Pumpkin Spice Latte as Spiritual Exercise

One of the comments I keep hearing over and over the past few days is how nice the weather is. It seems we all get tired of the hot and dry of summer long before it's actually over. With the recent rain and cooler temperatures, it is finally beginning to feel like fall, for which many of us are extremely grateful.

I love the crunch of leaves, the cool breezes, and, of course, the signature drink of the season, the pumpkin spice latte. Nothing takes the chill off like that distinctive smell and wonderful taste. When I am in a bad mood, or things are not going so well (as was the case when trying to write this article), a PSL often does the trick.

As we move into fall, I tend to agree with Guy Davies, who writes the Exiled Preacher blog. In his most recent installment, he writes,

"Gratitude is the antidote for grumpiness. People who think that the world owes them a living are always quick to complain about anything and everything. You know the sort. But the fact is that whatever our problems in life, we have a lot for which to be thankful. We live in a beautiful part of the country with green fields, rolling hills and trees decked in their autumn hues. Our local shops are packed with plentiful supplies or food and drinks. It’s easy to take these things for granted. But a moment’s thought should make us grateful for rather than grumpy about our lot in life."

Some of the Psalms in the Bible are full of exuberant thanks to God for his goodness in creating this world and so richly providing for our needs. Psalm 65 pictures valleys clothed with grain shouting for joy. If the very fields proclaim God’s praise, then we should also thank him everything that  comes to us from his hands. 

Psalm 65 also speaks of God providing atonement for our transgressions. That was the gift that cost God the most to give. He sent his Son the Lord Jesus Christ into our world of selfishness and ingratitude to die on the cross for our sins. Through faith in Jesus we receive God’s offer of forgiveness and the gift of eternal life. What a giving and forgiving God! Recognizing that whatever we may possess is a gift from God should make us grateful to him and generous towards others who are in need.  

In college, I was part of a production of Godspell, a Broadway musical in which Steven Schwartz took some classic Christian hymns and repurposed them in his offbeat look at the life of Jesus. One of my favorites is the harvest hymn, All Good Gifts, which speaks of gratitude to God for all the goodness he has given us, and I assume that includes pumpkin spice lattes.

All good gifts around us

Are sent from heaven above,
Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord
For all His love. 

The Kingdom of God

On Sunday, I asked the congregation a question: What is the essence of Jesus’ teaching? If you could boil it down to a single word or phrase, what would it be?

We had several good answers. Some thought it should be love, or mercy, or grace. Perhaps it was the Great Commandment to love your neighbor as yourself. While these are all good, and Jesus certainly talked about them all, none captures the true essence of his message.

Our text for the morning was from Matthew 4:17, where Matthew says, “From that time Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’” In the gospel of Luke, Jesus says, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent,” (4:43). In Jesus’ own words, then, the reason he was sent was to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God.

That is surprising news to many people. They understand the message of Jesus, and the gospel itself in very different terms. Lots of folks never get past the “Repent” to the good news. But even more than that, Jesus’ focus is on the kingdom. That is the essence of his message, and the reason he was sent was to proclaim it.

If that is what Jesus is all about, why don’t we hear more about it, and what, exactly does he mean by the kingdom of God?

It is a sad commentary on Christian teaching and discipleship that we don’t spend more time teaching and preaching the message that Jesus did. Just a quick reading of the gospels reveals that Jesus talked about the kingdom over and over again.

What is the kingdom like? It is like a sower who goes forth to sow seed; it is like a costly pearl; it is like a mustard seed. How do you get into the kingdom? You sell all you have and give to the poor; you have to become like a little child. Is the kingdom that big a deal? You bet it is! It would be better to cut off your hand or poke out your eye than not to get in at all.

Bible scholar John Bright said, “So paramount was the notion of the Kingdom of God in the mind of Jesus that one can scarcely grasp his meaning at all without some understanding of it.” If we don’t understand the kingdom, we can’t understand Jesus, and if we don’t understand Jesus, what kind of followers are we?

It is my goal, over the next several weeks, to try to understand the kingdom of God better, and to share my insights with all of you. I am going to sift through the gospel of Matthew and find all the places where Jesus says things like, “The kingdom of heaven is like…” There are over 25 of them! In those passages he explains the kingdom in some detail. Don’t you want to know what he says? I do.

I hope that as you make your plans for the fall, you will include spending time in worship, so we can look at these passages together. Jesus had a lot to say about the kingdom, and I know I have a lot to learn. Let’s learn how to live in the light of God’s kingdom together.