Most of our topics for this worship series are of interest to us however, except for maybe gender identity, few if any of them personally affect us.  They are things in our sphere yet not all consuming.  This week we discussed economics.  We are all economic beings – we all exist in a system of economics and it does impact our daily existence.  Because we live in a capitalist system we also know that our economics are mostly based upon merit.  It is a system that values productivity and contribution.  The rewards are mostly based upon effort.  The harder you work, the more money you can earn.  The more money you earn, the more things you can buy.  The more things you can buy, the fuller your life will be.  Or at least, that is the way the game is sold to us.

However, what makes economics a topic of contention is the on-going cry of the “rich keep getting richer and the poor keep getting poorer.”  We consistently hear about the ever widening wealth gap which really is not anything new.  For centuries humans have been divided by many things, including economic status.  Layer into this the economic needs of our particular form of government and the conversation explodes.

According to the United States Budget Office the government spends money in three main categories.  Mandatory spending (74%), discretionary spending (18%), and interest on our national debt (8%).  Breaking this down even further, mandatory spending is made up of entitlements (Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, and Unemployment Insurance) and the

Department of Defense.  Discretionary spending are things we might need but could do without.  Interest is self-explanatory and we are paying it on 36 trillion dollars of national debt.  In order to pay for this, a national income tax system was developed in the early 1900s.  According to CBS News during the Biden administration the top 1% of income earners paid 45.8% of federal income taxes.  The top 5% paid 65.6% and the top 50% of wage earners paid 97.7% of federal income taxes.  They also stated that the average tax obligation for the top 50% of wage earners was a little over $14,000 for 2021.  However, the other half of wage earners had an average tax obligation of $667 for the same year.  If you were not aware of this, our government spends every penny of this.  Actually, they spend more than what they take in through taxation and tariffs.  For 2025, our government is projected to spend 7 trillion dollars while only raising 5 trillion in revenue.  That is a 2 trillion dollar deficit that will be added on to the national debt.  Now all of us have thoughts on whether the tax rate for the “rich” is high enough or not, but that is not the point of the discussion.  It is more personal and it usually comes down to this - how do I get more and keep more. 

One of the phrases that Jesus used, according to the gospel writers, was “the kingdom of heaven is like . . . “  However, in the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, that phrase is not used and because of that, a couple of Catholic theologians question the traditional interpretation.  That interpretation says that Jesus is the man who leaves, the slaves are his disciples, and the “talents” are his mission.  We are to be productive in carrying out his mission.  Alternatively, some Catholic theologians believe this is an allegory against self-centered capitalism.  For them, the faithful person is the one who saves his time and energy for other things, particularly the true work of God - caring for the widow, poor, and stranger.  John Wesley once said that we should “earn all we can, save all we can, and give away all we can.”  He was an industrious fellow who did not believe in wasting a single minute.  Yet, his time was not spent in true capitalistic fashion – he was employed in the service to God and the common good.  As we are thinking about the direction of our lives, maybe that is where we should be going – deeper into our service to God and the common good.

I invite you to take time and read each of the scriptures above followed by reflection on the questions below.  Consider how invested you are in the economics of this world verses God’s.    Lastly, I pray that God bless the reading of God’s Word and the meditations of your heart.

Questions to Consider this week:

• Monday:  How much time each day or week do you devote to work?
• Tuesday:  What is your career objective?  How does it align with cultural inclinations and values?
• Wednesday:  What is your value system around your earnings and how do you spend it?
• Thursday:  What principle guides your efforts in earning money, saving money, and giving away money?
• Friday:  What is your responsibility to the common good?  Is that part of being a disciple?
• Saturday:  What would your life look like if you valued service to God and the common good more than status and things? 

Actions for the Week:

• Head:  Define your understanding of kingdom economics that honors God.
• Heart:  Assess what you are passionate about and how that drives you.
• Hand:  Write down what you believe God is inviting you to do in regards to service to God and the common good.