Sunday, March 07, 2010

more than money

we are at the start of what i think will be an amazing study on a christian approach to money/possessions in our small group. it's something i've wanted to do for a long time (after all the bible talks about it more than anything else - well maybe less than loving everyone...). i've hesitated to bring it up because a) some people (points at self) are uncomfortable talking about money b) it's so political c) is a potentially divisive topic. but i've gotten over that because a) get over myself b & c) politics that divide are RIDICULOUS. i've gotten more comfortable with agreeing to disagree. dare i begin to think im coming into adulthood? our pastor took us out to dinner last week and augustine posed a question to me - what should i (we) do if someone breaks into our house again? - so without stating my position i threw the question across the table to see what he felt. his answer was pretty different than mine, but what i felt afterward was nothing but brotherly love for him. i am so so SO glad that im in a group of friends, Brothers & Sisters, etc. that i can really feel comfortably to be on opposite ends of the spectrum on a topic and not let it effect our relationship in the slightest. politically our church is really diverse. i know just as many republicans and democrats, gun owners as pacifists, and on and on. i also love that our church really puts it out there - the good, the bad, and the ugly - and let me tell you as humans there is a whole steaming pile of the latter two. as long as something is not in contrary to the scriptures, hold onto personal ideals sure, but let it go if you are tempted to convince someone of your thoughts on it. share, be gentle, love, but never reject just because someone doesn't subscribe to your personal version of God or dogma or politics or nihilism or whatever the heck you believe.

HOLY TANGENT BATMAN! forgive me, i was talking about money and i went down a rabbit hole. we just started a book called more than finances: a design for freedom and one chapter in, im feeling really good about the book's motives. most financial advice books, a la dave ramsey, are designed to get the reader out of debt but for us that isn't an issue nor is it really want i personally wanted to talk about. it is but one facet of how to deal with money. i'd rather overhaul my entire view on my possessions not only focus on how to dig myself out of a hole. the basic premise so far is that nothing is ours - that we are the steward of God's gifts. end of story. it is not a popular idea to consider your possession as not just impermanent but not even yours.

i can't wait to be smacked upside the head with some revelation.

1 comment:

Team Scienski said...

I'm interested in this book, and what you have to say about finances.
Let us know how the book goes!
I hope it's a beautiful, growth-inducing experience for you :)