Words of Welcome

  Exodus 32:1-14 Long road trips can be challenging for children, who easily get impatient. From the back seat, parents hear a plaintive cry: “Are we there yet?” The people of Israel may have had similar feelings as they wandered in the Wilderness of Sinai. Why did it take so long? Then, when they reached Mt. Sinai, Moses disappeared during a supposed visit with God on the mountaintop. So, when he didn’t return in a timely manner, they panicked and asked Aaron to create gods who might lead them out of the wilderness. Because they grew impatient, fearing they had been abandoned by Moses and his God, the people set aside their covenant with God, which included the command not to have other gods besides Yahweh or to make idols for themselves ( Ex. 20:1-4 ). Instead, they decided to adopt replacement gods who might be more responsive to their concerns. This is a temptation that is common to humanity.   When the people asked Aaron for new replacement gods, they asked for...

Luke 12:13-21 Money makes the world go around. It’s true that in the world of Star Trek no one seems to need money, unless you’re a Ferengi, but it takes money to navigate through our world. The question is, how much is enough? And, how much is too little? Down through the ages we’ve heard warnings about the dangers of greed. One of the best examples is the story of King Midas, who was given the ability to turn whatever he touched into gold. Unfortunately, that meant his food, and ultimately his daughter. So be careful what you ask for!  During this political season we’ve been hearing messages about taxes, income inequality, stagnant wages, the high cost of health insurance, and much more. Money plays a big role in our political debates, in part because it takes money to fund political campaigns. In the reading from Luke 12, a person in the crowd listening to Jesus’ message asks Jesus to arbitrate a dispute with his brother over the dispersal of the family estate. ...