Franciscan sister José Hobday encourages us to live simply, instead of simply thinking about it: 

Some folks admire simple living. They tell me they want to simplify their lives. They would love to unclutter. They would love to walk freely. But they really don’t want to do it because they don’t do it. To live simply, we must take the actual steps. We must physically clear out the excess, you must take steps to prevent accumulation. We can’t do it in our heads. Simplicity is not just an idea.  

That means it walks around our home with us. It gets in our car and goes to work with us. It shops with us. Our body is in on the act. Our body wears the clothes. Our body eats. Our body fasts. Our body is a sacramental presentation to all who accept that this is real, healthy, and whole. The visibility of simplicity makes it a witness and accounts for some of its influence on others. Simplicity is an inner harmony others can see….  

Thinking about simplicity can occupy us for centuries. Head trips never end. People can speculate forever about what can be done or what is possible and helpful. Jesus didn’t speculate. He walked the streets. He got dusty, dirty, and probably smelly. He was out in the sun. He appreciated a footwash so much that John records it. [1] 

Spiritual writer Paula Huston considers how Jesus invited people to simplicity.  

When adopted with a whole heart and for a lifetime, simplicity leads to an often striking tranquility….  

At least some of the “good news” that Jesus brought had to do with this kind of liberation. The New Testament is filled with reassurances that this world is a safe place for us to be. Time and again, Jesus reminds us that God loves us and will provide what we need. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life and what you will eat, or about your body and what you will wear,” he says. “For life is more than food and the body more than clothing” (Luke 12:22–23)….

Jesus doesn’t promise that we will find this a comfortable way to live, but he does assure us that even when human life seems to be a terrible struggle, we are not alone. He says, “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). In other words: Calm yourselves. Be still. Listen….  

The reasons I might have set out on this course of simplicity are myriad: it is better for the environment; it is “fairer” to the rest of the world if I adopt a simpler lifestyle; … it is infinitely more enjoyable; I am a nicer person when I let go of things…. I’ve found, however, that to sustain the experiment, … I’ve had to anchor myself in a single central reality—my longing for God—and allow everything else to arrange itself accordingly. 

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Years ago, while serving as an editor at Christianity Today, I would receive dozens of books each week from Christian publishers looking for publicity. Many of the ones written for pastors were little more than business management books with a spiritual veneer. To be fair, some of these books were both thoughtful and immensely helpful to those responsible for managing a ministry’s staff, budget, and resources. Other books, however, saw the church as just another corporation trying to sell a product to consumers, and the authors made no attempt to subjugate market values to those of God’s kingdom.For example, one book written by two pastors about church growth included a chapter titled “Bigger is Better.” The authors said, “a church should always be bigger than it was. It should be constantly growing.” And they, “firmly believe that bigger is what God intended for his church. Consider Jesus’ ministry on earth. Wherever he went, growing crowds gathered to hear what he had to say.”My jaw dropped when I read that. Had these pastors ever read the gospels? I wondered. If they had it was a very selective reading that fixated on the scenes of large crowds, but conveniently overlooked the many times when Jesus was ridiculed or rejected. They ignored the fact that Jesus’ earthly ministry was not “constantly growing.” In some towns, he was expelled and another tried to throw him off a cliff. And despite thousands gathering to hear him preach in Galilee, by the end of his earthly ministry only a handful of followers remained. Everyone else had either abandoned or betrayed him.The gospels reveal that Jesus was not interested in growing crowds; he was interested in growing disciples. Sometimes those two things were opposed to one another. For example, in John 6 huge crowds were following Jesus after he had miraculously fed them with just a few loaves and fish. They were attracted by his signs and wonders and they wanted more. Instead, Jesus began to teach them some very challenging ideas and called them to a profound, costly allegiance to himself. By the end of the chapter, the crowds had abandoned him and only his 12 disciples remained. Apparently, Jesus hadn’t yet heard that in ministry bigger is always better.Scripture is clear that God desires all people to find life in him, but sometimes ministry leaders can become more fixated on how manyare coming rather than why they are coming. Finding life with God can become secondary to the institutional metrics of success. After all, an institutional church can survive if people don’t find Christ there, but not if people don’t give money and volunteer to operate its programs. That is why Jesus’ parables in Luke 14 are so important for us to remember. Rather than lowering the bar to ensure as many people as possible joined his crowd of fans, Jesus raised the bar and called any would-be disciples to count the costs. DAILY SCRIPTURE LUKE 14:25-32  JOHN 6:60-69  1 TIMOTHY 2:3-6 WEEKLY PRAYERFrom G.K. Chesterton (1874 – 1936) O God of earth and altar, Bow down and hear our cry, Our earthly rulers falter, Our people drift and die; The walls of gold entomb us, The swords of scorn divide, Take not your thunder from us, but take away our pride! From all that terror teaches, From lies of tongue and pen, From all the easy speeches, That comfort cruel men, From sale and profanation Of honor and the sword, From sleep and from damnation, Deliver us, good Lord. Amen.

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