Pastor's Pen - September 11, 2016

It’s a form of spirituality. It’s a personal response to our relationship with God. It is an acknowledgment of the reception of gift. What is “ it”? It is Stewardship.

You might note that I did not say it was a fundraising technique. It is so much more than that. There was a time, not too long ago, that I thought Stewardship was about money and giving money to the Church. Well, not too long ago, I learned that it is so much more than that and as I learned more about it, it really made me take a look at my relationship with God and how I might be manifesting that in my thoughts and actions.

Over the next many weeks, I am hoping to take this space to talk about stewardship and what I have learned. I’m sure I will be using many sources (yes, maybe even googling) to look at what real stewardship is. One of the main sources that I will use initially is a Church document called Stewardship: A Disciples Response. It is a pastoral letter from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Stewardship is our response to the Gospel (The Good News). “As with all things pertaining to the Gospel, stewardship is fundamentally the work of the Spirit in our lives. When we accept our lives as Seer gifts, the Spirit can use us as apt instruments for spreading the Gospel.” (Preface to Stewardship: A Disciples Response by USCCB)

“Stewardship always starts with the personal experience of the Risen Christ in our midst and in our hearts. It is a vocation to discipleship. The following of Christ as a disciple entails a personal response, and this call can result in a positive impact on our faith communities.” (Preface to Stewardship: A Disciples Response by USCCB)

A Christian Steward is one who receives God’s gifts gratefully, cherishes and tends them in a responsible and accountable manner, shares them with justice and love with others, and returns them with increase to the Lord. This is the definition I learned many years ago and one that I hold as the measure for my own stewardship spirituality (which I mess up frequently, but continue to try.)

This is a favorite Stewardship Prayer of mine. It is really a quite amazing prayer. What makes it so amazing is that it is true. (the author is unknown)