Time and Money
I have come to see that the Methodist Journey is more than about a trip that I took to England for a couple weeks this summer. It is a lifelong journey of faith in which we continue to grow in the Wesleyan and Methodist way. Thus, I am going to continue writing this blog; instead of trip details, though, I will address current isses and how our Methodist tradition helps us to address them more faithfully. Thank you for your reading over these past few weeks and I invite you to keep going. The first topic, as you can see from the title is on Time and Money!
Time and money are two topics that will often get people's attention. These are the two things that are perhaps most requested of us; they are both limited resources. With both time and money when we choose to use them in certain ways, we are consciously or subconsciously choosing to not use them in other ways. For example, if I have an extra hundred dollars and choose to purchase new clothes or music on i-tunes, then I am not using that money for food or to donate to a charitable cause or go to the movies (you get the idea). The same is true of our time. As people of faith, this is of particular interest because our bank statement and our calendar will often tell a story of our values and priorities.
Yesterday in worship we studied Jesus' Parable of the Sower from the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 13:1-9 and 18-23). In that parable Jesus compares the seeds of God's Kingdom with seeds that a farmer sows in a field, sometimes the seeds will take hold and grow, sometimes they will wither away producing no growth. The comparison is clear, some people will hear about the Kingdom of God breaking into the world and live according to its love, mercy, and grace and others will simply hear. One of the things that Jesus says will prevent the seeds of God's Kingdom from taking hold in us is pursuing the "cares of the world and the lures of wealth". They will both choke the Kingdom out of us and the seeds of God' grace will produce nothing in our lives. Jesus is talking about time and money. As I reflected on this passage this past week, this part in particular caught my attention.
What Jesus is talking about is so countercultural in our consumer based society. We live under a myth that accumulation of wealth and goods brings happiness and success. Yet, if we take Jesus at his word, these can also be substantial obstacles to life giving faith. There is something greater than wealth, power, and profit that we have to live by. Yet, we have to have money to live by, we want to provide our children with a good life, we want to be able to take a nice vacation, and live in clean, safe homes. Further, we live busier lives than ever before. I don't know about you, but there are many days when I sit back and think "where did the day go?" It is hard to find spare minutes to add anything else. As people of faith, how do we negotiate this dilemma?
In England over weeks, we spent time studying John Wesley and the early Methodist Movement. At one point we even had the opportunity to hear a lecture on John Wesley and the use of money from Rev. Dr. Ralph Waller (Wesley Scholar and Principal of Machester College at Oxford University). He is writing and entire book on the topic and I am anxious for it to come out in early 2012. For Wesley, time and money were very important. He measured diligently how he used each of them. In a sermon written in 1760, titled The Use of Money, Wesley describes how one day we will be called to give an account of how we used our time and money. Therefore, it must be of the utmost importance to us as people of faith. It is a gift of God and we are called to be good stewards of that gift. The general rule that Wesley developed out of this sermon regarding money was: earn all you can, save all you can, and give all you can!
John Wesley was somebody who lived each of these values. He was a very successful author during his life and made a great deal money as his works were published. At the same time, John Wesley gave away a great amount of his income and used to say that if he died with more than a little to his name, he should be called a thief. Yet, in England, as we went to Wesley's various churches and homes, it struck me that John Wesley did not live like a pauper either. He had a nice desk and bookshelves. He lived in small but neat apartments and homes. He had a vast library of books. Interestingly, most of this was given over to the Methodist movement and used in the service of the church, even after his death. He very much believed that our posessions and money ought to be spent in such ways as to give life and benefit to others; they were to be used for more than self. Another thing that struck me was that his dwellings were modest. He had some nice pieces of furniture, but there was not a lot. His purchases and possessions truly reflected what he needed, not necessarily what he wanted. John Wesley very much believed that money in itself was not the problem, but how we used it. Money could be used to build up and help others, or it could be used in primarily selfish endeavors.
I think that there is much for us to learn from this example. If we take Jesus seriously in the Parable of the Sower then we must be mindful of both our time and our money. They can both become impediments to a faith filled life. At the same time, Wesley shows us a way of moderation that helps to focus on what we need more than simply what we want. He shows us a way to be good stewards of God's resources in a way that provides for our needs and blesses others, as well. I invite you this week to reflect on how you use your time and money. What does your checkbook and your calendar say about your priorities in life? What do you need to let go of in order to keep your time and money from becoming an obstacle to your faith? How can the resources that God has given you provide for your needs (not necessarily wants) and be a blessing to others?
