In the early 1970’s my brother bought one of the first portable calculators.  Although it was portable the calculator could not fit in his pocket.  It was however filled with the latest technological advances in calculators and cost over one hundred dollars.  The calculator could add, subtract, multiply and divide in an instant.  I remember marveling at the latest display of human knowledge.  Today you can buy the same calculator for about two dollars.  Our nation’s youngsters carry heavy backpacks filled with books so they might gain more knowledge.  We want the best educations for them so they can get good jobs and be happy.  However we neglect to equip them with skills to cope when the job is terminated.  With a mantra of “the only constant in our world today is change” our society continues to experience advances in human power. Yet there is one dimension of our lives that does not change and that is our human need to belong.  The challenge for all of us is to find ways to use our human power to bring us closer together. While advances in medicine and technology can make us more comfortable do they actually bring us closer to one another?  This is a question each one of us needs to ask ourselves.  With technology and the Internet it is possible that I would rarely have to leave my house.  Yet does something suffer?  I can reach out and touch someone across the world with my cell phone but it is not the same as a human embrace.  I can be involved in chat rooms, but is something lost when I remain anonymous and practice deception?  It is wonderful that a pill can relieve my heartburn, but is that a reason to eat the second bowl of chili?  I remember being struck the first time I saw pictures from the moon.  I realized God’s creation was much larger and our little world was just a part of it.  Human progress had brought me closer to God and helped me realize literally that we humans are not the center of the universe. So how do we utilize both God’s power and our human talents in our lives?  The first step is to remember we are made in the image and likeness of God, but we are not God.  Creation was made for God’s glory and we are God’s creatures.  We belong to God.  Our talents are God given and made to further God’s kingdom not our own.  Just like my brother’s new calculator, our time is limited. We can’t achieve love and unity in our world unless we experience it around our kitchen tables.  With all the time saving devices that have been invented how much time do we spend together as a family?  Are we too busy to sit together and have “face time” with one another?  What does the dinner hour look like?  Does playing board games make everyone bored?  Just because we have a family cell phone plan, doesn’t mean our need to belong is being met.  The second help to maintaining a balance between the creature and the Creator is to evoke the Creator’s name.  The post World War II era was one that was filled with progress in medicine, electronics and overall quality of life.  Yet, these advances were seen an s blessings.  It was not uncommon for people to use phrases like “Thank God” and “With the help of God” God was the reason for the progress and people realized it.  A final way to ensure that we continue to progress as humans is to be attentive to our prayer.  We seem to call on God when things are not going well. Yet what is the frequency and quality of our prayer when life is going well? While the prayer of intersession is important for each of our needs, the prayer of thanksgiving unites us to all creation while focusing us on the true Creator.