Jesus also seems to give a nod to another facet of Neuman's character. Neuman appears to be something of a "slacker," not the sort of fellow who would knock himself out to make good grades or participate in lots of extracurricular activities so he would be accepted into an elite college. Our culture rewards endless striving. Parents pick enrichment activities for their toddlers, already worrying about college applications. And yet Jesus says, "And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying."
What do you worry about? What do you expend energy trying to achieve? Some people assume that pastors have an advantage when it comes to living "Christ-like" lives. After all, our work is centered on the faith. And yet we pastors are often caught up in our culture's obsession with success. Countless books and conferences aimed at pastors urge us to work harder and smarter in language that would sound familiar to business managers and leaders. And much of this material that tries to make us "better pastors" feeds off of and adds to a climate of worry. We're worried about church finances. We're worried about aging congregations. We're worried about declining church participation. We're worried about how it looks when a congregation loses membership on our watch.
I don't for a second think that Jesus wants me simply to lounge around doing nothing. But Jesus says my striving should be for God's kingdom, which is not always the same thing as a "successful" congregation, a to-die-for youth program, or a gang-buster stewardship campaign.
What sort of worry and striving occupies your time? What sort of worry and striving occupies your congregation or faith community? I know that a lot of my worrying and striving has little to do with the Kingdom. I wonder if Alfred E. Neuman might be available for a little church consulting.
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