How has the “provision of God” been made manifest in your life? In what ways has the church today grown ungrateful for our abundance? 521-1 - 3-2

My parents were divorced when I very young so money was always in short supply. My mother was a registered nurse, however, back then nurses didn't get paid a completive salary as is they do today. My mom was a good seamstress and made lots stylish clothes for me and then later I learned to be a decent seamstress myself. I was one of the best dressed kids in school. As superfluous as this was, it demonstrates that I was always well cared for. I also survived near drowning and a fairly severe case of polio.

I did three things way too young; got married, had two children and was divorced. And the end of my freshman year of college I remember sitting in court and having the divorce judge ask me what my plans were. “To graduate from college of course” was my answer. The judge asked me how I planned to do it and I said something to the effect it would work out.

Three years later I petitioned the same judge to get the court’s permission to move by children out-of-state as I was graduating from college and had a good job promised to me in another state. Now decades later I’m retired and live on a fixed income. I had the foresight to downsize my life-style and lead a comfortable life. I just always knew that all would be well, I intuitively trusted in God.

As for our churches, the three I associate with are evangelical and are more likely to spend money on the local food banks then on vestments. However, I've been exposed to the both the Lutheran and the Catholic Churches my mother has attended in the last three decades. The Lutheran Church always was raising funds for something to do with the church’s property.

The Catholic Church she now attends has a seating capacity of 1400 and often overflows this capacity during their several weekly services. Certainly they have plenty of money in the coffers, however, the head priest asked my mom's 85 year old friend to pick up older women and bring them to church in her car. And of course this would include handling wheelchairs. Now surely with their revenue the church could afford to have their own van. It just seems like so much money in today's churches goes to window dressing and royal regalia.

There are so many “Name it and claim it” prosperity type churches promoting books and seminars that, IMO, have little to do with the Word.

I think of how simple Jesus’ ministry was. Ali he needed was a sturdy pair of sandals and perhaps a spare robe. Surely the mega prosperity churches of today could learn from the humble ministry of Jesus, a ministry that has had such a tremendous effect on the world for nearly 2000 years.