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The 'Occupy' movement is gaining momentum by attracting self-proclaimed 1%ers who think they should be taxed more. (Check out tumblr.) Meanwhile, the NBA lockout continues with players and owners arguing about how they can make more money.

Same planet. Two different worlds.

New and Improved?

A generous life flows from a contented life.

Think about it. What keeps you and me from being generous? It's the restlessness, fear, or worry that what we are giving away might result in missing something we think we need. Put another way, generosity is stifled when I am more focused on the thing(s) I lack than on the abundance I possess.

Capitalism, which drives our society, survives on its ability to create need. We're not taught to be greedy. (We all know that would be wrong.) But we are taught that we would be more fulfilled, happier, more efficient, or have a better family life if we had just one more thing. Excess is not cool today. In fact, it's despised. What is cool is upgrading. Upgrading sounds responsible and reasonable. But the 'upgrade' is always predicated on convincing us that the thing we have now is somehow lacking or out of date. It's last year's model, the clunkier operating system, the lower resolution display, the less fuel efficient model.

Perhaps the apostle Paul's words to Timothy some 2,000 plus years ago are not so out-of-date. Paul insists there is richness and wealth apart from the restless desire for the upgrade. Rather, abundance is found in contentment. Paul says, "but godliness with contentment is great gain… if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that." (1Timothy 6:6, 8)

In this year's stewardship journey we'll discover that contentment is grounded in gratitude, revealed in prayer, and lived in faith. For three weeks we'll study Paul's timeless advice in 1Timothy 6:6-19. This series is for anyone who wants to escape the rat race of desire. It's for anyone who longs to live in the wide-open freedom of lavish generosity.

The last Word to Live By of the Ten Commandments is a word about Contentment. It provides the perfect launch point for this three week adventure beginning the last weekend in October. I encourage you to join us for every step along the way.