|
Hello St. John’s Family,
‘Tis the season! The annual cookie sale everyone anticipates is in full swing, as the 2023 lineup of Girl Scout Cookies are being enjoyed by households across the country. The annual release of Girl Scout Cookies always triggers a little nostalgia in me, as I recall how my mom would always purchase a few boxes of “Thin Mints” and “Trefoils” from our neighbors as a special treat. I typically continue that tradition… solely out of a desire to support new generations of girls as they learn real-life lessons in entrepreneurship, of course.
It seems a difficult, yet relevant lesson of entrepreneurship revealed in this year’s cookie sale is the depths that some will go to in order to capitalize off an opportunity to make a quick profit. If you haven’t heard, a limited supply of a new variety (“Raspberry Rally”) was introduced this year, and it quickly sold out. Shortly after that fact became known, boxes of the new variety appeared for sale on eBay at a significant markup. Neither the purchasers nor profiteers (or eBay, for that matter) seem to be concerned over the co-opting of a product intended to benefit programs supporting girls as they grow and learn. Apparently, the shady practices of today’s business world have stretched all the way into the realm of children’s fundraisers.
It seems our society has come to a place where activities capitalizing on any opportunity to achieve maximum profit have few if any bounds. Similarly, our insatiable desire to obtain the limited, experience the new, be able to say “I’ve got ____” or “I tried the____” can consume us – sometimes to the point of superseding what should be an ethical boundary. When we want something, we don’t like to be told No, and it seems adults and children alike will do whatever is necessary to avoid that experience. While I haven’t been on eBay dropping $100 on a box of Girl Scout Cookies, honest reflection shows how I can also quickly fall into the trap of disordered desires.
As our Lenten season continues, we have an opportunity to examine what we desire most, and what we invest significant time, energy, money, etc. in obtaining. For those who commit their lives to Christ, it’s clear what should be at the top of the list. Our ultimate desire is to be for Christ, and Christ’s will to be manifest though our life. That isn’t always easy; it does bring us peace and contentment. As one chorus reminds us:
Lord, you are more precious than silver.
Lord, you are more costly than gold.
Lord, you are more beautiful than diamonds,
And nothing I desire compares with you.
I hope that chorus helps center all of us as we seek to desire Christ’s will and Christ’s ways above all else in a world full of disordered desires. I also hope you’ll join me this Sunday in worship, as we continue our sermon series on Matthew 23. We’ll hear Jesus call out the twisting of words to make us look better – or to create a loophole when we slip up - through scales of truth. Jesus will point us to God’s way of truth where simple words of yes and no do more than suffice – they lead to peace. Check out Matthew 23:16-22, then join me in worship on Sunday-
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Brad
| 
