It is all too easy to see scarcity all around us. We never seem to have enough. Life in Christ offers a radically different view: God’s abundance overflows for the earth and all who make their home here.
We explore the Parable of the Sower, Psalm 24:1, and the call of Peter as lessons in abundant living.
Generosity is the act of giving all of our time, all of our talents and skills, all of our treasure and resources to proclaim the love of God in Jesus Christ.
Traditionally, Christians consider the tithe as a measure of generosity when in fact, God is not satisfied when we keep 90% for ourselves. Instead, just as the poor widow was commended for giving “all that she had,” those of us who consider ourselves people of faith are also challenged to give everything we are and have for living and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Everything – our time, our talents, our treasure.
The tithe can then become a small portion that we intentionally and deliberately use for the love and sake of others beyond ourselves. Within this tithe, where does the church fit in your personal generosity? How do you spend your time, your talents, your treasure so that a portion is directed beyond yourself?
Why has God called the church into being? Why a particular church in a particular place? What is the raison d’être of the church. We get back to basics and recall the essential role that mission plays in giving the church purpose. The church exists for mission – for acting as a steward of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our buildings, our ministers, paid staff and volunteers, and our material resources are all marshaled to fulfill the the church’s core purpose.
Mission is the Church acting as a Steward of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
For a very long time, human beings have lived as though there was no limit to the earth’s capacity to sustain human life. We took the command in Genesis 1 to “dominate the earth” as free license to consume the earth and it inhabitants and use them up. We saw ourselves as having control and power over the earth.
But Genesis 2 adds a different view of our place in the creation. We the gardeners living in the Garden of Eden. The command is to tend and care for God’s garden. Eden is God’s household – a home for all living beings. We are earth’s caretakers.
We are stewards, charged with nurturing and maintaining God’s earth for all the “fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the animals and one another. We are responsible stewards when we do that which promotes life, health and shalom. We fail as stewards when we engage in practices and policies that degrade and destroy life and that which makes life possible.
We explore Confidentiality as the Stewardship of Information belonging to another and discover that this Christian discipline is far different from keeping secrets. The opposite of Confidentiality is Gossip – the sharing of information without regard or respect for the person about whom we are speaking.
As Christians, we always hold one another in high regard and seek the absolute best for the other. This is the nature of love.
Exploring confidentiality as holding another’s life in trust, we explore both the extent and the limits of Confidentiality.
Christianity is a WAY OF LIFE. This contradicts much of modern culture that describes faith as acknowledging a set of doctrines and beliefs.
It’s the little things that make the biggest difference in life. At some point, one more drop of water, one more grain of sand tip the scale and everything changes. While our individual participation or contribution to the church may not seem like much, it may be that little bit extra that tips the scales and transforms our church into a thriving, giving, community worthy of being called the Body of Christ. We explore some of the small ways our small contributions can make a huge difference.
Love God; Love Self; Love Others. Manage what God has given you as God would have managed it. These are the secrets of stewardship. Today, we discuss the secret to living a rich and full life as a steward of our own lives.
D Gene Kraus 