One of the great struggles in our lives is the one that we have with materialism. Often our childhood affects the way we see money and possessions. In my own life, the fact that I had parents who were both products of the Great Depression shaped the way in which money is viewed. My parents always lived as if they would be poor again. As a result, it has sometimes been difficult to see money as a tool and not the end result.

In my first congregation, we were disc…