The biblical texts in the lectionary for today have to do with riches and poverty:
Amos 6:1a, 4-7
Psalm 146
1 Timothy 6:6-19
Luke 16:19-31
Our rector, Stephen Holmgren, told this story that resonates with the trajectory of these passages:
At the center of the ancient Forum in Rome are the remains of a large Roman Temple with an inscription to the Emperor Antonius Pius. The Temple is preserved because it was incorporated into a Christian Church. The name of this church derives from events following a persecution of Christians by the Roman Emperor Valerian, beginning in the year 257. It targeted the clergy and lay leaders of the Christian community. Christians were rounded up, their property was taken, and gatherings for worship and fellowship were banned. Though some details are disputed, in August of 258, Bishop Sixtus II and some of his deacons were found meeting for worship in the catacombs, and were arrested. They may have been executed immediately, following the imperial edict. But they may also have been brought to the Forum, and commanded to offer pagan sacrifice at the temple. Either way, their insistence on remaining faithful to Jesus led to their execution. All except for one, a deacon named Laurence.
The Roman prefect overseeing the matter knew that Laurence was in charge of the church’s money and valuables. So he promised to spare Laurence if he would surrender the church’s treasures. Laurence said he would, but that he needed three days to gather them. After entrusting the money to dependable stewards, Laurence set to work assembling the poor and the sick, and the widows and orphans, from the church in Rome. On the third day, he brought them to the temple, and presented them to the prefect. He said, simply, “Here are the treasures of the Church!” Feeling betrayed by Laurence’s deceit, the prefect ordered him to be executed in the most painful way—roasted alive over hot coals, chained to a gridiron. It may be legendary, but Church tradition remembers Laurence’s calm and faithful endurance, as well as a cheeky comment he made to one of his executioners: “You may turn me over; I am done on this side.”
Faith Improvised 
Andrew T.
Thank you.
timgombis
Cheers, Andrew!
imaginewithscripture
Reblogged this on Imagine with Scripture and commented:
“ven if they are overlooked by the powers of this world, the poor who to
us may be nameless, and who die in remote places, are treasures in
God’s own heart.” From the sermon in this post
imaginewithscripture
Thank you for sharing this, Tim.
timgombis
Absolutely–thanks for reblogging!
joey
Eph 1:18
“that you may know…..YOU, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints…”
He’s not talking about OUR inheritance. He’s talking about GOD’s inheritance: US!
Andrew
@Joey, he’s talking about God’s inheritance ‘Israel‘; so if we’re Israel, than yes, he’s talking about US.
[Exo 34:9] “… O Lord, please let the Lord go in the midst of us, for it is a stiff-necked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.’
[Deut 4:20] “But YHWH has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be a people of his own inheritance, as you are this day.”
[Ps 33:12] “Blessed is the nation whose God is YHWH, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!”
[Jer 10:16][Jer 51:19] “Not like these is he who is the portion of Jacob, for he is the one who formed all things, and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance; YHWH of hosts is his name.
[Joel 3:2] “I shall gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I shall enter into judgement with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel …”
(Also see [Deut 9:26,29][1 Sam 10:1][1 Sam 26:19][2 Sam 14;16][2 Sam 20:19][2 Sam 21:3][1 Kings 8:51,53][2King 21:14][Ps 28:9][Ps 74:2][Isa 47:6] ….. etc.)
Or we disregard what it actually says and make out God’s inheritance to be whatever suits our fancy (or best fits our theology) ….
joey
So Paul’s(?) “saints” here, and elsewhere, is referring to Israel?