This Week in Worship – 10/20

Dear Grace Family,

In 1987 (which feels like yesterday), Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen made a movie called Wall Street. Michael Douglas played Gordon Gekko, an unscrupulous stockbroker who would do just about anything to make money. Maybe the most famous scene in the movie is when he is speaking at a Teldar Paper stockholder’s meeting and he finishes his speech by saying this:

The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA. Thank you very much.

Our faith has a very different message. Greed is not good, rather it can be deadly. In our scripture that we will read this Sunday, the Apostle Paul writes. “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.” Notice he did not say that money is the root of all evil, but the love of money or greed. Money is necessary, but when the pursuit of money becomes are prime motivation in life, it can do damage to our spirit. How do we find the balance between having enough and greed? John Wesley gave this advice. Make all you can.Save all you can.Give all you can.

I think that still preaches today! This Sunday in worship we will continue our sermon series, “Defying Gravity: Breaking Free to Grow.” Join us in person or online with an expectation to experience the grace and love of God.

See you in worship,
Barry

Each Tuesday Pastor Mitch publishes a devotion on his website Weeklydevotion.com.  If you’d like to receive this in your inbox, drop him an email at  [email protected] and just say “Sign me up!”