10-14-23

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
October 14, 2023
Today, along with a handful of you all from the church, I will be listening to Rev. Bruce Barkhauer do a workshop at Kingwood Christian Church. Though the topic might not excite everyone, I believe more and more folks need to hear about Demystifying Stewardship. Stewardship has become one of those righteous-sounding Christian words, but I am pretty sure folks from other religions, alongside atheists, would all be positively impacted by a greater appreciation of stewardship, specifically what it means to be a good steward. As I said a few weeks ago, how we define ‘good’ is going to be different from one person to the next. But stewardship is utilizing all that one has, which includes money, power, resources, wisdom, spiritual gifts, etc., to support what a person values. However I choose to use my gifts—who I am and what I have—will point to what I truly value. Jesus talked about how a person cannot have two masters, even though many pretend as if it is possible. When I think about my own life, there are things that beckon me away from what I claim to value. Though not quite ready to make the full leap, I understand why Jesus said to his disciples, “In the same way, none of you who are unwilling to give up all of your possessions can be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). Maybe I’m off, but I hear those words as less of a demand and more of a caution. That verse of scripture continues to echo inside my head and heart, challenging me on how I value my stuff and how my stuff is used to honor what I value.

Lord God, I seek to put you and your vision for creation at the center of who I am and what I do. Give me eyes to see how the things I possess can be best leveraged for your Kin(g)dom of love, compassion, and justice. Amen.