Mean What You Say, Then Do It (Ecclesiastes 5:1-7), posted with vodpod One of the great things about being a pastor is the ability to officiate at weddings. Several times every year, I get the opportunity to lead a young couple in vows of lifelong love. Of late, older married couples have begun to ask me to renew their vows as part of the celebration of their fiftieth anniversaries. Presiding over such ceremonies is both a joyous and solemn experience. The joy is self-evident; the solemnity requires some explanation. Marriage—if the vows are any guide—is a very serious commitment. I … Continue reading Mean What You Say, Then Do It (Ecclesiastes 5:1–7)

Before you watch or read today’s Daily Word, please read Ecclesiastes 4.1–16. Better Than (Ecclesiastes 4:1-16), posted with vodpod Ecclesiastes 3:22 declares, “there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot.” We Americans bristle at the notion that we have been assigned some lot in life with which we must simply make do. If we do not like our current situation, we change it. Ours is a country of self-made men and women. And yet, there are some things that no amount of self-making can undo, such as the facts that … Continue reading Better Than (Ecclesiastes 4:1–16)

Using The Time God Has Given (Ecclesiastes 3:16…, posted with vodpod If God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-good, then why is the world wracked by so much evil? Surely God knows what is going on down here. Certainly he has the power to change it. And we can be absolutely certain that he desires to do so. That being the case, why do we experience so much suffering and pain? Ecclesiastes 3.16–22 asks and answers this question, but its conclusions are surprising. The Preacher opens with a simple observation: “I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, … Continue reading Using the Time God Has Given (Ecclesiastes 3:16–22)

Before you watch or read today’s Daily Word, please read Ecclesiastes 3:9-15). ____________________ What Do We Get from Our Toil (Ecclesiastes 3:9-15), posted with vodpod ____________________ What gain has the worker from his toil? Every Monday morning, millions of Americans ask themselves that very question as they once again start their workweek. It is a legitimate question. Day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, what do we really gain by working hard? A paycheck, a sense of satisfaction at a job well done, a measure of self-esteem, slight changes in the way the world works? … Continue reading What Do We Get from Our Toil? (Ecclesiastes 3:9–15)

Before you watch or read today’s Daily Word, please read Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. Knowing How to Act, and When (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8), posted with vodpod _____ Psalm 90:12 says, “Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” Acting on the psalmist’s advice, I have done the math, and it turns out that today—January 25, 2011—I am 15,237 days old. (You can calculate your age in days here.) I entered the world on May 8, 1969, in Springfield, Missouri, seventy-three shorts days before Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made history by walking on the moon. I have … Continue reading Knowing How to Act, and When (Ecclesiastes 3:1–8)

Toiling Under the Sun (Ecclesiastes 2:18-26), posted with vodpod Today, I would like you to reflect with the Preacher and me for a few moments on the topic of work. Our text is Ecclesiastes 2:18–26. What we do for a living is very important to us. For many people, work is central to their identity. It is so central, in fact, that one of the first questions we ask people when we meet them is, “What do you do?”—as if this tells us more about them than their family, education, hobbies, or driving passions in life. In traditional societies, what … Continue reading Toiling Under the Sun (Ecclesiastes 2:18–26)

The Long Run (Ecclesiastes 2:12-17), posted with vodpod There are moments in reading Ecclesiastes when I would like to wring the Preacher’s neck, such as when I read today’s passage (2:12–17). Here is a man who has just confessed to having everything most men want: pleasure, wealth, achievement, fame, and women. And yet, he is still not satisfied. He mopes about with a long face, wearily proclaiming, “All is vanity and a striving after wind.” “Come on, Preacher,” I want to scream; “get over it already!” After all, it seems to me, life—while not perfect—can be pretty good. Think before … Continue reading In the Long Run (Ecclesiastes 2:12–17)