Ecclesiastes 1:12-14;2:(1-7,11)18-23
Colossians 3:(5-11)12-17
Luke 12:13-21
We have discovered over the last year or so that we really bring a lot of stuff with us for the weekend, it turns into a lot of work to carry all this stuff from the truck to get it all set up. It used to take us about 2 hours to get set up. And we discovered that a lot of this stuff we brought, we never even used. Two fry pans, two Dutch ovens, extra chairs clothes in case the kids showed up. I always brought 2 of everything. 2 muzzle loaders, two knives, enough stuff for 5 people.
We have taken a look lately at what we bring as compared to what we need. It's nice to have all the extra stuff in case, but we really don't need to bring it. So we have cut back . We only bring what we absolutely need. One of everything, And you know, we actually haven't missed anything. And it easier to transport and set up. We're up in less than an hour now. It took us over a year to figure out what our fore fathers knew. You only carry what you need. A trapper would head out into the bush carrying little more than what he needed to survive. His gun, a knife, a wool blanket and a possibles bag.
This little possible bag is a perfect example of how things should work. The bag is hand made out of leather. I made it from a picture I saw of an original bag built around 1800. In it rides everything a person needed to survive. A flint and steel for fire building, lead balls for the gun, gunpowder, a screwdriver and other small tools to gun maintenance. With these small bag and it contents, a mountain man could get food, cook it and stay warm and dry. Once a year they would all gather at rendezvous, sell or trade their furs for supplies and head out again. A difficult life without much of a retirement plan.
The parable we heard today has a familiar ring to it doesn't it? We heard of a successful, wealthy farmer with a bit of a dilemma. He is expecting a windfall harvest and he has no place to put it. His barns are full. Now his main concern is storing up this wealth for his retirement so he can take it easy. Eat drink and be merry. Without any thoughts about anybody else, he decides to build bigger barns and store up more. After all, more is better right?. Well what happens to the farmer before he can retire? He dies.
The point is not that there is something wrong with amassing some wealth but rather with the thought that storing more than was needed in "bigger barns" deprived others from the same wealth and happiness. The sin was not that the man had become wealthy, but that he wanted to hoard it all. The man did not recognize the fact that he had been blessed by God with this great abundance and foolishly refused to share. How much good did all this extra wealth do him in the end? Well I'm sure his neighbors were pleased. Now they could share in the wealth. The sin of the barn builder was greed.
The Romans had a proverb that said money was like sea water. The more a person drank, the thirstier that person became. How many of us are like this barn builder? How many of us have a tough time quenching our thirst?. I am. I try not to be, but some days I'm just like that farmer. I want what I don't need. I am so concerned with stuff, I forget my God given responsibilities to my brethren. I'm working on this.
Wealth and possessions in and of themselves are not bad. We work hard for these things, we deserve to be successful. We need to plan for our futures and retirements. We also need to remember that we are not alone on this earth. We have the means to help those who don't have what we have. We have been commanded to Love God and our neighbors as ourselves. To be good custodians of the abundance that God has entrusted to us. To help those in need. To beware of grabbing for too much.
One of the things I like best about Rendezvous is the camaraderie. Where ever you walk people say "Good Day", "How you doing?" "Need anything?" A person could live off of what is freely offered there. There is always something to eat and drink. Always an offer of a spare blanket if needed. This is our model my Brothers and Sisters. This is how we should be at all places and at all times.
So I implore you as you live your lives for today and make plans for tomorrow, keep only what will fit in your own possible bags. Share the rest.