So often in our society we think of wisdom and knowledge as being the same thing. We are told that knowledge is power and are pushed towards learning more, to the point where we have made attaining knowledge a competitive act. However there is a difference between knowledge and Wisdom. Knowledge is defined as the "sum or range of what has been perceived, discovered or learned." Wisdom is defined as "knowing what is true, right or lasting."

            Well after looking at those definitions I can see why we think of knowledge as being power. Knowledge pertains to what we can see or touch, to the things that we experience in the real world. To the things that we can quantify, qualify and catalog. Knowledge means being able to prove what is happening to you so that you can explain it to others in a concrete way. Knowledge is easy, knowledge is power.

            Well, maybe not. It seems that God has a different idea of what power is. Solomon is given one wish. He does not wish for riches or long life. He does not even wish to be the smartest man in the room. No instead Solomon wishes for wisdom. God grants him that wish, and then because Solomon wished for wisdom God granted him riches and long life as well. It took me awhile before I knew why God had rewarded Solomon's wish. I always thought that Solomon was looking out for himself, but then I realized that Solomon was really looking out for others.

            Solomon had been left with some pretty big shoes to fill. His father had been hand picked by God to rule over Israel, and David had done so for a long time. The kingdom that Solomon inherited was strong but there were till enemies surrounding it. Solomon was left in a shadow and I am sure he was worried about what to do, but God stepped in to help Solomon out.

            Solomon wished for wisdom for the sake of his people. He wanted to be a good king. Solomon wanted to be able to steer a course for his nation so that they could continue being a kingdom and worship God as the chosen people. Solomon's wish was selfless, yet he came to be famous for it as he used the gift to glorify God.

            Well that seems easy. All we need to do to is worship God, go to sleep and then presto we will be given a wish which we can use to become wise. Hmmm. I don't know about you, but God has never come to me during my Sunday afternoon nap and granted me a wish.  I have never woken up feeling wiser, most of the time I just wake up feeling fuzzy headed.

            Luckily God has given us another way to wisdom. Yes that is right, God has granted the wish to all of us. Paul writes about how to find wisdom in Ephesians. He writes about making the most of your days, about seeking the will of the Lord, about praising God in the name of Christ. This, according to Paul, is how wise people live.

            When I look at that life it seems to be a bit more exciting than the life I associate with the pursuit of knowledge. Since my life is focused on earning a degree I associate that pursuit with late nights studying and typing essays, arguing over the five points of Calvinism or sweating over how others are going to respond to your sermon. All of these things become chores and tasks, while the life that Paul describes seems to be free. As Farley Mowat once said "why worry about the facts hen you know the truth."

            That is what is so exciting. We know what the truth is. God loved us and sent His Son to us so that we could be forgiven of the things that we have done wrong. Now we have to seek the will of the Lord and worship God that is the truth that we need to know. But that truth is still a hard thing to find.

            The facts are that we can not always know the mind of God. We still have to pray and then try and discern where we think we are being led. We have to focus on God and the world around us to see the ways that God is moving within the world. For us though that focus is a good thing, as it keeps us attuned to the Holy Spirit, making it easier for us to work for God.

            After being here for three months I have been able to see this kind of wisdom at work. This church has been a great place for me to take the things that I have learned and couple them to the wisdom that you all possess so that I could strengthen my faith and move forward on my journey. I have to say that the wisdom that I have gained has by far been worth more to me than all the knowledge that I have strived for.

            I have seen in this church a community that is focused on God. Never have I prayed so many times a day or been prayed for as many times as I have been in this church. Every meeting began with a prayer, every meal, every gathering. All of these asked for God's blessing and for guidance and assistance. The prayers helped me to stay focused on God and not on my desires. This church has been very wise in seeking out the will of the Lord in all that it does, and is able to stay focused on finding that path.

            Since I came here every day has been filled with an activity. It all started with me getting thrown into Vacation Bible School, then IHN, then the mission trip. All of this has happened in the summer, so I thank the Lord I am getting out of here before the fall workload hits. I have seen the schedule and I can tell that you all are making the most out of your days.

            This church is making the most out of time by being involved in many ways of ministering to the community, both within and without. There is the food pantry and meals on wheels, both of which help the people around the church, those who may have no where else to turn to for help. Then there are the Shepherds, the circles, the youth groups, the choirs. All of these things help the inner community of the church. You are taking care of each other through prayer, through worship and yes through gaining knowledge.

            Finally there is worship. You worship God in prayer, you worship god in your ministries and you worship God on Sunday. No matter what may have happened during the week, no matter what disagreements or mishaps have happened this church still gathers to praise the Lord. I have seen you praise in different ways. Whether it is the traditional style of the eleven o'clock, or the informal style of the nine; there was dancing on Pentecost and chaos during the children's sermon, and you all saw God working through those moments and many more.

            Last night I was able to gather with the committee that supervised me during my internship. After a meal and cleanup we all gathered around and began to talk. One of the things that was asked of me was "what did you learn?' Last night I was not really able to answer that question, but after thinking about it, I would like to give you my answer now.

            I learned that following the road God is leading you down is much easier than fighting it. I came here willing to jump in to whatever I was asked to do, and thank God you asked me to do a lot. Because of that I was given opportunities to get to know many of you in ways that I couldn't have if I was holding back. Now I will leave this place with lasting memories from living and worshiping with you for the summer.

            I learned that the sound of love is laughter. No matter what was going on during the week there was always friendship and laughter to share with any who came to the church. This congregation is willing to laugh at itself and with itself and that is a beautiful thing. It is good to know that the church can talk about tough issues or deal with tragic situations and still get together for fellowship. The laughter that is heard within these walls brightens a dark world.

            I learned that wisdom can be found in many places. Whether it was talking with two high school students in a van on the way to Mississippi, or with patriarchs and matriarchs of the church in their living rooms, I was able to be illuminated by the people that I met. I encourage all of you to continue to talk with each other; there is so much to learn from all ages and from all situations. You'd be amazed what a conversation about movies could lead to, or what a talk about growing up in the depression, or visiting Europe can do to speak to a person.

            Finally I experienced how a church can open itself fully to someone that it has never met. You all took me in and made me one of your own. I encourage you to do that to whoever you meet, whether they are here for only one Sunday or for many. All people are children of God and all are seeking wisdom. They are not seeking facts or figures; they are seeking a lasting truth. I have felt that truth here in this place and I encourage you all to share it with everyone until all people can know the wisdom that is found not in these walls, but in the hearts of those who live and worship within them.