Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to remember that my self-worth is determined by your love alone rather than material possessions on Earth. You have promised me the wealth of the Kingdom, and for this, I promise to prepare myself for your great company by showing generosity to my neighbors. Amen.
Reading: Luke 12: 32-40 (Click to read text) Stop and GROW: After reading the text, discuss/ponder the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Book of Faith questions, which are part of Camp Mount Luther's GROW Time with campers. QUESTION 1: What scares, confuses, challenges, or doesn’t make sense to me in this text? QUESTION 2: What delights me in this text or is my favorite part of the story? QUESTION 3: What stories or memories does this text stir in me? QUESTION 4: What is God up to in this text? Reflection: Luke 33: “Sell what you have and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven have no holes in them. Your treasure will be safe—no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. Today, I have to go to the bank. I had told myself that I was going to do this three days ago—a Friday. Then once I failed to do this, I had told myself that I would go to the bank on Saturday. And once I failed to do this, it was Sunday and the banks were closed. So, I have to go to the bank today. There might be people that actually enjoy going to the bank. Those people probably aren’t taking out half of their savings for the month’s groceries and rent. When I go to the bank, it’s to do just that. I walk to the counter. I ask for just enough cash to make myself cringe. Then I ask for a balance and cross my fingers that my paychecks went through and that some very kind stranger decided to transfer their life savings to my bank account. The latter has yet to happen, and so my visits to the bank are not so enjoyable. I know that I’m not the only person who worries about money and trips to the bank. I also know this: I’m not the only person that forgets how truly wealthy I am. In this passage from Luke, we are reminded that material possessions, such as money, amount to nothing in comparison to God’s great love. We are told to give, give, and give some more because when we share God’s love, we take share in the wealth of the Kingdom. By holding this love above our Earthly possessions and by showing our neighbors generosity, we prepare ourselves for the Lord. As this passage reminds us, we must prepare ourselves for the Lord’s company at all times. Because of this, we must also remember to show love and kindness towards others at all times. By readying ourselves for the Lord in this way, we can walk through those pearly Kingdom doors, march straight up to the counter, and, without even checking our balance, accept God’s eternal love, the greatest wealth of all. --Courtney Dunn
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