Shrub-mentality versus Tree-by-the-Water-thinking

We had a wonderful service this morning at Renton - followed by a bountiful and tasty potluck. I spoke on the 40 for 40 Lenten campaign during the Disciple's Generous Response, and gave the sermon.

Drawn loosely from some meditations in my Lectio Divina on the lectionary scriptures, I spoke on the dialectic posed by Luke and Jeremiah: we can approach the world in one of two ways, like a shrub in the desert or like a tree planted by the water, we can be dedicated to mortal/transitory things or we can be dedicated to eternal values. I also talked about our desire to not choose - to do both or one or the other depending on the circumstances and our desires at the moment. But in the end, both Luke and Jeremiah point out to us that we have to choose one way or the other - we can't be "dual-citizens", both Americans and citizens of the Kingdom of God.

Linked here are the mostly complete notes for the sermon. Shrub-mentality versus Tree-by-the-water-thinking

Linked here are download-pages for the .mwv recordings of the actual sermon:
Part 1