The Apostle Paul (Philippians 4:12)
I know what it is to have plenty, and I think I've learned the secret of going hungry. But I've never seriously experienced the fear of being in need. This is primarily due to the family that raised me and my life experiences, and I see it as a gift - a gift I hope to be able to share with you.My father is the adopted son of a well-to-do Boston couple. My grandmother spent most of her wealth in multiple around-the-world trips in her final years, but Dad grew up in an upper-middle-class family and was responsible with his money. A retired chemistry professor, he has had a strong income throughout his life.
My mother grew up on the other side of the tracks, raised by a woman who knew what it was to be poor during the Great Depression. Mom insisted that we avoid any and everything that was "expensive" - which sometimes meant getting cheap things that didn't last very long, but mostly meant not getting things at all.
The combination resulted in an upbringing where I never heard the phrase "we can't afford that," but often heard "that's too expensive." I never heard my parents express concern over paying the bills, and I don't recall them ever arguing about spending money. Furthermore, I was raised in a church that emphasized Scripture, and I learned about the lilies of the field and the birds of the air at an early age. I was taught that there would always be food and clothing, and nothing in my experience contradicted this idea. I simply didn't worry about it.*
In college, scholarships and fellowships covered my tuition and basic living expenses for myself and Kendall. I continued my mother's spending habits and didn't go into debt. Supporting two young children and a wife on a student fellowship income meant technically living in "poverty" by U.S. standards - we could afford our apartment and a mostly vegetarian diet, but no eating out, movies, or other entertainment - but the fellowship was a steady income and covered any housing and tuition increases.
These days were happy. We had plenty of friends, and plenty of free time. As the only couple in our group with children, people were happy to come to our place, and free entertainment - games, stories, and good conversation - was readily available. A Thanksgiving potluck with 20 students crammed into an apartment dining/living room is a grand adventure.
During these years, Kendall and I studied the book Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger with our older and wealthier Sunday School class. As we listened to one couple struggling with whether or not to add-on to their living room in order to make room for a grand piano,** we suddenly realized how much fun, and how little worry, we were experiencing compared to some of our wealthy classmates. We also realized that, when we left school and I became a computer science professor, our income would more than triple. In today's dollars, we would have an additional $150 every day to spend. What in the world did we need with an extra $150 a day?
At that time, we made the commitment to maintain our same standard of living when I became a professor. We were having great fun - if it's not broke, why fix it? What we did with our income is a story for another day,*** but the outcome was this: we have always had a huge buffer between what we made and what we spent. That makes it easy to not worry about our personal money.
We kept our standard of living pretty consistent during my college teaching days, and through seminary. It made it easier to accept the 70% pay cut that came with the move from professor to pastor. It was when I became a pastor that our standard of living slowly began to creep up... and that, too, is a story for another day.
But what if something goes wrong?
So, my story happens to turn out fine. But what if something went horribly wrong? What if I lost my fellowship? What if a massive accident put us in medical debt? What if, what if, what if...
I am convinced that Jesus' words apply, in a simple and non-miraculous way, to the church in America. I have always been connected to churches that care about me. These churches are filled with Americans, among the richest people in the world. I have seen the church care for people in disasters; if something disastrous happened to me and my family, the church would care for us. We have enough. It's Good News!
What do you think?
My experiences have made it relatively simple for me to accept that we have enough. Personal experience is not a good source when seeking objective truth, but it is where most of us start. How has your experience made it easier or more difficult for you to accept Jesus' teachings on the lilies of the field?
*I did worry about people in other nations, when I learned that extreme poverty and starvation are a serious issue in our world. I believe Matthew 6:25ff compels us to share with others who are in need.
**Really. Some people in our class had a lot of money.
***Short answer: we gave it away.
During these years, Kendall and I studied the book Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger with our older and wealthier Sunday School class. As we listened to one couple struggling with whether or not to add-on to their living room in order to make room for a grand piano,** we suddenly realized how much fun, and how little worry, we were experiencing compared to some of our wealthy classmates. We also realized that, when we left school and I became a computer science professor, our income would more than triple. In today's dollars, we would have an additional $150 every day to spend. What in the world did we need with an extra $150 a day?
At that time, we made the commitment to maintain our same standard of living when I became a professor. We were having great fun - if it's not broke, why fix it? What we did with our income is a story for another day,*** but the outcome was this: we have always had a huge buffer between what we made and what we spent. That makes it easy to not worry about our personal money.
We kept our standard of living pretty consistent during my college teaching days, and through seminary. It made it easier to accept the 70% pay cut that came with the move from professor to pastor. It was when I became a pastor that our standard of living slowly began to creep up... and that, too, is a story for another day.
But what if something goes wrong?
So, my story happens to turn out fine. But what if something went horribly wrong? What if I lost my fellowship? What if a massive accident put us in medical debt? What if, what if, what if...
I am convinced that Jesus' words apply, in a simple and non-miraculous way, to the church in America. I have always been connected to churches that care about me. These churches are filled with Americans, among the richest people in the world. I have seen the church care for people in disasters; if something disastrous happened to me and my family, the church would care for us. We have enough. It's Good News!
What do you think?
My experiences have made it relatively simple for me to accept that we have enough. Personal experience is not a good source when seeking objective truth, but it is where most of us start. How has your experience made it easier or more difficult for you to accept Jesus' teachings on the lilies of the field?
*I did worry about people in other nations, when I learned that extreme poverty and starvation are a serious issue in our world. I believe Matthew 6:25ff compels us to share with others who are in need.
**Really. Some people in our class had a lot of money.
***Short answer: we gave it away.
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