Too Much Stuff?

Meditation onLuke 12:13-21

First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown, NY

Reverend Dr. Karen Crawford

Aug. 3, 2025

We had the pleasure of hosting Daniel Davidsen’s Eagle Scout Court of Honor here in our sanctuary yesterday. Quite a few of our church members attended and helped with the reception that followed.

The ceremony included numerous speakers sharing about his wonderful character, his faith and good works, his polite and respectful nature, his heart to serve, his intelligence, and his hard work and sheer grit that led him to accomplish the Eagle Scout rank, an honor that only about 5% of all Scouts will ever earn.

I spoke of his long involvement with his church, since childhood, when he sang in the children’s choir, sang with Christmas carolers to home- and nursing-home-bound. How he wrapped presents for our Adopt an Angel mission to needy children and helped the Flower Guild decorate the sanctuary with poinsettias on Advent and lilies on Easter.

He takes seriously the commitment he made when he confirmed his faith in 2020, making church a priority in his busy life, even now while he is home on summer break from Dartmouth. He serves frequently as our pulpit assistant, using a strong, clear voice and pleasant expression. As you well know, he doesn’t need a microphone! He is mature, friendly, cheerful, sensitive, and caring. He wiped away tears while sharing about the death of a friend, a fellow Scout. I talked about the beautiful, ambitious prayer garden project which will be a blessing to the church and community for many years to come.

What struck me throughout the moving ceremony was Daniel’s response to all that was being said and the numerous certificates that he received, proclaiming his worthiness of the honor. Daniel was overflowing with gratitude and joy. He smiled and said thank you to each person who congratulated him—and there were many people congratulating. He told the crowd that he appreciated each and every one of them for coming and hoped they would stay for the reception.  He credited his scout leaders for being his mentors, saying that without their support, he would never have stayed in scouting for so many years and would never have finished the requirements for the Eagle Scout rank. He thanked his parents, recognizing how their love and support helped him to become the man he is today.

Daniel made a point to thank me several times by email before the event—for my opening prayer, benediction, and the words that I would say about him and the prayer garden project. He thanked me in person yesterday, just before the service started. And he thanked me again afterward.

Later, it occurred to me that gratitude and the joy that often accompanies the spiritual gift of gratitude are what the two men in today’s passage in Luke lacked. It wasn’t just the man who wanted to build bigger barns to store his abundant crops and never have to work again. It was also the man at the beginning who shouted out the request of the Lord—-to tell his brother to share the family inheritance with him. Neither were grateful or joyful in their situations—not the man who felt cheated out of an inheritance or the man who had more wealth and things than he would ever need. And when he died, what would become of them?

The law specifies in Deuteronomy 21:17 and Numbers 27:1-11 and 36:7-9 that the elder brother receive a double portion of the inheritance. In this case, it seems that the younger brother received no inheritance at all. Jesus surprises the crowd with this parable of the rich man, instead of urging a fair division of the wealth, according to the law. The man wasn’t being unreasonable in his request!

The whole point of the parable is to warn the man who simply wants the inheritance that he is due not to become so focused on the wealth that he becomes like the rich man in the parable, who comes to a bad end. But the rich man’s problem isn’t merely greed. His wealth has led him to live as if there is no God. This is the treasure that he lacks—he is not “rich toward God.”

This is what Jesus is warning the man in the crowd and all of us hearing this Scripture: that our lives should not be focused on the wealth and material stuff of this world. Our lives should not be about accumulating more and more. Because where does that lead? We end up wanting more and more, because wealth and things don’t satisfy. The treasure that we all have is our faith, hope, and joy in the God who guides, fills, and equips us throughout the surprising journey that is our lives. And our treasure is our love for God and one another.

Daniel’s Court of Honor yesterday was a special celebration for not just Daniel and his family, but our entire church family. You could feel the love in this room. Friends, it truly takes a village to raise up our children in the Lord.

I received an envelope in the mail this week from Linda Cherney. Inside were belated birthday wishes, which I was happy to receive, especially because I was having a hard day. Actually, I was having a rough week. You see, I hurt my back just before we were going to go on vacation. I tried to pick up a fallen branch in our yard that was too heavy for me. So instead of enjoying the Finger Lakes, I was going to doctors, having scans, and taking medications that I don’t normally need. And I was in pain and frustrated.

Inside the envelope with Linda’s card was another envelope with two handmade cards from her grandsons, Roman and Bronx, revealing their budding faith and comfort and connection with their church and pastor. Roman wrote in pencil, “Dear Pastor Keran” and then “Happy Birthday” on a glowing cross, rays of light emanating from the beams. He signed his card at the bottom, “Love, Roman.” Bronx’s card made me laugh out loud. He drew a church pew with brown magic marker. Sitting side by side on the pew were Roman and Bronx, with their grandmother with yellow pants and a pink shirt in between. Their arms were extended straight out as if they were holding hands, without touching. They each had wide smiles on their faces. Above the pew with Roman, Bronx, and Nana, was a small, smiling figure without legs floating in the air. He had drawn his pastor—me—up in the pulpit!

I was filled with such gratitude and joy that I forgot my pain and frustration for a bit. I could just imagine them sitting at home taking the time to think about me and the church that they love and miss, because Linda has had a long recovery from a fall last May and the family has been unable to attend.

Their cards confirmed to me that we are, dear friends, building treasure in heaven here at First Presbyterian Church of Smithtown and in our homes and families. With the Spirit of Christ empowering and leading us, and God’s word guiding us, we are touching hearts and lives.

Don’t let yourself be discouraged by the difficulties in this world. You and me—with our hope and faith—we are making a difference!

Will you pray with me? Let us pray.

Holy One, thank you for the blessing of children and youth and our calling to nurture their faith and reveal your love. We pray that your Spirit will be with Roman and Bronx and all the children of our church who are home or traveling this summer. Help their families as they seek to be faithful to your call on their lives. Lord, give us your gratitude and joy. Keep us from wanting more and more and accumulating more and more, often with the fear that we might not, someday, have enough. Thank you for the reminder of the treasure that we have in you, a treasure that is everlasting and imperishable, a treasure not of this world, a treasure that must be shared with others. In Christ we pray. Amen.