Contrary to the traditional belief that wisdom would bring wealth and its pursuit was good, Ecclesiastes questions that belief and examines the pitfalls. He pushes us to see that meaning cannot be found in money. Once again we are invited to see how something that is good becomes an unhealthy evil when it substitutes as our hope. Instead of delivering on the promise of greater freedom, wealth enslaves. However, the Gospel liberates us from the worship of money and offers the true freedom of gratitude, contentment and generosity.
Whereas the Bible elsewhere commends hard work and healthy ambition, Ecclesiastes urges us to
see that they are unworthy substitutes for faith and hope in God. He explores the futility and frustrations
of labor and achievements when we take God and His promises out of the picture. The best
we can do, he suggests, is to seek the benefit of some community. While pushing us to the edge
of despair once again, he prepares us to consider a God-centered, and eventually Christ-centered,
view of the world and life.
STYLE-->
Ecclesiastes teaches us that there is no wisdom unless we can navigate and understand death. Though life presents all sorts of distractions, true spiritual power and maturity come from dealing with the most difficult realities we share. The Preacher in Ecclesiastes gives us a good start by helping us take hold of our common struggle with death, but what he began is brought to completion in the person and work of Christ Jesus who overcomes death and even our fears about it to give us eternal and spiritual life.
Whereas the Bible elsewhere commends hard work and healthy ambition, Ecclesiastes urges us to
see that they are unworthy substitutes for faith and hope in God. He explores the futility and frustrations
of labor and achievements when we take God and His promises out of the picture. The best
we can do, he suggests, is to seek the benefit of some community. While pushing us to the edge
of despair once again, he prepares us to consider a God-centered, and eventually Christ-centered,
view of the world and life.
STYLE-->
Ecclesiastes teaches us that there is no wisdom unless we can navigate and understand death. Though life presents all sorts of distractions, true spiritual power and maturity come from dealing with the most difficult realities we share. The Preacher in Ecclesiastes gives us a good start by helping us take hold of our common struggle with death, but what he began is brought to completion in the person and work of Christ Jesus who overcomes death and even our fears about it to give us eternal and spiritual life.
Whereas the Bible elsewhere commends hard work and healthy ambition, Ecclesiastes urges us to
see that they are unworthy substitutes for faith and hope in God. He explores the futility and frustrations
of labor and achievements when we take God and His promises out of the picture. The best
we can do, he suggests, is to seek the benefit of some community. While pushing us to the edge
of despair once again, he prepares us to consider a God-centered, and eventually Christ-centered,
view of the world and life.
The Preacher in Ecclesiastes (Kohelet) applies his wisdom to worship and wrestles with the emptiness of religion that he sees in the national church. He warns us against coming to God with foolish or empty gestures without real thought and care. He pushes us to remember who God is and that he is different than us and holy. The Preacher’s hard words draw us to look to at ourselves and then past ourselves to the greater ‘Preacher,’ Jesus, whose Sermon on the Mount brings the new hope for a God of ‘much more’ to our worship.
Whereas the Bible elsewhere commends hard work and healthy ambition, Ecclesiastes urges us to
see that they are unworthy substitutes for faith and hope in God. He explores the futility and frustrations
of labor and achievements when we take God and His promises out of the picture. The best
we can do, he suggests, is to seek the benefit of some community. While pushing us to the edge
of despair once again, he prepares us to consider a God-centered, and eventually Christ-centered,
view of the world and life.
Whereas the Bible elsewhere commends hard work and healthy ambition, Ecclesiastes urges us tosee that they are unworthy substitutes for faith and hope in God. He explores the futility and frustrationsof labor and achievements when we take God and His promises out of the picture. The bestwe can do, he suggests, is to seek the benefit of some community. While pushing us to the edgeof despair once again, he prepares us to consider a God-centered, and eventually Christ-centered,view of the world and life.
The author turns to consider the cynicism and hopelessness that comes from legal and political injustice. In other places Scripture tells us of the necessity of courts, governments and police but Ecclesiastes is addressing them as terrible substitutes for faith. He pushes us to the truth that God is our King, Judge and true Hope.
Even as life shows continuing cycles, even as we grow to see the patterns and grow from them, so grace proves recursive, as well. Wisdom recognizes the seasons, the cycles of life. The foolish heart never finds the patterns, even sees the beauty or the learns from those cycles. Wisdom sees not only the cycles, but grows from them. And as the cycles recur, so grace also recurs and grows - grace upon grace / grace abounding through the cycles of life.
In our Declaration of Independence we state that each of us has a right to 'the pursuit of happiness.' But with all our pursuits and attempts, happiness and meaning often elude us. In this chapter the 'teacher of wisdom' tests whatever life offers him and finds that his best answers left him wanting more. Seeing the limits of everything under the sun points us beyond what we can see to a deeper meaning and wisdom.
What would life be like without God and His promises in the picture? Ecclesiastes creatively and brilliantly argues that the world would be utterly meaningless. In these introductory verses, the writer appeals honestly to our common experience of how repetitively frustrating life can be. Real progress seems temporary and elusive. In the Gospel, however, we are offered real meaning and hope.
In a post recession world everyone seems to struggle with disenchantment at one time or another. Money and things haven't brought security. Join us in an unusual study of ten portions of an ancient teacher with insight into our present struggle to find daily faith.
As we close the study of 1John on the Authentic Church, John gives five principles for spiritual authenticity that apply to every church. John then closes his letter by calling his friends and the church to keep their relationship with Jesus Christ central. He want them to know the truth about who God is rather than losing true spirituality in the many substitutes and imitations.
In a post recession world everyone seems to struggle with disenchantment at one time or another. Money and things haven't brought security. Join us in an unusual study of ten portions of an ancient teacher with insight into our present struggle to find daily faith.
Grace Foothills Physical Address: 27 S. Trade St; Tryon, NC (in Tryon Theater) Mailing Address: 495 Cardinal Road; Mills River, NC 28759
gracefoothills@gmail.com Contact the Web Admin if you have questions or comments about this site.
