August 1, 2004 - Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
Colossians 3:1-11
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Luke 12:13-21

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"A New Mindset"

Rev. Steven A. Peay, Ph.D.

First Congregational Church -- Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
Ninth Sunday after Pentecost -- August 1, 2004
[texts: Colossians 3:1-11/Luke 12:13-21]

Luke's Gospel paints a rather disturbing picture, doesn't it? This is one of those 'hard sayings' that is not at all easy for us to hear, especially in churches or neighborhoods like this. Most of us would look at the farmer in his good fortune and think, "Good for you, you lucky devil!" When you think about it, his barns are just his 401k, his IRA, or his pension plan. So if the question of what's wrong here popped into your head, you're certainly not alone.

What should be abundantly evident is that the problem here is not the things, the possessions, and the wealth the farmer had amassed. Things are, by nature, morally neutral. Money, land, possessions are neither good nor bad, they just are. I think we also need to clarify that the farmer wasn't being penalized for working hard, being a good investor or anything along those lines. Nor was the problem in the 'having,' the act of possessing, which is also a morally neutral act.

So, where's the problem? It should be fairly clear that the problem is in the mindset, or the attitude, that the farmer adopts. Having things, being shrewd, whatever, is not a sin, not a problem, but misusing what we have or abilities we possess, that's a different question. I think that this is the point that Jesus is trying to bring home to us -- we need new mindsets, new attitudes and ways of thinking that allow us to live as God intends.

The farmer's very attitude to life violated the accepted wisdom not only of Israel, but also of the ancient world generally. That wisdom was directed toward the common good, because the goods of this world are limited and must be shared. When one manifested a selfish or hoarding attitude it upset the relational dynamic and took away from others. Contemporary scholar Bruce Malina’s study of first-century society leads him to argue that a person who accumulated capital was perceived as "necessarily dishonorable. . . . A person could not accumulate wealth except through the loss and injury of another person." The farmer's self-centered attitude violated the common good, and constituted a breach in the relationship human beings should have with one another and with God.

Hard as it is for us to hear, we need to open our ears to the message of a renewed mindset. To store-up treasures for the sake of having them and the sense of security that they bring renders one poor in the things of God. This is precisely what Paul is telling the people of Colossae when he lists all the attitudes, orientations and actions that should no longer flow out of a life raised through baptism into Christ. If our life is "hidden with Christ in God" fornication, passion, evil desire, greed (which is idolatry because it leads us to trust in things rather than in God) has no place in our thinking. Likewise anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language have no place in our actions. A life hidden with Christ in God should reflect the self-emptying love Christ himself demonstrated again and again. Perhaps that’s why Harry Emerson Fosdick’s words in the hymn we will sing still speak to us, “Shame our wanton, selfish gladness, rich in things and poor in soul. Grant us wisdom, Grant us courage, Lest we miss thy kingdom’s goal…”

I don't think there's a question that our society exhibits more of the attitude of the farmer than it does Paul's "seek the things that are above." All you have to do is read the newspaper or tune into the news media to hear story after story of individuals who have placed their acquisition, or retention, of wealth ahead of the common good or the needs of others. To bring this home we can run down a brief list of, by now, familiar names and scandals on Wall Street and beyond we have Enron and Ken Lay, Richard Strong, and let’s not forget Martha Stewart. The sad thing is that the brief list is just the tip of the iceberg and there are people who every day look to “get ahead” without reference to the wider picture of the harm done by their actions.

The other example that comes to mind is the stories of hoarding that we see from time-to-time. You know the ones I’m talking about, where a house is literally filled from top to bottom with stuff, be it cats or newspapers or garbage or whatever. Several years ago, while living in Madison, I picked up the 'Wisconsin State Journal' and was struck by the top front-page story about hoarding. Were you aware that Madison sees 10 to 15 cases of hoarding a year? Some of the cases are so bad that the house must be condemned, since it's no longer habitable. Here we see another mindset problem, very likely mental illness, but no less problematic. The hoarder is placing security in things, even empty fast food wrappers or partially eaten meals. The stress is on what I have, not on who I am.

How, then, do we come to this new mindset? Well, Paul tells us that, "you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." So our old selves are already dead, it's an accomplished fact. However, putting on the "new self" is an ongoing task of "being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the creator." We accomplish this renewal by using the gifts that God has given us, including the gift of reason. Gregory of Nyssa gives us some very sound advice on the use of reason in spiritual growths:

Thus, the first thing that we are to do is to put our minds in the right place and to keep our thoughts focused on our life in God.

Many will say that they find such a refocusing of the mind a rather daunting task. However, there are very simple and straightforward methods that we can use to help us along. First, take a break. As the day progresses literally take a five-minute break and watch your mind. Think about the thoughts, feelings, and experiences that you have had thus far and the ones to which you feel habitually drawn. Ask yourself the question, "Do these thoughts lead me closer to God or away from God?" You might also ask, "Where am I putting my trust -- in things, in other people, in myself, or is it in God?" The great saints have described the mind as a team of horses that can run off in many different directions, if we don't have firm control on the reins. I know I've experienced that myself and I can tell you that a few moments of recollection, of quiet here and there throughout the day, can make a great deal of difference. Second, do things daily that intentionally focus the mind on God. A few moments spent in reading a verse or two of scripture and then meditating upon it, or reading a little devotional book like "Our Daily Bread" can focus the day. I would also recommend the use of 'The Southwell Litany,' since it focuses on the actions and attitudes of our daily lives. We can also keep our mind focused on God by using simple a repetitive prayer like the "Jesus Prayer." One can either say the words aloud, or hold them in the mind, either way working on keeping the "mind in the heart before God." The prayer? "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me." One can also just look around and cast an appreciative gaze on some aspect of God's wonderful creation and breathe a prayer of thanks that "we are fearfully and wonderfully made." I would hasten to add that listening deeply to sacred music and allowing the combination of words and music to wash over one can also help a great deal.

The whole goal of these exercises is to focus the mind and bring it in line with our hearts. Once that is accomplished, then our actions and attitudes will follow. Elsewhere in Scripture, Jesus tells us, "Where your treasure is, there is your heart." Unlike the farmer or the wandering child Israel, we need to realize that our wealth, our riches are in God. To come to that realization means, "having the mind of Christ" and a whole new mindset that sees God and the common good as the center and the source of our actions. It can come, if we "seek the things that are above," for our "lives are hidden with Christ in God."