Pastors E-Letter 10/9/20
Contentment. According to the Merriam Webster definition, contentment is a feeling of satisfaction with one’s possessions, status, or situation. That said, when was the last time you felt content? Think about that for a minute. What was going on? What were you doing or thinking?
I had a sense of contentment, of satisfaction, I would also add “peace” just a while ago. I got up this morning and followed my usual routine: fed the dogs and took them out, made my coffee. Then I grabbed my bible and other devotional material and sat down for my morning prayer time. I read scripture, journaled, and prayed. Then I sat down to begin the days work which on Thursday includes writing at least a draft of Sunday’s message and sometimes, like today, this e-letter message.
I’ve been pondering the message for a while. I have all kinds ideas and notes. But as I sat down to begin writing something coherent, it all felt like a jumbled mess in my heart and head. Where to begin? (A common question we preachers wrestle with) What to say, in what order? What do I put in the message? What do I save for the e-letter? Yikes. It was not going well.
So, I did what I often do when I have writers block. I got up from the computer, grabbed Jack’s leash and off we went for a walk in the hopes of letting the dust settle and finding some coherence in what felt like a chaotic brain fog.
Not five minutes into the walk, as we were walking by the pond, I noticed just five feet from me, at the edge of the water was what I assume was a very young great blue heron. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen one so close before. I was amazed that Jack hadn’t scared it away. It just stood there as I marveled at the magnificent blue coloring of its feathers. It was absolutely beautiful. I relaxed. And I was grateful to God for the beauty of God’s creation. I was no longer anxious, but contented, at peace.
Contentment. I believe that God wants us to enjoy lives that are characterized by contentment, a sense of feeling satisfied and at peace with where we are, who we are and what we have. I believe that contentment is a part of the abundant life that Jesus came to earth to give us. In last week’s scripture where Jesus encouraged us not to worry, but to “consider the lilies, how they grow” Jesus was inviting us out of worry and anxiety into a sense of peace and contentment by trusting in the power of God to provide for our needs.
The problem is that no matter how much we try to take Jesus at his word, the world constantly bombards us with a different message. The world says you never have enough. You shouldn’t be satisfied with what you have because there is something bigger or newer or better out there. The messages we receive constantly invite us to dissatisfaction and discontentment with what we have.
Of course, there is a place for discontentment in our lives. Holy discontent is a good thing. Holy discontent can lead us to seek to grow in our faith, in digging deeper into our relationship with God through Christ. Holy discontent can lead us to own the ways we need to be transformed so that we can be more like Jesus. Holy discontent can lead us to work for justice and equality in our world. It can lead us to serve and give our time and talent and resources for things that matter.
The problem is that we often confuse what we should be content with and what we should be discontent with. We are too often content to stand back and do nothing about things we need to change in this world. On the other hand, we are too often discontent with the very things with which we should be contented.
This week in worship, we will be focusing on how we can learn and cultivate contentment in our lives, reflecting on Paul’s words in Philippians 4:10-20. In these words, Paul reflects on the “secret” of contentment. And if you put Paul’s words here in the context of the whole letter, you realize that Paul is seriously living out that secret even as he writes this letter. Paul writes these words from prison, living everyday with the uncertainty of whether or not he will be executed. And yet, Philippians is a letter that is filled with joy, with gratitude and with a deep sense of contentment.
I invite you to read and reflect on Philippians 4:10-20. You may also want to read all of chapter 4 because the words preceding verses 10-20 give us some clues about Paul’s “secret” to contentment. Also, I hope you will spend some time reflecting on what brings you that sense of contentment in your life. What thoughts and activities lead to that feeling of contentment? Likewise, what thoughts or activities lead you down the path towards discontent and dissatisfaction with your life?
Jesus said, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) I believe an abundant life is a contented life. I hope you will join us in worship this Sunday as we seek to discover the secret of contentment and the abundant life that Jesus offers.
Grace and Peace,
Annette