Lighten Up
August 31, 2008
Elder Ned Grossnickle
Frame Memorial Presbyterian Church
Texts: Psalm 23, Romans 9:13-21, Matthew 11:28-30
In Randy Pausch’s book, The Last Lecture, he tells a wonderful story entitled “The $100,000 Salt and Pepper Shaker”. When he was 12 and his sister was 14, they went with their parents to Disney World. He writes: Our parents figured we were just old enough to roam around the park without being monitored. Their parents told them to be careful, picked a spot where they would meet in 90 minutes, and set them free.
What a thrill. They were in the coolest place imaginable and had the freedom to explore it on their own. To show their extreme gratitude, they pooled their money and bought their parents a present, a $10 set of salt and pepper shakers.
As they left, the bag slipped our of Randy’s hand and broke. Both Randy and his sister were crying when a woman who saw what happened said to them “Take it back to the store and they’ll give you a new one.”
“I can’t do that” Randy said. “It was my fault. I dropped it. Why would the store give me another one?” Try anyway, she said.
So they did. They didn’t lie and explained what happened. The store clerk listened and gave them a new set. She even said it was their fault for not wrapping it well enough.
Randy was in shock, and left the store giddy. When his parents heard his story, it really increased their appreciation of Disney World. In fact, one customer-service decision over a $10 gift would end up earning Disney over $100,000. His parents spent that much over 20 years as volunteers taking low-income students from Maryland down to Disney.
When mistakes happen in our lives, do we excuse them like Disney did in 1973, or is our “accounting system” so tight that is doesn’t allow for mistakes? Recently, when Randy told this story to Disney executives of today, they squirmed because there was nowhere in their accounting system that would replace broken shakers.
In our lives, do we “keep score” of how many favors others do for us and how many we do for them, or do we just what we know is right? As Christians, we don’t need to keep score.
Our reading from Romans tells us the marks of a true Christian. Verse 10 states “Outdo one another in showing honor”, and verse 13 suggests “extend hospitality to strangers.” This seems to fit with the focus of the Last Lecture: Enabling the dreams of others, overcoming obstacles, and seizing the moment. In a basic truism, Pausch states “Time is all you have, and one day you may find you have less than you think.” None of us knows how much time we have on this planet, so we need to think about living and using our time wisely since it is “all that we have”. Sadly, Randy Pausch died of cancer a couple of weeks ago at age 47.
So, how can we use our time effectively? First, before we continue to pursue our dreams, we need to “lighten up”. In his popular book “Traveling Light”, Max Lucado points out that many of us are staggering with heavy spiritual loads. These are burdens we were never meant to carry: Fear, worry, discontent, guilt, grief, doubt, loneliness, and many more.
God is saying to us “Set that stuff down! You’re carrying burdens you don’t need to bear.” Recall our Gospel Reading from Mat 11:28-30: “Come to me, all you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” What promise does Jesus give to those who heed his words? “I will give you rest.”
Consider the impact of excess burdens on our relationships. They make us feel guilty and irritable. So, set aside at least 20 minutes for prayer, and ask God to reveal any burdens you need to lay down. Pray with a piece of paper and a pen in hand, and write down any burdens you have. Show your list to your closest friend, and ask him or her to pray with you that God will show you how to release your burdens.
Several of us from Frame participated in a series on living simply. Living simply will help us reduce our problems. In our book “Simpler Living Compassionate Life: A Christian Perspective” with a forward by Bill McKibben, Bill reminds us of Christ’s words to the rich young man that he should give away all his goods and follow Him. Consider the burden that our accumulation of stuff places on the planet. Even more, consider the burden it places on our lives. Materialism, which advertising promotes, runs more nearly counter to the message of Jesus, the idea that is losing ourselves we find ourselves, and the idea that in caring for the least around us we make ourselves whole and real. In studying that book, we are taken seriously as a person (sometimes for the first time), and not a consumer. In Mark’s version of this story of this story, it says that “Jesus looked upon him, loved him.” He loved him enough to give him great truth in finding the joy that comes in giving up wealth and helping others. Are we going to let our possessions rule us, or are we going to share them and focus on what really matters, on human relationships and caring for others needs?
By living simply and saying “no” to advertising and instead saying “I have enough”, many problems can be avoided, and the stress level of our lives can be reduced significantly.
In the 23rd Psalm, we find beautiful imagery for releasing our burdens. What pictures come to mind when you read this? For me, as an aquatic ecologist, I relax as I visualize the scene “beside the still waters”. It is very comforting to know that our God, Yahweh, is an unchanging, omnipotent, and omniscient God. Isn’t it comforting to attach our lives to such a solid rock of strength?
