July 31: "Take care..."

"Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions." - Luke 12:15

"Take care."  It's a phrase often heard in daily conversation, frequently in the context of saying goodbye to someone. 

Whether it's a friend going into a difficult situation or facing a problem, and you expect to see them again soon on the other side. Whether these words convey the depth of care you feel about someone you may not see again for a long time at the time of a goodbye.  Whether you sense that someone could be in some kind of danger, and all you find to say is "take care" : these simple words carry a subtle yet strong range of meanings. 

Jesus in these words invites us the listener to take care for our lives. A deeper sense of taking care than that of a feeling in a passing moment, but for reflectively taking in and appreciating what life truly consists of. Do we live as though our lives consisted only in the things we hold on to, and hoard, and keep? What is life, if it is not at first a gift we receive, and at last we will one day let go?

Our spiritual exercises on Sunday July 31 will invite participants to "take care for one's life" in movements that convey a feeling of gratitude for life, and for releasing the feeling of hoarding and grasping.