Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Daily Office Reflection: St Barnabas

MP: Psalms 15, 67; Ecclesiasicus 31:3-11; Acts 4:32-37
EP: Psalms 19, 146; Job 29:1-16; Acts 9:26-31

What a wonderful thing it is to be "back" on line at home. My 8 year old Dell laptop died about 12 days ago....this was my home computer as well as the one I utilize at church. So to say that I was stranded without any food and drink is not an unimaginable analogy. I could pop onto someone else's computer at work on occasion to quickly catch up on emails, but it has been hit or miss. The church has ordered me a desk top which should be delivered next week, and my newly beloved, this MacBook Pro will be my home computer. The delay in purchasing this was: finding out if my reliable dinosaur could be fixed; research to decide what I wanted; and then waiting for investments to be cashed out so I could actually purchase the machine. That last one has proved the biggest sticking point, as I am still waiting for my money from my investment broker and, through the generosity of my good friend and mentor, I was able to buy this beauty a week earlier to allow me my "fix" of Internet.

And that is an interesting lesson of these past ten days: how very wedded I am to the Internet; how much I depend upon it for information, communication, entertainment, and staying in touch with friends and family and work. I found myself over the last ten days like there was a hole somewhere in the fabric of my being.

And this morning, as we remember and celebrate St. Barnabas, who gave so generously of his wealth and his time to the growing of the new church community being founded right after Christ's death, I am brought up short by the recognition of the fact that I do have many materialistic tendencies....Did I need to purchase such a fine (and expensive) machine? Could I have done just as well with something a bit less extravagant? Should I give more to the church of my financial wealth (I already give almost all my time to the church, so I don't feel brought up short on that front).  These are all rhetorical questions this morning....probably useful in keeping things in perspective. 

I am most very blessed to be able to purchase such a fine machine for my work and play and enjoyment. May I always understand how blessed and fortunate I am.
jfd+

Copyright 2008, John F. Dwyer. All Rights Reserved.

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