Saturday, November 3

Today’s Lectionary Readings: Psalm 89; Haggai 1:1-15; Luke 22:14-30; Romans 10:5-9

Just yesterday I was having a conversation with a friend about what it means to be living in an age designated “the Post-Christian Age”. The Post-Christian Age simply means that we are living in a time in American society when the power and privilege Christianity has historically enjoyed has passed. We are now in a time where Christianity has become just one of many, many things competing for our time and energy. The result is that in many cases, our faith has come to rank very low in terms of our overall priorities. We might think that this development is new, but the prophet Haggai’s words in today’s lectionary reading reminds us, it’s not. In the passage, the prophet decries the fact that folks of his day have neglected their faith in favor of their own pursuits. In exploring the lives of his peers in Haggai 1:6, the prophet utters: “You have spent a lot of money, but you haven’t much to show for it. You keep filling your plates, but you never get filled up. You keep drinking and drinking and drinking, but you’re always thirsty. You put on layer of layer of clothes, but you can’t get war. And the people who work for you, what are they getting out of it? Not much – a leaky, rusted-out bucket, that’s what.” Amazing how little things have changed over the last several thousand years, eh. So what was God’s advice for Haggai’s peers – for US, today? “Take a good, hard look at your life. Think it over.” Today, I invite you to do just that. Take a priority check and see where – in this Post-Christian Age – your faith ranks in terms of all the things competing for your time, energy, and attention. And if you don’t like where it ranks on your scale of priorities, DO something about it. Today. Til next time…