Today is the beginning of our Every Member Canvass. We’ve pared it down so that it’s only taking place over a period of two weeks, beginning today and culminating on the 3rd and 4th of November. Our canvassers will be making their calls this week, and they will ask if they can visit you to drop off your pledge card, along with a list of our various ministries inviting your participation. Our hope is that everyone will “take his or her place” by making a pledge and by getting involved in one or more of our ministries. Loyalty Weekend, 3 and 4 November, you are asked to bring your pledge card and offer your pledge as an act of worship.
What do you think of when I say the word stewardship? Maybe you think it’s about money. The fact that we talk about stewardship only at the time of the pledge drive helps to give the impression that stewardship is just a fancy church word for fund drive.
Yet the theological concept of stewardship only includes money. It isn’t the sum total of it at all. Stewardship is the way the Christian is to look at all of life. Everything that we are and everything that we have comes from God and belongs to God, even life itself.
Granted, that’s a belief. I can’t prove the existence of God and, likewise, I can’t prove that everything comes from God and belongs to God. But that is the faith of the people of God as that faith is found in Holy Scripture. If we are going to live according to the Christian faith, that is certainly one of the foundation stones.
Thus, we don’t own our lives or our businesses or the fruit of our labor. It all belongs to God. We merely are the caretakers, or stewards, of our lives and possessions.
When we go to a fine restaurant, we’re met by a person who greets us warmly, and asks us how many are in our party. Then she might say, “I have a table by a window with a great view. Follow me.” If she’s really good at her job she makes you feel like you’ve been greeted by the owner, and that the table is really hers to give. But in reality, she is simply the caretaker, the steward of the table. The owner may not even be present, but everything is done as if by the owner in his or her name.
We just went through the selling of our house and the buying of a new home, in our case, a condo. When we were looking for a new home, we worked closely with our realtor. She would call us from time to time, and say something like this: “I have a condo in the downtown area that fits your requirements.” She’d describe it, direct us to the website where we could see pictures of the property, and then we’d say whether or not we wanted to look at it. If we decided to look at it, she’d show us all of its features as if it were her own. But she didn’t own it, and we knew that. She was acting as a caretaker, a steward for the owner.
When we live according to our faith, that’s the way the Christian sees his or her life and possessions. We treat them with all of the loving care of an owner, but all the while we realize that we are simply stewards of our lives and our possessions. At our 7:30 Sunday mass we have a custom of saying exactly that as we offer our collection of money and the bread and wine for Communion. We say, “All things come of Thee, O Lord, and of thine own have we given Thee.”
If that’s the case, if everything belongs to God, then what’s the emphasis of tithing all about in the scriptures? The tithe is a sign that we recognize who the owner is. A tithe is 10 percent, and not just any 10 percent, the first 10 percent. We don’t give back to God just what’s left over after we’ve taken care of all of our needs. We give a portion of the first fruits of our labor. In an agricultural society that was easily recognized. You’d give of your first harvest. In our society, it becomes the first check you write.
The concept of tithing isn’t unlike the setting apart of one day of the week as holy. If you keep Sunday as a holy day it hallows the rest of the week. If you tithe of the first fruits of your income, it hallows the other 90%.
What if you’ve considered tithing and don’t want to do it? Or what if you tithe and hate every minute of it, resenting every penny forfeited? That’s your decision. You might try praying for a change of heart, for there is a great blessing that comes along with it. But give as your heart directs, and give what you can give cheerully, remembering that the measure you give will be the measure you get back. Is your faith not providing the help and comfort you expect? Look at what you give of your time, talent, and treasure. That might provide a clue to why you’re not finding your faith to be fulfilling. In any case, at least try this: Let your gift be from the first fruits of your income, and not from what’s left over.
Linda and I give to Redeemer because it’s our parish and we believe in supporting our parish with our tithe. As important as what we at Redeemer do is, we give primarily because we need to give, because we believe that’s what God calls us to do, not because any particular parish needs our money. But, I tell you, it is a joy to be able to support what goes on at Redeemer. The wonderful programs for children and youth, the fantastic music ministry, the pastoral care we give to the sick and shut-in, the round of services daily and weekly and annually, our many outreach programs and missions. Can anyone calculate the good that is done in and through this wonderful parish? We couldn’t do any of it without the many who give so unselfishly of their time, talent, and treasure. I urge you to give, first of all, because you need to give as God’s steward, to remind yourself that all that you are and all that you have belongs to God; but know that what you give is supporting a tremendous ministry that goes on every day of the year at Palm and Ringling. And also know that I am very grateful for every gift to this parish, no matter what the size of the gift is.