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From The Pastor

November 9, 2018 by Rev. John Hartman

From The Pastor

John Ortberg has a sermon entitled “It All Goes Back in the Box.” He talks about playing his grandmother in Monopoly as a boy. Grandma was ruthless. They used to play marathon games that went on for hours. Each was determined to win the battle of wits between two cutthroat Monopoly moguls. As property changed hands, the one with the upper hand would gloat. Of course the greatest thrill was to put up hotels on Boardwalk and Park place, and then (if this has ever happened to you, you know it’s the greatest feeling in the world) to watch your opponent land on Boardwalk, roll snake eyes, and land on Park Place. When that happened, you got to watch them turn over their deeds and mortgage their properties, as they were wiped out financially. But no matter how thrilling the victory, at the end of the game, John Ortberg’s grandmother would scoop up the green houses and the red hotels, the huge stacks of millions of dollars, and she’d always say, “Now it all goes back in the box.”

If you think about it, life is like Monopoly. We scheme. We strategize. And if we play the game well, we are a success. If we’re very successful, we may get a real Park Place and put up a real hotel. Along the path of our success, we are respected, admired, and even looked upon with fear and awe, because we are real-life Monopoly moguls. But John Ortberg’s grandmother was right. No matter how much earthly wealth and success we amass, in the end it all goes back in the box. And the blunt truth is that when our bodies die, we end up in a box as well. So what can we do? We prepare for that moment in two ways. First, by receiving Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, and choosing to live for him. Second, by being lovingly generous, in giving of ourselves for Jesus Christ and his kingdom. Trust me, not even Boardwalk and Park Place can compare to that!

Pastor John

Quote of the Week

“Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die.” G.K. Chesterton

Gilbert Keith Chesterton, was an English writer, poet, philosopher, dramatist, journalist, orator, lay- theologian, biographer, and literary and art critic. Chesterton is often referred to as the "prince of paradox".