Dear Friends in Christ,
When you think of stewardship, what comes to mind? If you’re like most, you likely think of money because most churches call their annual pledge drive a stewardship campaign.
But, stewardship has to do with a lot more than money. Stewardship refers to careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.
This means stewardship is the reason for our being because, according to Genesis, God created us to have oversight and carefully manage the earth and all of its life (Genesis 1:26). Likewise, Jesus, with his telling of the parables of the vineyard workers (Matthew 20:1-16) and the parable of the vineyard tenants (Luke 20:9-19), implied that we are not so much owners of creation and its elements, but tenants entrusted with their management.
It may be hard for us to embrace this perspective and our God-given identity because, from our legal and moral heritages, we inherit an understanding of ourselves as owners who have the right to do whatever we choose with our property, our resources, our things. Hence, it is important for us as Christians to reflect on our stewardship!
This, we shall do in our worship throughout the coming year. And, we shall do so under the rubric of “21st Century Stewardship” because, as Jesus taught in his parable of the wineskins (Luke 5:33-39), “new times occasion new tasks.” I’ll hope you’ll find our reflections timely and relevant for your life, Christ’s church, and the world.
Blessings of Life-preserving Stewarding,
Pastor Ed