Dear Friends
Do you remember your first pay packet? I use that term deliberately because mine was cash and came in a small, brown, square envelope. Regardless of how they came; cash, check or bank transfer, all wages were a pleasant surprise, as if payment was a gift and the real reward for working was knowing that I was doing something worthwhile that made a difference.
Like many young people, I was fortunate enough to have the freedom to develop healthy financial stewardship before the necessity of paying household bills was thrust upon me. I had a small coin bank to drop pennies to help teach me how to save consistently. And through Sunday School, we were taught to bring a penny or two (a lot of money in those days) to make our offering at church and to give back to God, what belongs to God.
The Parables of stewardship that Jesus taught remind us that God has entrusted His belongings into our care and we remain accountable for them (Luke 12:42-46). And the Psalmist provides us with the foundation (Psalm 24:1) that “The world belongs to God, the earth and all its people.”
On this basis, everything we have; every blessing, our possessions, our wealth, our family, loved ones and friends are given to us to care for in trust, to manage and steward but not own forever. Remember, the Spanish proverb, “there are no pockets in a shroud”.
Jesus teaches us that the kingdom of God has high standards of accountability for what we do with everything entrusted into our care and not just the gift or tithe that the Bible teaches us to give back to God.
As we embark on our stewardship campaign, I encourage all to review their giving and those who are able, to consider a pledge and tithe that gives generously back to God what is God’s.
Pastor Cliff