I want to invite you to use your imagination this morning. Imagine that you are a network executive. In fact, you possess the power to decide which television shows are produced and aired. As you sit behind your desk drinking a latte, of course a man comes to your office to pitch an idea. He wants to hire a handful of antique appraisers from places like Sotheby's and Christies, rent convention centers in a handful of cities, and invite John and Jane Public to bring their knick knacks, collectibles and attic treasures in for appraisal. And the real exciting part is the fact that the appraisals will be captured on film.

What would you think? Can you imagine anything more boring than watching a stuffy old expert pontificate on the lacquer finish of a grimy piggy bank? Who in his right mind would buy such a show?

Of course, someone at PBS did and The Antiques Roadshow was born. And it is one of the modern miracles of television. Today it is the most watched show on public television. Millions of folks tune in week after week to watch people just like you and me discover that the bowl Aunt Bessie gave them for their wedding or the picture they bought at a flea market is a rarity worth four maybe even five figures.

What gives the show its drama aside from the hope that we will see something we possess being appraised for thousands of dollars is the fact that the people featured do not recognize what they have. To them it is just a piece of the scenery or another interesting oddity collecting dust. Having seen it around the house for years or having paid little or nothing for it, they don't realize its value.

I wonder if the same can't be said about us and the faith we possess? Do we realize the value of the kingdom of heaven?