Wednesday, 23 April 2008

• testing the parable of the talents

  by mr. oak

  
  I was really inspired by a story i read a few months back about a church in wisconsin where the main pastor rolled into church with forty thousand dollars in cash.  his goal was simple, he walked into the congregation with the stack of cash and read from the book of Matthew:

  "And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his ability."

  After giving a message on the parable of talents, he then proceeded and gave each congregant money.  he challenged them each to double their money in 7 weeks.

  this sunday, i'm going to try the same thing with my youth group kids.  our youth group is looking for ways to raise $8,000 in order to attend a conference set in July.  and at this point, things are not looking too good with the fund raising but at the same time, i truly believe we can pull this off altogether. 

  my hope is that these kids will look at money differently.  i think the notion of money and how it's used is so easily perverted in this society - we see it as a symbol of solving our problems, a source of pride, and an escape.  we watch cartoons of people swimming in money...and never see cartoons about people struggling to make money.  we have people hooked on fast cash and resort to gambling, stealing, and deceit.  money seems to mostly feed on selfishness and live in a society where we praise aberrant donations because it's so outside the norm. 

  i admit, in my age it's so easy to worship money and all it could provide for myself.  to not worry about rent, paying off bills, mortgages and get whatever i want, whenever i want, however i want...i mean, who wouldn't want that?  but in the end when you pause, you realize everything you feel money can solve are all the things that consume you....as tyler durden would put it, things that own you.

  which brings me to this....i always believed God taught us best by challenging us to do...and in that, in those footsteps, i gladly hand this material object to them with the challenge.  double your money...and don't do it for yourself...but do it for the person next to you. 

  although some have told me, this is a great lesson to teach them...i have a feeling in the end, they will teach all of us. 

  more updates after sunday - i'll let you know how it goes....

  p.s.  also if you have other fundraising ideas, please do share!

   

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