The ancient book of Ecclesiastes and our modern search for meaning.

In the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes, "life under the sun" describes our common search for fulfillment.  Whether we go to the beach to search for fulfillment, or to work, or to the bank, or to friends, we're all on the same planet, under the same sun, on the same search for true and lasting joy.

It's a search that often ends in frustration and disappointment, though.  No one knew this better than the author of Ecclesiastes.  He went everywhere to look for true and lasting happiness, but kept running into walls.  In fact, the book of Ecclesiastes can be so, well, depressing, that some early scholars thought it shouldn't even be in the Bible.

That would have been unwise, though.  While a difficult book, Ecclesiastes offers a sober view of the frustrations and disappointments of life on earth that is often missing from religious instruction.  And if read closely, the book also offers hope and guidance in the midst of our frustration with life.  The promise of Ecclesiastes is that true fulfillment can only be found in God, and that God can be found in the midst of life's despair. 

Spend the next few months with us at Rooftop studying together one of the more perplexing, but fulfilling books of the Bible.  Join us as we travel through the ups and downs of life, the breakthroughs and the dead ends, while searching for happiness together.  Listen to the wisdom of someone who's been through life before, and has a lot to say about making the most of it.

Part 1: As the World Turns  10/26/08, Matt Herndon
Part 2: Hemingway's Quest  11/2/08, Matt Herndon
Part 3: These Are the Days of Our Lives  11/9/08, Matt Herndon
Part 4: The Chase for the Cup  11/16/08, Matt Herndon
Part 5: Dumb Religion  11/23/08, Matt Herndon
Part 6: The Indigestion of Materialism  11/30/08, Matt Herndon
Part 7: Get Serious About Living  01/04/09, Matt Herndon