North Wilkesboro Presbyterian Church

There is nothing better for mortals than to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in their toil. (Ecclesiastes 2:24a)

Qoheleth has tried everything to find meaning and purpose in this world, to find the good life for himself and his community, but he has failed time and time again. Everything that he grabs for is unsatisfying, unfulfilling, ephemeral – until now. In a world where people’s priorities are misplaced and every quest for something real comes up empty, Qoheleth figures out that true meaning and purpose is to be found in the simple pleasures of eating and drinking together; he discovers that the good life is to be found in enjoying our work with one another. Qoheleth directs us away from the life of vanity that will never satisfy (because it lacks depth and substance), toward the life of simplicity and togetherness. Eating together, drinking together, enjoying work together, living together – this is the good life; this is the real life – rc

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1–2)

The life of a Christ-follower is a life of selflessness, self-denial, self-giving; it is a life lived with others in mind. We are to be “imitators of God” (v. 1), living in love (v. 2) just as “Christ loved us and gave himself up for us” (v. 2). If you ask me, we could use a little more selflessness these days, a tad more self-denial, a bit more self-giving; we could use our own personal freedoms for the good of everyone. Just as Christ chose to give himself up as an offering to God, so to our offering to God is our life lived for the good of everyone. – rc

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:1–6)

We are meant to be one family; the “life worthy of the calling to which [we] have been called” (v. 1) is a life of unity. This is, of course, easier said than done, especially in our increasingly polarized world. But if we listen to the summons of this letter, we are given the recipe for unity: humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another in love, maintaining unity in the bond of peace. If we exemplify these qualities, then we will reflect the unity of God’s self, because there is one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God . . . one. We can be one as God is one.                   – rc

“There is no Holy One like the LORD, no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.”  (1 Samuel 2:2)

These words fall from the mouth of Hannah, a woman who’s just given up her only son (Samuel) to serve God with the priests. At the time, the priest was incompetent, confusing Hannah’s fervent prayer for drunkenness (1 Sam. 1:12–16). At the time, the priest’s sons were “scoundrels” (1 Sam. 2:12ff). But at this time, Hannah offers her son to a strong and faithful God, trusting that God would use her son to fight for justice and equity in the world. God was the Rock for Hannah during her rocky time; God was the Rock for Samuel during his rocky time; and God is our Rock now, giving us strength and stability. – rc

Then the land shall enjoy its sabbath years as long as it lies desolate, while you are in the land of your enemies; then the land shall rest, and enjoy its sabbath years. As long as it lies desolate, it shall have the rest it did not have on your sabbaths when you were living on it. (Leviticus 26:34-35)

First and foremost – Leviticus? Really? And now that we’ve taken care of that, we can get to bigger and better things.

Today, the priestly writer reminds us that we all need rest, that everything needs rest, that even the earth needs rest . . . and sometimes it takes a shock to the system to remind us that we need to slow down, that everything needs to slow down, that even the earth needs to slow down to take a break. With fewer cars on the roads, fewer airplanes in the skies, and fewer people out and about over the past couple of months, creation itself has been getting some much needed respite. The earth is breathing a little easier these days and hopefully, we will remember to keep taking care of her when this is all over.         – rc