I am responsible for "Stewardship Education" at my parish. How relieved I was to hear an LCMS Pastor on the radio tell the world that "it's not about stewardship." Whew! I was sweating the fact that I needed to come up with something for the newsletter. My burden feels lighter.
So, What is it about? Attendance? Singing in the choir? Appearing more pious than our pagan neighbor?
Nope.
It's about faith! That's it. Wow. This column is easy!
So, What about faith? Faith is the foundation upon which all else is built. We are saved "by grace, through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is a gift of God." What great news! So how do we get it? God grants us faith through the proclamation of His word which we hear every week from the pulpit. It comes as a result of God's action in the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion. Through these means, God bestows His grace, and the Holy Spirit creates, sustains and emboldens faith when and where and in whom He pleases.
Faith enables us to trust God, and gives us that foundation upon which our lives are built. Out of faith flows all our works, including stewardship of our time talents and resources. So I guess my first (and most important) words to you with regard to stewardship of the gifts God has entrusted to you would be to implore you to take time to hear the Word of God proclaimed, and take part in the Sacrament of the Altar as often as you can, because through these means of grace, God will strengthen your faith, and everything else flows from this.
Because of Christ,