Stewardship
One definition of stewardship that gets quoted from time to time is that stewardship is everything you do after you say, I believe. That takes in pretty much everything.
Here’s another definition that breaks the “everything” down into more manageable portions. Stewardship is the time, talents and treasures that we offer to God and to others. We’ve heard that more often. The time and talents elements have a softer side to them. It’s the treasures or the money that have an edge.
In Robert Wuthnow’s book, God and Mammon in America, he says that while modern North Americans are quite willing to speak openly about their se lives, bodily ailments, even their own deaths, when it comes to the topic of money, a protective “cloud of secrecy” falls over the conversation. And yet money is a regular topic of conversation for Jesus.
Here’s an enlightening exercise. Read the prophets of Hebrew scripture or the gospels or the letters of the New Testament and underline every passage on the topic of money.
Money is only one part of stewardship but it should be one we can discuss openly and regularly.
Christian Century journalist, Lillian Daniel, says, “Engaging money theologically, should inevitably lead to practicing one’s faith differently.”
Could this be so?
Peter
1 comment:
Money, money, money
If I were a rich man
Money makes the world go around
No bucks, no Buck Rogers
The last may be the most true of all. We are stewards of the planet, managers of someone else's property, and we have to take care of it. That means taking care of the planet, and the people.
We can donate our talents, our time, but unfortunately, it really does come down to "bucks". No bucks, no building, no outreach, no programs, etc., etc.
Times are tough, more so lately, and yet the needs just don't go away. People who could manage find themselves at the food bank, perhaps being turned away.
No bucks, no Buck Rogers. We hate to equate church with money but no bucks, no help!
Russ
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