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Jeri-Lynne's Jottings “Will those of you who have been putting buttons in the collection basket, kindly put in your own buttons, and not those from the church upholstery.”(Notice in a Scottish Presbyterian Church)We are created to live wholeheartedly for God. “When we honor our Creator as the source of all things, we are like mirrors reflecting back the great beam of love that God sheds on us”. This is what motivates our stewardship. Because we are a people created in the image of God and redeemed in Jesus Christ, everything we do is a grateful response to God.[1] Stewardship is not just about funding programs at the church and other charitable organizations. It is a way of life. It means making decisions about how we distribute what God has given us in order to demonstrate the love, justice, and mercy of God that has first come to us in Christ. In the Bible there are many references to stewardship. In fact I can list 55 biblical references demonstrating the breadth with which we should consider stewardship. Jesus alone preached at least 31 sermons on the subject of money and possessions. And at least thirteen of the parables dealt directly with money. As you can see I could preach every Sunday of the year on stewardship! Stewardship is certainly something God wishes us to understand.Again, often we think of stewardship only in terms of our money; at least, it is usually for our financial giving that we have an intentional commitment campaign. Some of us may expand our practices of commitment to the giving of time and talents, yet we can grow even further when we begin to include every aspect of our living and being.Over the next few months please consider your personal stewardship of the gifts God has given you in all aspects of your life; of finances, of time, or talents. It is understandable that in these hard economic times someone might feel as though all a person has to give is a “button”! Perhaps embarrassment keeps a person from coming to worship? But remember, stewardship is more than finances! God desires our time and talents as well. It is so important to give 1 hour a week glorifying Christ in worship out of the 168 hours God has given to each of us! Maybe we could even spend 30 minutes a week in some kind of Christian service for Christ’s church using one of the talents God has gifted us with? Stewardship is not just about money. Worship and service are the ways we express our love for God’s amazing grace.Don’t spend this summer wasting each week, 168 hours, focusing on selfish pleasures and forgetting what God has done through Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior.In a grateful response to God’s love join us each week for worship and service at Valley Church!In Christ’s Service,Pastor Jeri-Lynne[1] McGarrahan, Eunice, Stewardship: A Witness to Hope (Renewed in the Spirit, Vol. 2, Part 2) 2000, p.15.[ImageHere] |
February 22, 2012
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