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November 1, 2019Bishop Hartmayer will be with us in two weeks to dedicate our beautifully renovated worship space. I am so very grateful for all your positive feedback on the work. You may not believe this but in the past, I’ve always been somewhat conservative, somewhat hesitant when it comes to spending money. Being a good steward of the financial resources entrusted to the faith community has always been important to me. But even more important than spending our money wisely, more important than a having a beautiful Church, is having a vibrant faith community that gathers in the beautiful Church for the purpose of building up God’s Kingdom.
To be the spiritual leader of such a vibrant faith community has truly been a blessing for me. I am so very grateful to all of you who make this blessing a reality. However, now that the physical plant looks so good, I think it is time to focus more on the spiritual growth and renewal that should be an ongoing part of the life of any Christian. It is this spiritual growth that is essential to our parish. I mean, the most beautiful worship space in the world is of little value, if it is not a home base for disciples who are filled with the love of Jesus Christ.
Being a good steward of the spiritual resources of our faith community is even more a priority than the responsible use of our financial resources. So, I am asking you to consider these three areas of being a good steward and how they might be reflected in your life:
Time: How much time each week do you commit to growing your relationship with Christ by spending time in prayer? I am always happy to give you some direction in your prayer life.
Talent: How are you using your talents, skills, abilities and knowledge to benefit our faith community? I am always happy to help individuals with this discernment.
Treasure: Have you prayerfully decided and committed to giving God a percentage of your income or is your offering to the Church more haphazard? The Biblical norm that many Protestants follow is the tithe – giving the first 10% of your “fruits” back to God.
God is the origin of all our gifts. A good steward receives God’s gifts gratefully, tends to them in a responsible and accountable manner, and shares them by actively using all their gifts as a disciple to build the Kingdom of God here and now.
