GRAND UNION VINEYARD CHURCH THE MEANING IN MYSTERY

What does success look like to you?

Who do you view as successful?

What does it take to be successful? Passion? Talent? Strength? Wisdom? Vision? Money? Desire? Faith? Determination? Compassion?

What does success look like to you? Who do you view as successful? What does it take to be successful?

As a teenager was a Second Dan black belt in Shotokan karate In 1996 served in British Army with 21 SAS In 2013 was awarded honorary rank of lieutenant colonel in the Royal Marines In 2009 was appointed Chief Scout In 1998 became youngest Britain to climb Everest at 23, 18mths after breaking his back In 2003 completed an unassisted crossing of the north Atlantic Ocean

Barnard Medal - 1920 Nobel Prize in Physics - 1922 Copley Medal - 1925 Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society - 1926 Time Person of the Century - 1999 Max Planck Medal - 1929

1922 Note at the Imperial Hotel – after receiving notice of Nobel Prize “A quiet and modest life brings more joy than a pursuit of success bound with constant unrest”.

I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE (JOHN 6:35) WE TRY AND FILL THE EMPTINESS IN VARIOUS WAYS - MONEY, DRUGS, ALCOHOL, SEX, FAME, KNOWLEDGE STRUCTURAL GOD SHAPED HOLE I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE (JOHN 6:35)

ECCLESIASTES GRAND UNION VINEYARD CHURCH THE WISDOM LITERATURE Created order of things Intellectual challenges that arise from human experience

ECCLESIASTES: THE SOLOMON DIARIES

ECCLESIASTES STRUCTURE TEACHER (OR CRITIC) AND THE AUTHOR ECCLESIASTES STRUCTURE SOLOMON’S PERSONAL EXPERIENCE (1:1 – 2:26) SOLOMON’S OBSERVATIONS (3:1 – 5:20) SOLOMON’S PRACTICAL COUNSEL (6:1 – 8:17) SOLOMONS’S FINAL CONCLUSION (9:1 – 12:14)

ECCLESIASTES STRUCTURE TEACHER (OR CRITIC) AND THE AUTHOR ECCLESIASTES STRUCTURE SOLOMON’S PERSONAL EXPERIENCE (1:1 – 2:26) - Everything is meaningless - Wisdom is meaningless - Pleasure is meaningless

ECCLESIASTES STRUCTURE TEACHER (OR CRITIC) AND THE AUTHOR ECCLESIASTES STRUCTURE SOLOMON’S OBSERVATIONS (3:1 – 5:20) - A time for everything - Oppression, toil and friendlessness - Riches is meaningless

ECCLESIASTES STRUCTURE TEACHER (OR CRITIC) AND THE AUTHOR ECCLESIASTES STRUCTURE SOLOMON’S PRACTICAL COUNSEL (6:1 – 8:17) - Attitude can help us deal with injustices - Prosperity is not always good, and adversity is not always bad

SOLOMON’S PRACTICAL COUNSEL Meaningless is derived from “Hevel” – Hebrew for smoke or vapor The pursuit of wisdom in order to attain success, is meaningless Using Hevel as a metaphor: - Critic isn’t saying that life has no meaning. - Rather life meaning is never clear - Like smoke, life is confusing, disorienting and uncontrollable

SOLOMON’S PRACTICAL COUNSEL Proverbs implies there is a cause and effect relationship - Doing the right thing and being rewarded Life is unpredictable and hard to control Critic observes life doesn’t always work out that way (9:11). “I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all”

SOLOMON’S PRACTICAL COUNSEL Stop WORRYING and trying to control your life. Learn to hold things with an open hand (4:6) “Better one handful with tranquility; than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind” True Wisdom of Solomon You only have control over one thing, your attitude towards the present moment (11:10) “So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, for youth and vigor are meaningless”

SOLOMON’S PRACTICAL COUNSEL Chose to enjoy the simple things; Good conversation or a meal with people you care about (8:15) “So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun” True Wisdom of Solomon Life has meaning, even when you cant make sense of it, one day god will clear the Hevel and bring justice for all we have done (12:14) “For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil”