Just to let you all know, I have never blogged before. Aside from informal discussions with friends, I have never discussed my spiritual views. With that disclosure, I will attempt to express my thoughts on our recent scripture readings. I've noted how God's own people have repeatedly and persistently practiced paganism and worshipped idols. How easy it is for me to judge them as being absolutley ungrateful for all God has done for them. We live in a community of Christians. We know who our Lord is and would never worship things of wood or metal, made from our own hands. We don't do that. Or do we? We don't blatantly worship with Asherah poles or golden calves. However, when reading about objects of worship made of wood and metal, I can't help but think of two very basic items in our own lives: houses and cars. These are wood and metal objects manufactured by our own hands; two examples, but the list could go on. We live in a society where too often we want bigger and better. Some call this conspicuous consumption, others call it keeping up with the Jones. God has blessed us with prosperity. We no longer spend our lives just trying to survive. We have disposable income for discretionary spending. Depending on the amount of our disposable income, we can buy everything from designer purses, jewelry, the latest fashions, the newest electronic gadgets, the best golf clubs, speed boats, airplanes, additional homes...you get the picture. The fact that ours is a consumer driven economy speaks to the society in which we live. I'm not saying that these things in and of themselves are bad. If we can acquire them, then we have certainly been blessed. But, as Christians we have an important role to fulfill. We need to be mindful of the value we place on our material goods. We are stewards of the blessing we receive. What do our possessions mean to us? We have been so well fed. Are we feeding the orphan and the widow?