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Hello St. John’s Family,
It felt so good to be back together with you in worship this past Sunday! After some time away to rest, relax, and get our children settled in at college, returning to worship with you felt like coming home. Beginning the week by pausing to reflect, pray, and worship as a community is a powerful opportunity to center and reset ourselves; whatever occurred in the days prior can be released to God, offering us a fresh, new start. I need that reset, and I miss the strong sense of community, support, and love when I’m away. That’s one of the great blessings of church, the gathered body of Christ: coming together to love and support each other as we collectively seek to serve God. This Sunday, we’ll have a special opportunity to fellowship and connect with each other with our Fellowship Breakfast at 9am in Fellowship Hall, followed by one combined worship service at 10:30. It will be a great morning – I hope you’ll join me there!
As the calendar turns to September, many of the rhythms and patterns of life that were paused over the summer months return. Be it school or college, Bible studies or Music Ministries here at St. John’s, or other activities that paused, many find themselves returning to a more “normal” pattern of life. And tonight, an event that has been anticipated since last February returns: the kickoff of the National Football League season! While many are excited for another season of rooting for their favorite team, another activity will inevitably increase as well: betting on the games.
According to the American Gaming Association, $93.2 billion was wagered on legal sports-related bets in 2022, netting $7.5 billion in revenue for the sportsbooks. These were both record figures, with the amount wagered representing a 63% increase over the previous year. While financial analysis is not my specialty, even I know that is an incredible amount of money and growth.
All of which seems very foreign to me. In full disclosure, I’m far too “risk averse” to try my luck with a sportsbook; the extent of my gambling experience is the $10 entry fee to the office NCAA basketball pool back in the day. I don’t offer that in a condescending or judgmental way, only for transparency. I will readily admit, though, of my concern on the impact of the rapid increase the gambling and sportsbook culture is having on us, especially on our young people.
Consider how we cannot turn on the TV without viewing multiple commercials for sports betting. All sports commentary shows devote an increasing amount of time to analyzing the odds and suggesting good bets. This increased emphasis is being noticed. Anecdotally, both of my children have commented how discussions among high school and college students (at times including teachers) increasingly includes sports betting. Whether one classifies gambling as a vice or not, one cannot dispute that it is now widely viewed as entertainment. All of which makes me wonder how often our young people hear or see a very different approach to finances: the Biblical message of generosity and sacrificial giving.
For me, the opening words of Psalm 24 are powerful: The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. Those words remind me how all things are God’s, and the blessings we receive are entrusted to us to honor God and help extend God’s restoration and hope to all people. Offerings are returning our first portion back to God as an act of thanks and trust. Those are concepts that often seem foreign today in a culture that embraces the belief that “what I do with my money is my business.”
One of the attributes of St. John’s I greatly appreciate is the generosity that is extended to missions and situations of need. It is humbling to be a part of that, and I’m very thankful for your generosity. Summer, though, inevitably brings a decrease in giving. As we enter a new school and program year, I humbly ask you to reflect on your giving to God’s work at St. John’s and consider how you can support that work. Thank you for your faithfulness.
I also hope you’ll join me at 10:30 (after our breakfast!) in worship, as we begin a short series on forgiveness and reconciliation. This week we’ll reflect on Christ’s guidance on how to respond to being wronged. Check out Matthew 18:15-20, and join us Sunday!
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Brad
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