And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. - II Corinthians 8:1-3

In the wake of astounding displays of generosity—such as the millions of dollars given to President-elect Obama’s campaign, Warren Buffet’s staggering $44 billion donation to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Oprah’s leadership school for girls built in South Africa—could it be that we are witnessing a renewed era of great generosity? With all the problems we are now facing in these challenging economic times, is it even conceivable that people would be willing to give beyond their abilities?

Do you remember dressing up in a costume as a kid?  Were you supposed to be someone famous?  Something scary?  Someone fictitious?  Perhaps you were all of these at one time or another.  For those of us who experienced the thrill of being with our friends, dressed to scare or impress, we sure did enjoy the race to gather as much candy as possible.  It was great fun parading around our neighborhoods, shouting, “Trick or Treat?”

When I was much younger, the motion picture, E.T.: Extra Terrestrial, became an instant success. Not long after its release, I can remember dressing up as the tenderhearted creature with the glowing finger and all. I even had packages of Reese’s Pieces in every pocket. The best part was shouting, “Elliott!” every time someone would open a front door.

It is obvious that Halloween has become a major enterprise here in America, second only to Christmas. Estimates are that this “holiday” generates 3.2 billion dollars or more in sales each year. Believe it or not, 50% of all Americans will decorate for Halloween. In comparison, 80% of Americans decorate for Christmas. According to an article by Jennifer deCoursey titled, Monster Event for Marketers, Halloween is the third most popular party activity behind the Superbowl and New Year’s Eve. Here’s another fun fact: Ireland is the only country where Halloween is an official national holiday!

This past Wednesday I needed to run an errand after work and because I had a couple of things to carry home, I decided to hail a cab. During my ride home, I engaged in a short but very meaningful conversation with my cab driver.

One of the things about New York City that I really enjoy is meeting such a diverse number of people and hearing their stories. Wherever I go, it seems that I am able to strike up a conversation with just about anyone. In a matter of weeks of living in the city, I’ve met writers, book illustrators, poets, professional dog walkers, photographers, directors, actors, business men and women, moms who are bringing their kids to soccer practice, and a homeless person who was just “trying to get through the night.” In their own unique way, each individual embodies the beauty, tragedy, and courage that come together in the heart of this urban village.

On Sunday, November 9, 2008, I will be leading a class titled, “In the Dust of the Rabbi: Becoming a Disciple of Jesus.” The class will be offered during the Ten O’Clock Hour here at Marble Church. For those of you who are able to join me, I would encourage you to come and participate. As a way to introduce the class, I thought to write some preliminary thoughts about discipleship for your consideration.

There is an ancient Jewish Proverb that says, “Follow a rabbi, drink in his words, and be covered with the dust of his feet.” During biblical times, a rabbi taught while walking and his disciples would follow so closely that they would literally be covered with the dust kicked up by his feet. A disciple or “student” (talmid in Hebrew) was a dedicated student who was aggressively teachable and eager to become just like his rabbi.

How exactly did this work? It all started when a young Jewish man would approach a rabbi and ask if he had permission to follow him. If the rabbi saw potential in him, that he might be someone who was theologically inclined and capable of learning, then he would invite that young man to join him. The student would then live with his rabbi for an extended period of time in order to learn everything he could from him. The young man was like a sponge, absorbing every drop of wisdom that flowed from his rabbi.

We live in a consumer-driven society where bumper sticker wisdom tells us, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” However, the empty promises of rampant consumerism will often leave people with the feeling that there has to be more to life than simply accumulating more and more. There is an old saying: “Enough is as good as a feast and having just enough can be as good as having much of something.” 

When is enough ever going to be enough?

There is an old Native American story that serves to teach us a valuable lesson…

Many moons ago, at the end of each summer season, salmon swam up the Cheakamus River to spawn. During this time, the people of the Squamish Nation would fish and store their catch for the coming winter.

In his book, American Scandal, Pat Williams tells a story of two brothers who are on their way home from a basketball tournament. It’s a story about character…

“Still in the top ten, baby,” Eric bragged as he showed off the third place trophy he’d won in a high school basketball tournament.

“Wasn’t a good day for you, was it?” his older brother George commented during the drive home.

“What? I did okay,” said Eric. “I may not have won, but--”

“You think I’m talking about the tournament, but I’m not,” said George. “You missed a bunch of shots during practice.”

“Oh, those don’t count,” Eric assured him.

Corrie ten Boom was a Dutch Christian who was put into a concentration camp for assisting persecuted Jews in the Netherlands during World War II. Shortly after her release she set out to travel the globe in order to tell people about God’s forgiveness. She wrote about her travels through inspiring vignettes and perfectly captured the essence of God’s forgiveness in her book, Tramp for the Lord:

It was 1947—I had come from Holland to defeated Germany with the message that God forgives. It was the truth they needed most to hear in that bitter, bomb-out land, and I gave them my favorite mental picture. Maybe because the sea is never far from a Hollander’s mind, I like to think that that’s where forgiven sins are thrown.  “When we confess our sins,” I said, “God casts them into the deepest ocean, gone forever—Then God places a sign out there that says ‘No Fishing Allowed!’”

What a picture! It reminds me of the prophet Micah when he said, “God will cast all of our sins into the depth of the sea” (7:19). I’m also drawn to the words found in Psalm 103:12: “As far as the east is from the west, so far has God removed our transgressions from us.” These images truly stagger our imaginations because it means that our sins are both forgotten and “gone forever.”

It is hard to believe that seven short years have passed since the horrific events of 9/11. I was attending a seminary class in Holland, Michigan when the first plane struck the North Tower at 8:45 AM. Just as the second plane flew into the South Tower at 9:03 AM, I and the other students, oblivious to what was happening in Manhattan, were preparing our hearts for chapel.

After chapel, several of us had gathered for coffee in the commons area when someone yelled, “A couple of planes flew into the World Trade Center!” A few minutes later another student announced that a plane flew into the Pentagon. Several people started to cry. Others were in shock and remained expressionless. Although I was unsure how to react, I remember feeling both sadness and fear wash over me. During the days that followed that sadness and fear lingered as well as a very unfamiliar but justified feeling that we were no longer safe living in America.

Since moving to Manhattan only a month ago, I have met many people whose lives were dramatically altered on that dreadful day. Their stories are tragic, breathtaking, and moving. What surprises me and inspires me is the fact that many of them hold fast to an unwavering hope even as they remember those whose lives were so violently taken.