the curse of practicality

This week we look at what it really means to have, in the words of the Salvation Army, a "heart to God and a hand to man".  In the passage in Mark 4, Jesus warns us that certain seed sown on certain ground will be choked out by what our culture would identify as consumerism and individualism.  Within that I would add a sense of what we might consider practical when it comes to living, loving, and serving missionally.  In our study we are challenged that, not only can these choke out our ability to live with mission, even worse would be that our imagination towards what could be done gets choked out.  Practicality can threaten to kill dreams and vision.  What could be done, in the name of Jesus and through the power of the Holy Spirit should never be limited by our own desire to be practical and logical.  After all, what part of the Christain faith and the invitation to the journey promises security and practicality.  All Jesus promised with his parting words was the he "would be with them (us) to the end of the age".  Since we are not yet at the end of the age, I assume this promise to still be in force.   We are not objective enough to be practical.  We rationalize our hoarding in terms of stewardship to give it a spiritual feel, but it is hoarding all the same.  The practical result of the pursuit of the "American Dream" before the "kingdom of God" is that we have confined our resources by what we now feel we "need" to get by.  Jesus prayed "Give us today(and only today) our daily bread".  Not very practical, but apparently its all that's necessary.