“Stewardship.” Just say the word, and for some, this word immediately carries baggage. Unfortunately, at times this word has been correlated with only requests for money. And, over time, the word “stewardship” has become a word that is used less frequently in our day-to-day speech.
But here’s the thing: whether we recognize it or, many of us are practicing stewardship each and every day.
- Does faith impact the way you choose to live your life?
- Have you offered gratitude to God, to others, and to yourself lately?
- Have you offered yourself for the sake of another?
- And finally, have you been willing to open your eyes to the realities of your neighbors who have crossed your path?
If you said “yes” to any of the above questions, then, you’re a steward.
In the words of Grace Pomroy Duddy, “Stewardship is the way we love God and neighbor with our whole lives – not just our wallets. Understood this way, stewardship is life-giving and life-encompassing. Stewardship is discipleship.”
So, taking our cue from Grace, this month at Shepherd we’re going to explore four “acts” of stewardship (also “acts” of discipleship): stewardship as an act of faith (Oct 2), an act of gratitude (Oct 9), an act of generosity (Oct 16), and an act of justice (Oct 23). Through these weeks, we’ll engage in these themes during worship and will have some opportunities for you to practice these “acts” of stewardship outside of our church community.
As children of God, we have been gifted so, so much – namely, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ which shapes and forms us as new creations. So this week, as you prepare to join us for our first week’s focus, I encourage you to give thanks for God’s gift of grace given to you. Because from that gift, we have been given a foundation in which to center the whole of our lives.