When I tell people what my favorite book of the Bible is, they think they know why. Yes, the book of John does have the greatest verse of all time in it: John 1:6 (There was a man sent from God whose name was John). But it's not the name of the book that I'm drawn to. It’s the light, the promise, the invitation to abundant life in Jesus that runs through every chapter.

Now, people who have read Ecclesiastes are surprised when I tell them that's my second favorite. It seems so dreary and cynical when you first read it. But I love it! I don't think the Teacher of the text is trying to drag into despair. I think he's trying to wake us up.

The book tells me to enjoy the gift that is the abundant life of Jesus.

You know the old phrase we say when someone dies unexpectedly. "You never know." We call that wisdom, but we don't always live like we believe it.

My children, the Fletchermints, are in their twenties. For years, I've told them to save now while you're young. Put a strong effort into saving for your first ten years as an adult. If you're intentional in the younger years, you'll have more freedom later when you get old--you know 30.

I forget.

A lot.

Apparently, I'm in good company. Forgetfulness is something many of us share. But here's a question worth pondering: Could any of us forgetters ever forget God?

Scripture says yes.

Not in the way we forget to pick up milk or where we left our keys. But in the deeper, more troubling way of neglecting God’s presence in our lives. Psalm 50:22 offers a clear and urgent warning to God forgetters. The urgency is so strong, a literal translation might be "Please, don't forget!"

The psalmist knows we will not forget God ever existed to us. Instead, he knows well the reality that we can ignore God. What we forget is to care. We cease to care about the Lord or the way of Jesus.

We get wrapped up in our own plans, anxieties and desires, that we slowly begin to ignore God. Our culture of distraction and self-reliance makes that easier to do. Our other priorities don't diminish who God is. But they do cloud our sense of God's goodness, mercy and might.

Now, the forgetful heart's response isn't just to say "Now I remember!" It's to return to God with thanksgiving. A thankful heart cures a forgetful one. If you notice you've forgotten God, the best thing to do is remember God hasn't forgotten you. Isn't that reason enough to give thanks?

According to the psalmist, this is the sacrifice God desires. As Alicia Keys once sang (though not about God), “Everything means nothing if I ain’t got you.” Maybe that line could speak for God.

This week, I’ll experience nearly every season of life in a matter of three days.

One day, I’ll celebrate a quinceañera. That's a sacred moment when a young girl steps into adulthood. She's dreaming about her future and who she’s becoming. The next day, I’ll stand with two families at two funerals, honoring lives deeply loved and dearly missed. And then, like most Sundays, I’ll lead worship, lifting up songs and prayers alongside my church family. It also happens to be the Sunday we’ll bless the backpacks of all our students. Preschoolers to graduate students will leave with a blessing for a new school year.

I've always been a Superman fan. So, I was excited to watch the new movie to see how creators developed the character this time around. As I watched, I thought about previous super stories. There's usually a scene where the man of steel flies around with his eyes closed. He's listening to the cries and the chaos of the world he wants to protect.

Superman draws on his superhuman strength to defeat the bad guys and save the day. While you and I aren't lifting cars and jumping over skyscrapers, we do have a strength I'm not sure even Superman had.

Prayer.

Prayer is more than words. It is a window into our heart and a magnet that draws us to God's. It often reveals more to us than we realize. Like Superman finds a way to stay alert to the needs of the world, Colossians also tells us to "keep alert." Part of our way of doing this is to devote ourselves to prayer.

Don't just say a prayer. Don't just start and end a meeting with a quick prayer. Devote yourself to it. To devote ourselves to something means to bring together priority and persistence. I'd be curious to hear what you think that means and what it might look like. Both in your life and in the life of your church.

Some people are great at predicting how a movie will end. They catch the foreshadowing, notice the subtle cues and piece together what’s coming. But sometimes, it doesn’t take much skill. Some stories are predictable because we’ve seen how they go.

Ecclesiastes is like that. If you’ve read the book, you know it’s not the Bible’s most joyous read. Every word of praise or achievement seems to come with a heavy dose of realism. You can almost hear it coming.

So, when the Teacher lists all the rewards of his labor, the wisdom he’s gained and the wealth he’s built, we already know where he’s headed. He’s going to call it vanity. No plot twist there. Sure enough, even wisdom, as valuable as it is, turns out to be fleeting. The wise and the foolish meet the same end.

But maybe that’s the point.

The Teacher’s hard-won lessons give us a chance to reflect on our own pursuits. He’s honest about his frustration. At one point he says, “So I hated life.” Still, he never gave up on it. And his honesty helps us ask, Where am I searching for meaning?