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From The Pastor

January 31, 2020 by Rev. John Hartman

From the Pastor

In C.S. Lewis’ novel “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” the White Witch meets Edmund in the snowy woods and offers to him a warm drink and Turkish Delight, his favorite candy. From the very first bite, he is hooked, as it is sweet and light, and it says, “Edmund had never tasted anything more delicious.” As the White Witch pumps Edmund for information about his brother and sisters, he is oblivious to her sinister motives, as he is driven by an insatiable hunger for more and more Turkish Delight. And then C.S. Lewis writes, “At first Edmund tried to remember that it is rude to speak with one’s mouth full, but soon he forgot about this and thought only of trying to shovel down as much Turkish Delight as he could, and the more he ate, the more he wanted to eat, and he never asked himself why the Queen should be so inquisitive.”

On Sunday, we come to the first in my sermon series on the seven deadly sins — the sin of Gluttony. However, if you think about it, Gluttony can be fun! Who hasn't sat in front of the TV with a giant bowl of ice cream? Who hasn't curled up with a good book or a newspaper with a sleeve of Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies by their side? However, Gluttony is the sin of never having enough. In fact, the word “glut” means “to fill beyond capacity.” It’s people who always wants more and more, and who don’t know when to say, “When.”

Now to be fair, it is not wrong for us to enjoy the good things of life! It’s not wrong to enjoy a good cut of meat, a holiday meal with your family, or cup of Starbucks in the morning. God is the giver of all good things and we should give thanks. God could very easily have created us without a need for food. God could have just supplied humans with a built-in battery pack that would last 80 years, so we could just go along like the Energizer Bunny our whole lives. Instead, God said, “No, three times a day, I want them to have an experience in which they taste the gracious gift of my hand.”

And so, we should never sit down to eat without thanking God for the gracious gift of His hand -- feasts, festivals, breakfast, lunch, supper, and even Turkish Delight for dessert, because they are all gifts from God!

I think that's why the Apostle Paul says, “Whether you eat or drink OR WHATEVER YOU DO, do it all for the glory of God.” Friends, let us be sure that our ultimate aim is putting God’s glory above everything else we do.

Pastor John

Quote of the Week

“In his book Temptation, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, warns us of the dangers when we think we need more. He wrote, “ . . . there is a slumbering inclination towards desire which is both sudden and fierce. With irresistible power, desire seizes mastery over the flesh. All at once a secret, smoldering fire is kindled. The flesh burns and is in flames. It makes no difference whether it is sexual desire, or ambition, or vanity, or desire for revenge or love of fame and power, or greed for money, or, finally, that strange desire for the beauty of the world. Whatever it might be, joy in God is extinguished in us.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German pastor, theologian, anti-Nazi dissident, and key founding member of the Confessing Church. His writings on Christianity's role in the secular world have become widely influential, and his book The Cost of Discipleship has been described as a modern classic.