Understanding Biblical Stewardship.
‘Stewardship is everything we think, say and do after we first say, “I believe in God….”’ ‘I believe in God’ has also been rephrased as, ‘I give my heart to God….’ Stewardship is a fact. You took it on at your baptism and confirmed it each time you repeated the Baptismal Covenant. Although money is involved at various points and is very important, Stewardship is most definitely not primarily about money.
Stewardship is about how we use the gifts God has given us to collaborate with God to make the world a better place, to help build the Kingdom of God on Earth. Jesus taught that the ‘Kingdom of God’ is not a place, but how our world would be if God’s priorities were to be followed: i.e. a place of peace and justice for all to enjoy. Stewardship is using the gifts God has given us to bring about this end. Jesus said several times, often using a parable, that this is already happening, and it is making a difference. (Luke 17:20,21; Matthew 13:33) We also can be encouraged every time we repeat the Lord’s Prayer and be assured that as we do what we can, God will guide and help us.
This year’s theme ‘Above all, clothe yourselves with love which binds everything together in perfect harmony, and let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.’ (Colossians 3:14-15) As Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.” (Luke 10:27). Or as the theme puts it, ‘Clothe yourself with love’ - for God, for other people, and equally importantly, for yourself. God has gifted each of us with a body, a mind a spirit, and a community to which each of us truly belongs. Indeed, God has given us the gift of life itself. During this program year, we will be looking at these gifts in turn, exploring how we can look after them so that we can use them as we work with God to build the Kingdom of God on earth. God does not want any of us feel bad because there are certain gifts with which God has not endowed us! Indeed, each of us is exactly who God has created us to be.
Theme One September and October 2019-The Stewardship of our Bodies. We are called, as God’s Stewards, to do what we can, where we are, with what we have. (So, we might as well make sure that ‘what we have’ works as well as possible!)
How you can help
Please read the Stewardship Newsletters and listen to presentations. If you have ideas or suggestions, please share.
E-mail - Val McCormack val_mc@telus.net
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