by T. Joe Eggebrecht, Guest Essayist

Growing up during the Great Depression in a small town we kids had no TVs, no computers, no skating rink, and often no radios or movie theaters (except the free street movies). We had hours of fun with a big pasteboard box from the grocery store, driving an empty can down the street with a small tree limb, and building a tree house with old boards. My brother and I taught ourselves to pole vault with a sapling we cut on the river bank. We pole vaulted over fences and mud puddles, or over a cross bar set-up that we had constructed. We never got sick from rummaging through the bottles and other containers in the trash behind the drug store or the doctor's office or collecting stamps from behind the insurance office. We had fun with no expense simply because we had no money. Now we need money, lots of it. Our kids just will not spend hours playing with a pasteboard box or a nine foot sapling with the branches trimmed off. They have to have electronic toys that cost lots of money.

So, greed has become the attitude and the cry from our hometown to our nation's Capitol. Congress is accusing bank executives of greed. Investment execs are pointing the finger at greedy professional athletes and lawyers." But have any of them actually looked in the mirror? Aren't the Congressmen just as greedy as the Wall Street execs? Congress has given themselves big pay raises, perks, and health coverage while so many Americans are struggling financially with a pay cut and no health coverage? If you are looking to Congress and the President for relief, forget it. They take care of themselves with our tax money.

Rabbi Avrahim Trugman wrote the following: "It is obvious to anyone who has seen a bit of the world and known people from all strata of society that money is no guarantee of happiness. It may even be true that the more money, the more problems, and in many cases the more unhappiness. In fact, this sentiment was expressed clearly in the Ethics of the Fathers 2,000 years ago: 'the more possessions--the more worry__'

"Why is this so? It seems that the more we have, the easier it is to fall into the trap of becoming dependent upon our possessions to provide us happiness. This is especially true in our age where the constant bombardment of the media and advertising is geared to make us think we must have It all and we must have it now! If not, we are missing something and are somehow deprived.

"Happiness is an attitude towards life and comes from a deep inner feeling of self-worth and purpose. All the money in the world cannot create these feelings of self esteem. Another gem of wisdom in the Ethics of the Fathers states: 'Who is rich? One who is happy with his lot!'

"This is not to say that one needs to be poor to be happy either. Money is neutral. Like many other things money can be used for good and positive purposes or the opposite. To be happy with our lot also does not mean we should not strive for a more comfortable life style and accept poverty with no hope of betterment. It does mean though that we should strive to be happy and grateful with what we have, no matter what the circumstances. To do so indicates a great trust in God and leads to inner peace and contentment."

Consider: "And having food and raiment, let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil." [I Timothy 6:8-10]

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THANK YOU JOE, for another reminder from the generation who was raised on the necessities of life and found a happiness and satisfaction that our current society thinks only money can buy. THE WORDWRIGHT

Posted by Bill Venrick at 9:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

T. Joe Eggebrecht, Guest Essayist
Bridgeport, Illinois

The Apostle Paul knew something of the passion of Jesus as he sat in a prison in Rome. He had been placed there because he preached about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Rather than mark off his days of incarceration on a calendar Paul made his prison time worthwhile. He wrote letters to some of the churches where he has preached to encourage them in the faith. One of those letters was the one he wrote to the Philippian Christians.

He wrote: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men." [Phil. 2:5-7]

Jesus' divine nature was His from the beginning. The Apostle John wrote: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." [John 1:1] Then in verse 14 we read, "And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory as of the only Begotten of the Father." So, Jesus was not in a human body by accident. He chose to take the form of a man. He did not need to strive to reach up to be equal with God. He was already there.

One of my favorite hymns is "Ivory Palaces." The hymn describes the Lord's decision to leave Heaven and come to earth as a servant or slave. "Out of the ivory palaces, into a world of woe: Only His great eternal love made my Savior go."

The Word made Himself of no reputation. He became nothing, born in a stable. He was not born in the sterile conditions of a hospital, but He was born in a stable where animals were kept. He was not laid on a clean baby bed with fresh sheets from a germ-cleansing chamber. He was placed in a manger, an animal feed trough. He grew up in a simple carpenter's home, not in a palace or even a mansion.

"And He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." [Phil. 2:8] Being of such humble birth was not sufficient, He also humbled himself to allow mankind to ridicule Him, mock Him, beat Him, and nail Him to a cross. He was hung on that cross between two nearly worthless men who were being crucified because they were criminals, so those who passed by could continue to mock Him

Having died there on the cross without any funeral pre-arrangements, no funeral director, and no cemetery lot, it was necessary for a compassionate friend to take care of His body. A rich man, Joseph of Arimathea (one of the Sanhedrin), sought permission to take care of the body of Jesus by placing Him in his own tomb that he had carved out for him and his wife.

Jesus only needed Joseph's tomb for the weekend, for early on the first day of the week He arose from that tomb. "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth." [Phil.2:9-10]

It sounds like Paul has written a song in his prison cell and is singing. Are you singing that same song?

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Yes, Joe, and it is my prayer that each believer who reads your essay today wants to join us in singing that same song, not only on Easter but every Lord's Day which reminds us of the Resurrection of Christ. THE WORDWRIGHT

Posted by Bill Venrick at 5:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)