Sermon - "The Meaning of Life" (Ecclesiastes)

On Sunday, Rev. Joshua Patty considered Ecclesiastes, essentially an essay (with some related proverbs) that considers nothing less than the meaning of life.  At first glance, it can be a terribly depressing book because the author, Qoheleth (usually in English called "Preacher" or "Teacher"), starts with two facts of life.  First, everyone dies -- no one, no matter how wise or powerful, has figured out how outlive death.  Second, everyone and their work is eventually forgotten -- despite our dreams of legacies, they too do not last forever.

Given these unavoidable facts, but guided by the unspoken belief that human life matters, Qoheleth considers the typical answers for life's purpose, but he finds them all lacking: wealth, power, wisdom, youth.  All are fleeting.  Ultimately, he decides that the best thing to do is to "eat, drink, and find pleasure in one's toil."  In the most famous passage (set to music by Pete Seeger as "Turn, Turn, Turn"), he suggests that there are many good things to do at various points of life -- times to laugh, cry, dance, fight, embrace, avoid, love, and many more.  Our challenge, it seems, is to figure out what we should be doing at various points in our lives.

Rev. Patty noted that Christians often see more hope in life through the gospel teaching of Jesus Christ, who offered hope alongside the challenges and frustrations of this life.  However, Jesus' own example of how to live seems rooted in the wisdom of doing the right thing at the right time.  More than that, people -- even Christians -- seem to forget Qoheleth's third point: joy.  So often, we look for reasons to complain and moan, instead of looking for the joy in our experiences -- even in our challenges.  We would do well to embrace the joy in life that Qoheleth (who clearly was no Pollyanna) insisted was a key part of a well-lived life.

You can listen to the sermon here.

You can also listen to the related Communion meditation and the extended benediction about prayer, ministry, purpose, and joy.

Ecclesiastes, Day 6

A Day to Catch Up  

If you've had a busy week, today you have a chance to play catch up on any of the selections of Ecclesiastes you might have missed.  Click to open the information for any of this week's readings.

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday
Friday

Share Your Thoughts

A good way to remember something you've recently read or done is to talk about it or to write it down.  Take a few minutes to think about this week's Bible readings.

• If you like to journal, reflect on the passage that surprised you the most or the one that was the most emotional to read.
• Talk to a family member, friend, or neighbor about something you've read this week.
• Join the discussion of the Godsway 66 Facebook page.

Get Ready for Sunday's Sermon

Rev. Joshua Patty will preach on Ecclesiastes tomorrow at Eastgate Christian Church in Independence, MO.  Join us for the sermon or check back here for the recorded sermon.

Ecclesiastes, Day 5 Readings

In Praise of Preparation and Anxiety-Free Living  

Today's reading is the conclusion of Qoheleth's exploration of the meaning of life.  Having concluded that it is best to eat, drink, and find joy in one's labors, he now imagines how one should best approach the hard times that will come in life.  One the one hand, he encourages diligence and preparation, so that one can withstand certain changes in life.  On the other hand, he also encourages people to approach life with a certain youthful ignorance -- looking for joy and not being anxious or afraid of the challenges or injustices of life.

Read Ecclesiastes 11:1-12:14  (NIV)   (NRSV)   (CEB)

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Reading the Bible in Its Entirety

If you are planning to read the Bible in its entirety, you should read Ecclesiastes 11-12 today.

Ecclesiastes, Day 4 Readings

Justice is Slow and Justice is Imperfect  

Today's first reading is a meditation on justice.  It seems that good actions should produce good results and bad actions should produce bad results.  However, this does not usually happen immediately.  So sometimes the good are punished and the bad are rewarded (or at least they seem to be).  Then again, every human must sleep and thus cannot possibly know all that God knows (so perhaps God's justice is perfect, but imperceptibly so).

Read Ecclesiastes 8:1-17  (NIV)   (NRSV)   (CEB)

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The second reading continues Qoheleth's meditation on justice, recognizing that chance is as important in how people live as the consequences of how they live.  Still, it is better to accept this and live life fully; after all, there is nothing productive that comes after it.

This attitude, that death is the end of life, frequently troubles Christians.  Through the centuries, some have even suggested that Ecclesiastes should be removed from the Bible as heretical and atheistic.  This seems far too harsh.  The possibility of an afterlife is unimportant to Qoheleth (though the existence and power of God is consistent and explicit) because the afterlife doesn't occur on earth.  Qoheleth wants to know what makes this life meaningful, in this place, using the best wisdom and knowledge that a human being can attain.  In some ways, it seems that Jesus -- in his earthly life and ministry -- exhibited Qoheleth's approach to life, though with a strong belief in a better life in the forthcoming Kingdom of God.

Read Ecclesiastes 9:1-18  (NIV)   (NRSV)   (CEB)

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Reading the Bible in Its Entirety

If you are planning to read the Bible in its entirety, you should read Ecclesiastes 8-10 today.

Ecclesiastes, Day 3 Readings

Enjoying Life and Accepting Life's Limits  

Today's first reading is Qoheleth's brief justification that enjoyment of life is essential to living well.  If one is rich, lives long, or has many kids, but does not enjoy any of these things, all this person has had is work -- an endless to-do list with no reward.