Think deeply....a faith filled life deserves our best!
God's Peace,
Brett
Time and money are two topics that will often get people's attention. These are the two things that are perhaps most requested of us; they are both limited resources. With both time and money when we choose to use them in certain ways, we are consciously or subconsciously choosing to not use them in other ways. For example, if I have an extra hundred dollars and choose to purchase new clothes or music on i-tunes, then I am not using that money for food or to donate to a charitable cause or go to the movies (you get the idea). The same is true of our time. As people of faith, this is of particular interest because our bank statement and our calendar will often tell a story of our values and priorities.
Yesterday in worship we studied Jesus' Parable of the Sower from the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 13:1-9 and 18-23). In that parable Jesus compares the seeds of God's Kingdom with seeds that a farmer sows in a field, sometimes the seeds will take hold and grow, sometimes they will wither away producing no growth. The comparison is clear, some people will hear about the Kingdom of God breaking into the world and live according to its love, mercy, and grace and others will simply hear. One of the things that Jesus says will prevent the seeds of God's Kingdom from taking hold in us is pursuing the "cares of the world and the lures of wealth". They will both choke the Kingdom out of us and the seeds of God' grace will produce nothing in our lives. Jesus is talking about time and money. As I reflected on this passage this past week, this part in particular caught my attention.
What Jesus is talking about is so countercultural in our consumer based society. We live under a myth that accumulation of wealth and goods brings happiness and success. Yet, if we take Jesus at his word, these can also be substantial obstacles to life giving faith. There is something greater than wealth, power, and profit that we have to live by. Yet, we have to have money to live by, we want to provide our children with a good life, we want to be able to take a nice vacation, and live in clean, safe homes. Further, we live busier lives than ever before. I don't know about you, but there are many days when I sit back and think "where did the day go?" It is hard to find spare minutes to add anything else. As people of faith, how do we negotiate this dilemma?
In England over weeks, we spent time studying John Wesley and the early Methodist Movement. At one point we even had the opportunity to hear a lecture on John Wesley and the use of money from Rev. Dr. Ralph Waller (Wesley Scholar and Principal of Machester College at Oxford University). He is writing and entire book on the topic and I am anxious for it to come out in early 2012. For Wesley, time and money were very important. He measured diligently how he used each of them. In a sermon written in 1760, titled The Use of Money, Wesley describes how one day we will be called to give an account of how we used our time and money. Therefore, it must be of the utmost importance to us as people of faith. It is a gift of God and we are called to be good stewards of that gift. The general rule that Wesley developed out of this sermon regarding money was: earn all you can, save all you can, and give all you can!
John Wesley was somebody who lived each of these values. He was a very successful author during his life and made a great deal money as his works were published. At the same time, John Wesley gave away a great amount of his income and used to say that if he died with more than a little to his name, he should be called a thief. Yet, in England, as we went to Wesley's various churches and homes, it struck me that John Wesley did not live like a pauper either. He had a nice desk and bookshelves. He lived in small but neat apartments and homes. He had a vast library of books. Interestingly, most of this was given over to the Methodist movement and used in the service of the church, even after his death. He very much believed that our posessions and money ought to be spent in such ways as to give life and benefit to others; they were to be used for more than self. Another thing that struck me was that his dwellings were modest. He had some nice pieces of furniture, but there was not a lot. His purchases and possessions truly reflected what he needed, not necessarily what he wanted. John Wesley very much believed that money in itself was not the problem, but how we used it. Money could be used to build up and help others, or it could be used in primarily selfish endeavors.
I think that there is much for us to learn from this example. If we take Jesus seriously in the Parable of the Sower then we must be mindful of both our time and our money. They can both become impediments to a faith filled life. At the same time, Wesley shows us a way of moderation that helps to focus on what we need more than simply what we want. He shows us a way to be good stewards of God's resources in a way that provides for our needs and blesses others, as well. I invite you this week to reflect on how you use your time and money. What does your checkbook and your calendar say about your priorities in life? What do you need to let go of in order to keep your time and money from becoming an obstacle to your faith? How can the resources that God has given you provide for your needs (not necessarily wants) and be a blessing to others?
Think deeply....a faith filled life deserves our best!
God's Peace,
Brett
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