March 14, 2021

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Dear Lake B Family & Friends,

In this season of Lent, you will be hearing from different voices in our community - offering weekly devotional reflections to encourage our own journey toward Holy Week, the Cross and the Resurrection.  Our theme for Lent is “Beautiful Questions on the Way.” 
 
Thank you to this week’s contributing writer, Chis Drape.
 
May God continue to meet us on the way in this Lenten Season,
 
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Lina 
Gospel Reading for the Fourth Sunday in Lent
March 14, 2021

Luke 13:1-9 and 31-35
 Jesus concludes the parable of the Shrewd Manager with an interesting question: “If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches?” (v. 11)
 
Is Jesus suggesting the shrewd (dishonest) manager earns his master’s approval by manipulating the books while trying to save his own behind? At first read, the story seems out of place alongside our previous stories of the Good Samaritan, the Lost Sheep and Coin, and the Lost Son – stories about love for our neighbor, affirmation of wholeness, and community.
 
But the contrast connects to Jesus’ point: you can’t serve both God and money (“mammon” or wealth). That seems rather straightforward until we begin to wrestle with what it means in our individual-oriented, success-driven capitalistic and racist society.
 
Among the many powerful ideas Miguel, Pat and Tali explored in last Sunday’s sermon conversation, two stand out in relation to this week’s passage:

1. Jesus framed the idea that we are not whole as a community if one of our members is missing (sheep, coin or son);
2. Jesus’ parables recognize and interrogate economic issues as they intersect with Kingdom values and provide insight for our own stewardship.

The previous parables guide us to love God and our neighbor, seek the lost sheep, coin, son. In those stories Jesus affirms community-minded care that leads to justice for our neighbor and wholeness for our community.
 
So back to our opening Jesus-question: what does it look like to be faithful with dishonest wealth (accumulated at a cost to my neighbor, to community, to God’s creation)? Even though most (all?) accumulated wealth is at its source “dishonest” in our capitalist and racist society, Jesus implies that we can be faithful with it. We can spend it on behalf of our neighbor, our community, God’s creation.
 
More broadly, what can it look like for LOVE to be the object of our stewardship – using our resources in ways that build the Kingdom, strengthening relationships and community, seeking care of our neighbor, and fostering justice?
 
So, here’s to exploring what it means to be faithful with dishonest wealth as our pastors will once again take us into the deep, complex and beautiful questions that arise from seeking community, justice and love together.

Thanks to contributing writer, Chris Drape.

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