Midwest Memo
Sermon idea
by Alan Shultz

Years ago I read a wonderful article in the Readers Digest encouraging parents to teach the Bible to their children. In language almost borrowed from a Walt Disney movie promo, the author wrote of stories featuring the riches of royalty, the larceny of cheaters, the antics of siblings.

The article author's point was that the Bible is filled of tales of the human condition, folks caught up in the joys, travails and challenges of everyday life. These stories of real people caught up in real situations remain relevant cautions, inspirations and blueprints from which children can learn, model and discipline themselves.

Though I can't give the author credit by name, I often think of the importance of his admonition. I am particularly reminded of his words when my experience triggers consideration of a story from the Bible that I was taught in Sunday School decades ago.

Because I love the teaching aspect of story, I see sermon ideas just about everywhere I travel. It happened just the other day. I was caught up in a line of slow moving traffic through a construction zone. Immediately in front of me was a backhoe driven by a guy wearing a hard hat.

Now, mind you, the state of the road that we were traveling upon was absolutely terrible. So picture the up and down jostle of the ruts we crossed, mix in the noise and dirt of the construction site. Add to that scene a little honking and merging of traffic, some weary, some white knuckled. And what of the gentleman in front of me negotiating it all? Well he was leaning back in his seat, steering the backhoe with one hand and eating a banana in the other. Eating a banana? Yes, and he appeared to be relishing it, and the sunny sky above us. He might as well have been today's poster-child for the writings of the Bible author when we are reminded in the Book of Matthew to "consider the lilies of the field" or the "birds of the air."

"Drink it all in," the man on the backhoe whispers to the motorists all around him, "it is the journey, not the destination," he says between bites of his banana.

Sermon title: "Enjoy the banana."

Last week National Public Radio (NRP) ran a segment about crime and how the only statistic that is going way down nationwide is home burglary.

Now over the years I have known folks who do not vacation or take trips or attend important family events because of the fear something will happen

to their stuff. I've known

elderly people who cannot move to more appropriate housing because of their things. Things, stuff, accumulation, property, be it treasure or trash, it all comes with a price.

The NPR reporter interviewed a career burglar gone straight. The former burglar was the one with the best answer to the question of why instances of home burglary continue to go down.

"Everybody has this stuff," the fellow said. He went on to explain that the market for stolen goods was so low that stealing wasn't worth the risk of getting caught.

"People all want new stuff anyway," he said.

Meanwhile, as I listen to this program about crime statistics I am reminded in the Book of Luke of the rich man who builds storehouses for his wealth only to be caught short by what the rich man must have considered his own untimely death.

Sometimes the sermon writes itself about how we value property and things and stuff, forgetting to get on with what is needed of us.

Sermon title: "All that stuff." Can someone give me an "Amen?"