But some prefer self reliance. For them the 23rd Psalm may sound like this:
“I am my own Shepard. I am always in need.
I stumble from mall to mall and shrink to shrink, seeking relief but never finding it.
I creep through the valley of the shadow of death and fall apart.
I fear everything from pesticides to power lines, and I’m starting to act like my mother.
I go down to the weekly staff meeting and am surrounded by enemies. I go home, and even my goldfish scowls at me.
I anoint my headache with extra-strength Tylenol.
My Jack Daniel’s runneth over.
Surely misery and misfortune will follow me, and I will live in self-doubt for the rest of my lonely life.”
What is the one thing separating you from long-term happiness or joy? How do you fill in this blank: “I will be happy when (blank); when I’m promoted, I’m married, I’m healthy, I’m richer, or what?
How long has this thing separated you from joy?
How can you deprive it of its power over you?
Many of us carry the burden of worry. Worry divides the mind. The biblical word for worry, merimnao, is a compound of two Greek words, merizo “to divide”, and nous “the mind”. Anxiety splits our energy between today’s priorities and tomorrow’s problems. Part of our mind is on now, and the rest is on the future. The result is
half-minded living.
If we meet today’s problems with today’s strength, we will be more effective in addressing our problems. Don’t start tackling tomorrow’s problems until tomorrow. By zeroing in on today’s problems and not worrying about tomorrow, we are more likely to solve more of today’s problems and have fewer problems left for tomorrow.
Another of our burdens may be the burden of weariness. Many of us with too much work and too little sleep step over to the baggage claim of life and grab the bag of weariness. You don’t carry this one. You drag it as you would a stubborn St. Bernard.
God message is plain: “If creation didn’t crash when I rested, it won’t crash when you do.” Repeat these words to yourself: It is not my job to run the world. Remember that there is a land lush with divine mercy. Your Shepard invites you there. He wants you to lie down. Settle in until you are hidden in the tall plants of his love, and there you will find rest.
Another of our burdens might be the burden of discontent, resulting in the “Prison of Want”. People in that prison always want something bigger, nicer, or faster. Are you in that prison?
In the 23rd Psalm, David has found where discontent goes to die. Indirectly, David is saying in this psalm “What I have in God is greater than what I don’t have in life.” What do you have in God? I invite you to think of 3-5 things that you have in God during our time for reflection. AMEN.
Frame Memorial Presbyterian Church
Texts: Psalm 23, Romans 9:13-21, Matthew 11:28-30
In Randy Pausch’s book, The Last Lecture, he tells a wonderful story entitled “The $100,000 Salt and Pepper Shaker”. When he was 12 and his sister was 14, they went with their parents to Disney World. He writes: Our parents figured we were just old enough to roam around the park without being monitored. Their parents told them to be careful, picked a spot where they would meet in 90 minutes, and set them free.
What a thrill. They were in the coolest place imaginable and had the freedom to explore it on their own. To show their extreme gratitude, they pooled their money and bought their parents a present, a $10 set of salt and pepper shakers.
As they left, the bag slipped our of Randy’s hand and broke. Both Randy and his sister were crying when a woman who saw what happened said to them “Take it back to the store and they’ll give you a new one.”
“I can’t do that” Randy said. “It was my fault. I dropped it. Why would the store give me another one?” Try anyway, she said.
So they did. They didn’t lie and explained what happened. The store clerk listened and gave them a new set. She even said it was their fault for not wrapping it well enough.
Randy was in shock, and left the store giddy. When his parents heard his story, it really increased their appreciation of Disney World. In fact, one customer-service decision over a $10 gift would end up earning Disney over $100,000. His parents spent that much over 20 years as volunteers taking low-income students from Maryland down to Disney.
When mistakes happen in our lives, do we excuse them like Disney did in 1973, or is our “accounting system” so tight that is doesn’t allow for mistakes? Recently, when Randy told this story to Disney executives of today, they squirmed because there was nowhere in their accounting system that would replace broken shakers.
In our lives, do we “keep score” of how many favors others do for us and how many we do for them, or do we just what we know is right? As Christians, we don’t need to keep score.
Our reading from Romans tells us the marks of a true Christian. Verse 10 states “Outdo one another in showing honor”, and verse 13 suggests “extend hospitality to strangers.” This seems to fit with the focus of the Last Lecture: Enabling the dreams of others, overcoming obstacles, and seizing the moment. In a basic truism, Pausch states “Time is all you have, and one day you may find you have less than you think.” None of us knows how much time we have on this planet, so we need to think about living and using our time wisely since it is “all that we have”. Sadly, Randy Pausch died of cancer a couple of weeks ago at age 47.
