"Lifestyles Under the Sun": A summer series of sermons and written reflections on Ecclesiastes

NOTE: This summer our Senior Pastor, Vic Pentz, launched a series of messages that explores the book of Ecclesiastes. Keying to a familiar refrain, this summer series looks at "Lifestyles Under the Sun" and the quest for the meaningful life that God intends. Along with the weekly sermons, our congregation receives a daily devotional via email. It has been my privilege to contribute to the series by writing the daily devotionals. In the coming weeks I'll be posting those here. To hear Dr. Pentz's sermons as well as those in the series preached by our associate pastors, please go to the Peachtree website.

The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem. . . I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. (Ecc. 1:1, 12)

Some people simply have life figured out. They’ve mastered it, know their place in it, know what they want from it and how to go about getting it. They’ve got their act together. Or so we think.

The book of Ecclesiastes is surprising. It’s a book of searching and of asking hard questions. That in itself doesn’t disturb us. After all, most of us have asked or are currently asking the same questions. What surprises us more than the content is the person from whom those questions come. The author of the book is never identified by name, but this much is clear. This person has influence (teacher, or literally “a leader of the assembly”). This person has connections that come with a royal bloodline (son of David). This person is powerful (king over Israel). While scholars are not certain, tradition holds that the book was written by King Solomon.

Our assumption about influential, well connected, powerful people is that they’ve got life figured out. Ecclesiastes shatters that assumption. Solomon held a place in life that many would envy, a place which many are scrambling daily to attain. And yet, he asks the most basic questions of existence. What is life all about? What is the meaning of my existence?

We invest significant energy in hiding our questions. What we assume about others is what we’d like them to assume about us. But we know our own questions, the things we struggle with, the parts of life that don’t quite square with our expectations or beliefs.

The book of Ecclesiastes is an invitation to ask some honest and hard questions. In the coming weeks we’ll keep company with Solomon, listen to his questions and follow his search for answers. Along the way we may find answers to questions of our own.

What are your “big” questions? Are there things you ponder, but don’t talk about with anyone else? Find some place to write these down. Keep track of your thoughts as we journey through Ecclesiastes.

Prayer: Gracious God, before we speak a word you know our thoughts. This includes our questions. We thank you for your patient faithfulness that allows us to ask and to seek. Reveal yourself in these coming days through your word. Guide us as we seek you. Amen.