scripture that gives me comfort and keeps me straight, and this is from the letter to the Hebrews: “Again, keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have for he has said, `I will never leave you or forsake you.'” Amen.