West Main

The Apostle Paul says, “But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction” (1 Timothy 6:8).

I suppose it is not uncommon for most of us to assume we can be both rich and faithful. I assume that many of us think we are capable of balancing faith and wealth like walking a tightrope, and will neither fall one way into temptations, or fall the other way into traps of wealth. What is striking about Paul’s statement concerning the individual who desires to gain wealth is the emphatic and absolute statement that he or she will, not might or possibly, “fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires” that result in destruction.

If there is a kind of balancing act to be exercised, then it is not between wealth and faith but between destruction and contentment. Paul says that if we have food and clothing, “we will be content,” and if we want wealth we will end in destruction. The tipping point of whether we fall toward destruction or contentment centers on our desire. A “watershed” may serve as another helpful analogy. A watershed is that point where water on a ridge or mountain either breaks left or right.  Our desire determines whether we “break right” toward contentment, or whether we “break left” toward destruction.

I suppose many of us also think we are “breaking right” with our desire toward contentment and are not falling into the trap of wealth. But be careful my content brothers and sisters, for the traps of wealth are many and hidden. What good, after all, is a trap that is seen? If I know where a trap is set, then I can easily avoid it. It is all too easy to fall into the trap of justifying our present standard of living and falsely assume, “I am content, because I am not desiring to be as wealthy as . . . (fill in the blank with any “rich” person you like).” We have a tendency to automatically assume our standard of wealth is justified, while someone who goes beyond my means is a “greedy wealthy person.”

But here we come up against a difficult question: how do we concretely define what it is to be content and how do we concretely define what it is to desire wealth? Consider for a moment that 1.5 billion of the world’s poorest people live on one dollar a day. If you made one dollar a day, then how would you respond to the fact that the poverty line in America is set at $10,830 a year per individual and $22,050 for a family of four? Is one person’s poverty another person’s wealth? Is a family of four making $23,000 a year to be considered middle class? When does one cross the threshold to being “rich”?  Is the mere desire to go beyond food and clothing for the day a bent toward a potentially destructive desire?  Paul says that if we have food and clothing we ought to be content.  But the trap of wealth prompts me to question Paul and ask, “What kind of clothes and how many? What kind of food and how much?” It seems the desire for wealth has more than one way to trap a Christian!

Determining an actual economic standard to define wealth or poverty appears complicated and ambiguous, or does it seem that way because I am trapped by a hidden desire for wealth? If we take Paul’s words at “face value” without attempting to qualify and justify our own standard of living, then it seems contentment is not a high standard to reach. However, the question we all must answer is, “Are we content with that?”

-- Terry

Vacation Bible School is just seven weeks away!  How can you help make it be successful?  What do we need?  Your kids to attend, teachers, food, prizes, and lots more!  Please contact Denise Beeks this Sunday to volunteer to help.

***VBS DATES: June 19-22 – Ages: Finished Kindergarten-6th Grade. Time: 9:00-11:30 a.m.

Camp is July 8-14 at Box R Ranch.  Cost is $50.00 per camper.  Registration forms are now available.  Please turn in your form ASAP as camper space is limited in every age group.

Elders’ Open House is this Sunday, May 6, from 2:00-4:00 p.m. at the homes of Charlie & Becky Anderson and Truman & Ferne Scott.  Maps will be available on  Sunday.

Deacon's Meeting  --  May 7, 7:00 p.m. in the Fireside Room.  All deacons are encouraged to attend.

Our Last Ladies Class will be May 29 until we start again in the Fall.  On May 29, it will be a potluck luncheon only beginning at 11:00 a.m. Please bring lots of your favorite potluck foods to share.

Thank You  --  Thanks to one and all for the prayers, condolences, love and cards during our period of bereavement on the loss of our son.  May God Bless You All,   Dave and Carol Reavis

Moving Away  -- Larry and Lynn Albright will be moving to Dayton, Oregon, about the 4^th of June.  We want to honor them with a going away party on June 3^rd after evening services.  Please bring lots of your favorite fingerfoods to share for the fellowship time.  Also, Larry and Lynn will be celebrating their 45^th Wedding Anniversary that night.

We said good-bye to Terry and Debra Burchett last Sunday night as they prepare to move to Portland next week. We want to thank them for all of their wonderful service that they gave to West Main in their years here.

Needed: Snacks for Children’s Worship such as Goldfish crackers or any snacks suitable for children that do NOT contain peanuts or that were processed on shared equipment (please read labels).  If you would prefer to give cash, we will shop for you.   Thanks!