Piloting Faith: How much is enough?

A Word for the Day...
Leo Tolstoy once wrote a story about a successful peasant farmer who was not satisfied with his lot. He wanted more of everything. One day he received a novel offer. For 1000 rubles, he could buy all the land he could walk around in a day. The only catch in the deal was that he had to be back at his starting point by sundown.
Early the next morning he started out walking at a fast pace. By midday, he was very tired, but he kept going, covering more and more ground. Well into the afternoon he realized that his greed had taken him far from the starting point. He quickened his pace and as the sun began to sink low in the sky, he began to run, knowing that if he did not make it back by sundown the opportunity to become an even bigger landholder would be lost.
As the sun began to sink below the horizon he came within sight of the finish line. Gasping for breath, his heart pounding, he called upon every bit of strength left in his body and staggered across the line just before the sun disappeared. He immediately collapsed, blood streaming from his mouth. In a few minutes, he was dead. Afterward, his servants dug a grave. It was not much over six feet long and three feet wide.
The title of Tolstoy's story was: How Much Land Does a Man Need?
It’s a good question that we should each ask as we head into the frenzied holiday. It’s easy to get caught up like consumerism-junkies, spending money we don’t have on things we don’t need.
Remember: Life is not about dying with the most toys. Life is about living whatever amount of time that we have building meaningful, substantive relationships. Life is about loving deeply, laughing loudly and forgiving often. This is the Good News which will bring us new life.
- Rev. Cameron Trimble, author of Piloting Church: Helping Your Congregation Take Flight

Blessing for the Week
Every day we experience hunger and yearning:
for food, for approval, for respect, for love,
for meaningful work, for any and enough work,
for home, for family, for friends,
for health, for healing, for hope,
for the departed, for the newly arrived,
for the green trees, for the cool clean waters,
for shade in the heat of the day, and for stars to light the velvet night.
Every day we are invited anew to be thankful:
for food, for approval, for respect, for love,
for meaningful work, for any and enough work,
for home, for family, for friends,
for health, for healing, for hope,
for the departed, for the newly arrived,
for the green trees, for the cool clean waters,
for shade in the heat of the day, and for stars to light the velvet night.
Our hearts beating in liberating flight, we soar in gratitude for all the gifts we have in this day, in this lifetime of being, and turn again to share this bounty with all that is. Amen and Blessed Be.
- Naomi King, UUA Minister