I’m currently sitting at Starbucks for my Community Office Hours, drinking a Pumpkin Spice Latte.  Did you just react negatively to that?  Listen, in Ecclesiastes 8:15 the writer muses, “So I commend enjoyment, for there is nothing better for people under the sun than to eat, and drink, and enjoy themselves, for this will go with them in their toil through the days of life that God gives them under the sun.” 

It has long been my contention that Christians who have no fun aren’t getting the point of our faith at all.  We religious people can get self-righteous and judgmental quite easily.  But isn’t our faith also about joy, about enjoying the lives that God has given us?  As the writer in Ecclesiastes points out, enjoyment can be commended because our lives are finite.  We aren’t called to be hedonistic and selfish.  We aren’t called to enjoy ourselves and deliberately hurt others in the process.  But neither are we called to be so puritanical that everything is judged to be sinful. 

This week during Bible Study we were talking about Jesus turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana.  It’s a miracle in the Gospel according to John, and the story shows that Jesus was helping a family out and possibly having fun at a wedding!  Is that shocking?  I sure hope not.  Because that story shows both the human and divine side of Jesus (and a very funny mother/son moment to boot!) 

Here’s the thing, we can be quick to judge.  And I do understand the complaints about Pumpkin Spice appearing too early for instance (and have even made those complaints myself if products appear in August!)  But I also remember a difficult time in my life when I put up Christmas decorations on November 11—yes, well before Thanksgiving. Because seeing that little Christmas tree shining light in the darkness gave me a glimmer of hope. 

The little things that help us enjoy this life that God has given to us are gifts.  
So, what’s saving your life today? 

Cheers,
Pastor Lauren 

(This Week’s Thoughts 9.6.18)