For me, the second verse of Hymn 705, conveys the essence of stewardship :
A world in need now summons us to labor, love and give;
To make our life an offering to God, that all may live;
The Church of Christ is calling us to make the dream come true;
A world redeemed by Christ-like love:
All life in Christ made new
Growing up as a Christian, I never thought much about stewardship. I understood the concept of giving, but not what stewardship really was all about. I didn’t truly understand all its implications until well into adulthood.
Each year around September or October, I, like many parishioners in many churches, begin contemplating the annual request for money. This connotation, unfortunately, leaves an imprint in the minds of many parishioners that stewardship is synonymous with the annual “beg-a-thon”.
How far from the truth can they be?
I like to think about all the gifts that God had provided me. I think of them in four separate, but not clearly distinct, areas: self, environment, resources and relationships.
The first is the stewardship of Self. How do I take care of me and the gift of life that God has provided to me? While I believe most of us are ready to take care of others, I feel most of us tend to neglect the “me” part of stewardship. How can I take care of me? First, I must take time to pray and dialogue with God. This is truly a time for thankfulness, reflection and quiet introspection. What is prayer? Ah Prayer! – it may have a different meaning each day or night as I reflect on yesterday or today and on what may transpire tomorrow. For me, there is no correct method for prayer, only those self established parameters or boundaries I have established through life. Reflection is also a large part of the stewardship of self. How do I see me in relation to God and in relation to those around me? God had provided me with the ability to reason. This ability allows me to function within a given universe. God is truly beyond my comprehension and so, I spend time internalizing God’s spirit. God provides me with spiritual food for the “me” of stewardship and allows me to “assist” in self-management. I believe that stewardship of Self is especially appropriate and significant during the season of Lent. Wow, what a tremendous time to be introspective and to practice patience, understanding and greater love.
For me, the second area is that of the stewardship of Environment. This to me means taking care of the world around me, regardless of how large or small it might be. What I mean by this is, our world may be the room we live in, the church we attend, the community we live in or our place of employment. In other communities I have lived in, I would frequently take items to the recycling center. Now in Kennesaw, these items are routinely picked up by our sanitation services. I would like to say this was me, but it was really my wife Beth who has helped me to understand “green” and how it affects the world we live in. This is managing the environment for those around me and more importantly for those generations who will come after me. I believe God wants us all to keep the air clean, the trees growing, the water clear, and the earth beautiful. Each of us has a small, but tremendous responsibility in keeping the earth in its most natural state. I am overwhelmed by what it means to my grandchildren and families of others near and dear to me. Springtime in particular, always brings this to a forefront for me as I see the flowers blooming and the trees budding – How great God is! Growing up in Arizona, I remember going out to the desert in the morning, when the cactus flowers are opening and flowering – it is absolutely spectacular and I want it there for those generations who will follow, to be able to enjoy. Now, as I drive to work each morning, I drive through lovely downtown Kennesaw, then around the north side of Kennesaw Mountain and I marvel at the beauty of the gifts God has provided me to see, smell and feel. The contributions of many have made this possible. Yes, it seems as though we may only play a microscopic role in managing the environment, but if each of us does their part, the community, the nation, the earth and the universe of God will remain a beautiful place for all enjoy and care for.
Closer to me and you today, is the church we are seated in. Stewardship of Environment very much includes caring for this physical building and for the surrounding structures. These buildings, we frequently meet in to pray, to love, to share, to have fun and to praise God. Yes, this requires a commitment from each of us to maintain these structures and their surrounding landscape. This too is a form of managing the environment.
Resources. What a small word with so many possibilities. Maybe I should change this to the Stewardship of Money, but then I would limit the possibilities. Yes, this might be the season when your church asks you to extend your generosity in giving back to God what is really his. The every member canvas – giving from abundance - back to God. I am amazed at all the resources God provides me and all he asks that I give him in return is a tithe, one tenth, ten percent. Yes, God seems to always provide more than we need. I have never understood why, but he is such a generous God.
There are, of course, many other resources I have been blessed with and that I can share with others. Through the years I have served the church and the community in many ways. It was not because I had to, but because it felt right and God had provided me with the talent to do so. Sometimes we don’t think of our personal God given gifts as “resources”, but each of us are so blessed. Sometimes we just fail to stop, smell the flowers, and to thank God for the blessings.
Stewardship of Relationships is one of the most fulfilling aspects of managing God’s gifts. For me, it is so very personal and yet so very public. Peace to you My Brother or God’s Peace to you My Sister. What a blessing that extends so very far. I think of the various ministries I have been associated with – Christian education, acolytes, choir, stewardship, lay ministry, vestry – all that I do extends my gifts to others. I so frequently think of my immediate family and the love that is exchanged and felt, but now it extends to all facets of my life – work, play, pray and love.
Beyond these earthly relationships, I feel my connection to God. This is also is a very personal stewardship, but can also be so very public in our corporate worship. God help us to understand each other, to care for each other, to love each other and to love you.
All of the gifts, God has given me and you, are intertwined to make a complex, complicated and beautiful person. There is no pure black and no pure white, only various interfaces providing shades of grey. I feel there is so much overlapping and such great responsibility to care for all the blessings. What a wonderful and tremendous opportunity to care for this planet earth and all that is on it. I ask God to please guide me, each and every day, to make the most of the bounty, beauty and blessings he has provided us.
Thank you for you are an Awesome God!!
Prayer:
O Jesus,
Master Carpenter of Nazareth,
Who on your cross through wood and nails
Did work our whole salvation,
Wield well your tools in this your workshop
That we, who come to you rough hewn,
May by your hand
Be fashioned into a truer beauty
And a greater usefulness
For the honor of your holy name
AMEN.