Materialism: The focus on acquiring possessions and wealth as the key to happiness.
Consumerism: The preoccupation of a society with the acquisition of consumer goods

What’s more important to me: Pursuing earthly wealth or being rich in my relationship with God?

Are possessions getting in the way of me following Jesus?

Generosity and Thanksgiving

Generosity: How can you be more generous during Lent?
Thanksgiving: How can you express more gratitude to God for what you already have?

A closing prayer by Walter Brueggemann
You are the God who feeds and nourishes. You are the God who assures that we have more than enough, and we do not doubt that you satisfy the desire of every living thing. Even in such an assurance, however, we scramble for more food. After we have filled all our baskets with manna, we seek a surplus–enough education to plan ahead, enough power to protect our supply, enough oil to assure that protection. And in the midst of that comes your word, that we share bread and feed the hungry, even to the least and so to you. We mostly keep our bread for ourselves, our neighbors, and our friends. It does not occur to us often, to feed our enemies, to share your bounty with those who threaten us. We do not often remember to break vicious cycles of hostility
by free bread,
by free water,
by free wine,
by free milk.
Until we remember that you are the giver of all good gifts, ours to enjoy ours to share. Stir us by your spirit beyond fearful accumulation toward outrageous generosity, that giving bread to others makes for peace, that giving drink to others makes for justice, that giving and sharing opens the world and assures abundance for all. We pray this even as we ponder the gift of your Son whom we ingest as bread and wine, and tasting, find ourselves forgiven and renewed. Feed us till we want no more!