Stewardship

Confession. I hate talking about money. Going into the ministry, one of the things that scared me the most was knowing that one day I would be preaching for stewardship Sunday. It comes around each year. There is hardely any way to get out of it.

But, money is something as clergy, the church needs to hear our voice on. While money is just paper, it has theological implications and impacts our faith life in more ways than I think we will ever understand.

I went to a rural village in Africa for 2 months last summer to work in an Orphanage and church. There learn more about stewardship in a church that did not have electrcity, the most people did not have running water, and many people were dying from AIDS.

Every Sunday in worship the offering was one of the highlights of the service. Instead of the ushers passing around the offering plates, the people went up to the alter and gave their offering to God. It was an embodied moment for them with God. I was amazed that how little the people had, but that they always gave an offering. It was something that they just did. The amount the church collected did not really matter, it was all used for helping those within their community.

One Sunday morning I was asked by one of the orphans if he could have some money. I asked what he needed the money for and he said, "I want to give it back to Jesus." With tears in my eyes I handed him some money. When it was time for the offering, the orphan with a huge smile on his face walked up to the altar and gave the money back to Jesus. I thought to myself, how many times had I been greety with money and thought it was mine, instead of God's. This orphan has never had money in his life and the first time he ever gets money, he gives it back to Jesus.

Let us always be remindful that money is not our own. May our hearts be as generous as that precious orphan.