What to do with “stuff” and what is “stuff” anyway?
The sermon title this week is a couple of things. First, it is intentionally provocative and ambiguous. Second, it is a conscious homage to the noted political scientist and philosopher George Carlin.
“Stuff.” We all have it. Some of us have too much, some too little. Some stuff is physical, some is metaphysical. It doesn’t matter how old you are or how rich you are; you got stuff.
It never hurts to define one’s terms just to make sure we all agree on the definition of what I’m talking about. You don’t have to agree with anything else I say, just the definition.
stuff: noun
1. The material out of which something is made or formed; substance.
2. The essential substance or elements; essence.
3. Unspecified material.
4. Household or personal articles considered as a group.
5. Worthless objects.
6. Specific talk or actions.
7. The control a player has over a ball, especially to give it spin, english, curve, or speed.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
So there you are. When I say stuff, I mean any or all of those, except probably not the last one. The reason I wanted to talk about stuff is because it shows up in one way or another in the Old Testament, Epistle, and Gospel lessons. You won’t find anything in the various texts saying we should not have possessions, but what you will find is the Teacher in Ecclesiastes saying possessions don’t create meaning, and in Luke, Jesus tells a story about the uselessness of possessions as an antidote to becoming unalive. Paul gets in on the action talking about some of the non-physical stuff we need to deal with.
That’s about all I have to say about the sermon. As always, let me know what you think as you are able and inclined. The good news is this sermon is shorter than last week’s; the bad news is it isn’t shorter by very much.
Blessings,
