Midweek Lent 2021
March 10, 2021
Grace, Waseca, MN
Matthew 6.19-21
Like Pr. Paige, and most pastors I assume, I love words and am constantly intrigued by them, learning new ones all the time. So, as I thought about this week’s object of devotion–coins–I thought of that word: devotion. What does it mean exactly and what does it mean relating to coins? So, I looked the word up in the dictionary. One definition means that there’s the sense of being ardently dedicated or loyal to someone or something, such as a cause like racial injustice. By extension, there is the act of dedicating time and energy to an activity or enterprise. It seems like one is a thing and another an action. But we mean devotion in a religious sense as an act of piety or worship that brings us closer to God. Yet, it’s hard for those of us who think of devotions as reading the Bible and praying or journaling as using objects to help us in our relationship with God.
That’s particularly true when we think about coins and we may resist any act of devotion to money, understandably so. Certainly, that was true for the Jewish people who were forbidden to put images of people on their money because it violated the First Commandment against worshiping other gods. So, imagine the dilemma Jews had when they had to pay taxes using money with Caesar’s face on it. It’s a graven image. As I have been reading two biographies of Alexander Hamilton, I realize we may have that same problem today with the images of our founders on coins or mountains or anywhere we put them. We tend to idolize them, forgetting they were fallible creatures, “mixed bags” as I like to call them.
We need to recognize that our relationship to money is complicated and even paradoxical. It starts early, doesn’t it when one of our buddies offers to give us a quarter if we eat an earthworm or some other disgusting thing. And it’s paradoxical because, in my experience, it seems the more we have the more we want, and that the more people have the less generous they are. Back in 2014 some guys did a social experiment - purely unscientific - asking people sitting at outdoor restaurants to share their food. Even though they could clearly afford to do so, nobody did. Then they gave homeless people a supposedly leftover pizza and had someone else come and ask for a piece Every homeless person gave without hesitation. Yet, I’ve witnessed people drop change on the ground and heard people say they wouldn’t stop to pick up a penny, saying that it’s not worth it. Our relationship with money is complicated.
So, can coins be an object to help us in our relationship with God and one another? I think so. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reminds us that where our treasure is, there our heart will be also. Notice, it’s not the other way around as we normally think; our heart follows what we treasure. As we look at coins this week, I invite you into one of two spiritual practices as you meditate and deepen your relationship with God. First, as you look at a coin (if you can find one), practice gratitude for what God has given to you. Maybe put a coin in your pocket or purse, perhaps on a nightstand as a reminder of God’s provision and take a moment to thank God for what you have.
Second, as you look at the coin, think about spending as a spiritual practice, not just what you do as a way of operating in the world. This is not intended to induce guilt or shame, but to invite you into thinking about your values when you spend. Sometimes spending is so easy – our paychecks are automatically deposited, we swipe our credit card, or bills are automatically paid – we forget to reflect on what is meaningful to us.
So, maybe there is a sense that perhaps those first two definitions of devotion apply: we are encouraged to devote time and energy to coins. First, to help us to give thanks to God for what we have and second, to grow closer to God in so doing. Peace be with you this week. Amen.
To view this in the video click here.
No comments:
Post a Comment