Read Ecclesiastes 6:1-12  (NIV)   (NRSV)   (CEB)

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The second reading continues Qoheleth's exploration by suggesting that awareness of human limitations and accepting them is also important in living a good life.  Lest some think that being oblivious to death is better (the ultimate "ignorance is bliss" proposition), there are a list of proverbs pointing to the importance and value of accepting death as the final part of life.  This is true even in hard times, filled with challenges and adversity.

Read Ecclesiastes 7:1-29  (NIV)   (NRSV)   (CEB)

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Reading the Bible in Its Entirety

If you are planning to read the Bible in its entirety, you should read Ecclesiastes 6-7 today.

Ecclesiastes, Day 2 Readings

A Time for Everything and the Limits of Oppression, Money, and Youth  

Today's first reading is the explanation of Qoheleth's primary answer to the question, "What is the meaning of life?"  There is a right time and place for many worthwhile human activities, so there are a lot of ways that people can spend their time and energy in life.  However, a life well-lived is one in which different activities are done in the correct times.

The beginning of this passage was made famous in the song "Turn, Turn, Turn."  That song, which was meant to be an anti-war folk song, though, seemed to find hope that eventually a time of war would become a time of peace.  Rather, Biblical point seems to be deeper than war and peace -- doing the right things in the right moments is the way to a good and meaningful life.

Read Ecclesiastes 3:1-22  (NIV)   (NRSV)   (CEB)

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The second reading continues Qoheleth's exploration of other possible answers.  Is meaning and purpose to be found in having power over others?  No, even those with the most power die with no guarantee that their work will last.  Worse, these people are most likely to try to become the wealthiest, and all wealthy people seem to do is want to claim even more money.

Qoheleth briefly considers that youth might be better than old age -- after all, the younger are further from death.  However, they tend to be poorer.  Even if they can gain influence, they cannot stop growing older.  Others who are younger will then take their places.

Read Ecclesiastes 4:1-16  (NIV)   (NRSV)   (CEB)

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Reading the Bible in Its Entirety

If you are planning to read the Bible in its entirety, you should read Ecclesiastes 3-5 today.

Ecclesiastes, Day 1 Readings

Seeking for Life's Meaning and Rejecting Pleasure  

Today's first reading is the opening of Qoheleth's exploration of the meaning of life.  From the start, the wise teacher cannot avoid two overwhelming facts.  First, all human efforts are eventually wiped away and invisible on the earth.  Second, every human dies.  Given this, it seems that every human attempt to do anything -- knowing that each person will die and their work will eventually crumble -- is nothing.  Often translated "vanity" the recurring word used is "vapor" or "breath" -- everything in
life is merely a 'chasing after wind.'

Read Ecclesiastes 1:1-18  (NIV)   (NRSV)   (CEB)

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The second reading offers Qoheleth's main line of inquiry in his search for the meaning of life.  Having recognized the futility of human effort, he considers what the best use of time and energy it is for people.  First he considers pleasure, which also includes wealth, but he finds that unsatisfying.  And while wisdom is better than foolishness, the wise cannot prevent their own death.  So the conclusion is that humans should simply eat, drink, and find fulfillment in how they spend their time.

Read Ecclesiastes 2:1-26  (NIV)   (NRSV)   (CEB)

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Reading the Bible in Its Entirety

If you are planning to read the Bible in its entirety, you should read Ecclesiastes 1-2 today.

Ecclesiastes, Overview

Godsway 66, Book 21 - Ecclesiastes  

Ecclesiastes is a provocative meditation on the meaning of life.  Written by Qoheleth (often translated "Teacher" or "Preacher"), it is sometimes attributed to King Solomon.

The opening poem lays out the essential fact -- no human being can greatly affect the earth.  Human lives are short, compared with the earth's history.  And nobody can leave a permanent mark on that history -- eventually the winds and waves of time smooth out everything.  (Consider an old gravestone -- usually it is difficult to read because the wind has gradually smoothed the letters, whether they were etched or raised.)

In light of this, Qoheleth wonders what should be the purpose of life, seeing how no human achievement can last forever.  He considers some possibilities -- to pursue wealth, power, wisdom, justice -- but finds them all problematic.  None can be perfectly achieved; none can prevent death.

So, Qoheleth argues that the best humans can do in life is "to eat, drink and find enjoyment in their toil."  He expands on this in the best known part of the book, a poem that was set to music in the 1960s: "To everything there is a season."  If one can figure out what season it is, one can do and say the right things.  This is the best life one can live -- to find joy and fulfillment in one's day-to-day life.

Still, in this meditation, Qoheleth is not afraid to ask tough questions and challenge some conventional wisdom.  So Ecclesiastes is a book that can be depressing, confusing, and provocative to the reader.  Underneath it, though, is a persistent faith that human life is not meaningless and the human experience is not meant to be one only of suffering -- the faith that is explicitly expressed in Genesis 1 that God created people and called them good.