So, how can we use our time effectively? First, before we continue to pursue our dreams, we need to “lighten up”. In his popular book “Traveling Light”, Max Lucado points out that many of us are staggering with heavy spiritual loads. These are burdens we were never meant to carry: Fear, worry, discontent, guilt, grief, doubt, loneliness, and many more.
God is saying to us “Set that stuff down! You’re carrying burdens you don’t need to bear.” Recall our Gospel Reading from Mat 11:28-30: “Come to me, all you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” What promise does Jesus give to those who heed his words? “I will give you rest.”
Consider the impact of excess burdens on our relationships. They make us feel guilty and irritable. So, set aside at least 20 minutes for prayer, and ask God to reveal any burdens you need to lay down. Pray with a piece of paper and a pen in hand, and write down any burdens you have. Show your list to your closest friend, and ask him or her to pray with you that God will show you how to release your burdens.
Several of us from Frame participated in a series on living simply. Living simply will help us reduce our problems. In our book “Simpler Living Compassionate Life: A Christian Perspective” with a forward by Bill McKibben, Bill reminds us of Christ’s words to the rich young man that he should give away all his goods and follow Him. Consider the burden that our accumulation of stuff places on the planet. Even more, consider the burden it places on our lives. Materialism, which advertising promotes, runs more nearly counter to the message of Jesus, the idea that is losing ourselves we find ourselves, and the idea that in caring for the least around us we make ourselves whole and real. In studying that book, we are taken seriously as a person (sometimes for the first time), and not a consumer. In Mark’s version of this story of this story, it says that “Jesus looked upon him, loved him.” He loved him enough to give him great truth in finding the joy that comes in giving up wealth and helping others. Are we going to let our possessions rule us, or are we going to share them and focus on what really matters, on human relationships and caring for others needs?
By living simply and saying “no” to advertising and instead saying “I have enough”, many problems can be avoided, and the stress level of our lives can be reduced significantly.
In the 23rd Psalm, we find beautiful imagery for releasing our burdens. What pictures come to mind when you read this? For me, as an aquatic ecologist, I relax as I visualize the scene “beside the still waters”. It is very comforting to know that our God, Yahweh, is an unchanging, omnipotent, and omniscient God. Isn’t it comforting to attach our lives to such a solid rock of strength?
But some prefer self reliance. For them the 23rd Psalm may sound like this:
“I am my own Shepard. I am always in need.
I stumble from mall to mall and shrink to shrink, seeking relief but never finding it.
I creep through the valley of the shadow of death and fall apart.
I fear everything from pesticides to power lines, and I’m starting to act like my mother.
I go down to the weekly staff meeting and am surrounded by enemies. I go home, and even my goldfish scowls at me.
I anoint my headache with extra-strength Tylenol.
My Jack Daniel’s runneth over.
Surely misery and misfortune will follow me, and I will live in self-doubt for the rest of my lonely life.”
What is the one thing separating you from long-term happiness or joy? How do you fill in this blank: “I will be happy when (blank); when I’m promoted, I’m married, I’m healthy, I’m richer, or what?
How long has this thing separated you from joy?
How can you deprive it of its power over you?
Many of us carry the burden of worry. Worry divides the mind. The biblical word for worry, merimnao, is a compound of two Greek words, merizo “to divide”, and nous “the mind”. Anxiety splits our energy between today’s priorities and tomorrow’s problems. Part of our mind is on now, and the rest is on the future. The result is
half-minded living.
If we meet today’s problems with today’s strength, we will be more effective in addressing our problems. Don’t start tackling tomorrow’s problems until tomorrow. By zeroing in on today’s problems and not worrying about tomorrow, we are more likely to solve more of today’s problems and have fewer problems left for tomorrow.
Another of our burdens may be the burden of weariness. Many of us with too much work and too little sleep step over to the baggage claim of life and grab the bag of weariness. You don’t carry this one. You drag it as you would a stubborn St. Bernard.
God message is plain: “If creation didn’t crash when I rested, it won’t crash when you do.” Repeat these words to yourself: It is not my job to run the world. Remember that there is a land lush with divine mercy. Your Shepard invites you there. He wants you to lie down. Settle in until you are hidden in the tall plants of his love, and there you will find rest.
Another of our burdens might be the burden of discontent, resulting in the “Prison of Want”. People in that prison always want something bigger, nicer, or faster. Are you in that prison?
In the 23rd Psalm, David has found where discontent goes to die. Indirectly, David is saying in this psalm “What I have in God is greater than what I don’t have in life.” What do you have in God? I invite you to think of 3-5 things that you have in God during our time for reflection. AMEN.