Today I would like to catch up on the past two weeks of worship. On October 4 we began our Stewardship Journey, our focus this year is on Service. To help us dive into this area we shared the scripture found in John 13:1-17 where Jesus washes the disciple’s feet. Jesus takes on the role of a servant to lead his followers into a new understanding of leadership. Jesus shows that leadership is about the willingness to serve not for glory, not for being better than anyone else, but to serve because we love. Take a moment to watch the video Wash My Feet for further thought and reminder. One last thought on the washing of the disciple’s feet, remember Judas’ feet were washed just as lovingly as the other disciples that day. Jesus showing that we are called to love and serve all people, even those we know will do us harm.
Sunday, October 11 we continued our Stewardship Journey with the thought Stewardship is not just about money! We used Mark 10:17-31 where Jesus talks about the difficulty of the rich entering heaven. Jesus’s point is not just about money it is also about how we think about money or stuff or things or even people. You see anything that takes the place of God makes it difficult to follow God. Stewardship of prayers, presences, gifts, service and witness all suffer when we allow money or anything else come between us and God. Stewardship is about attitude it is about perspective. If we allow God to control our lives then Stewardship is not a hard thing. When we allow God to lead Stewardship is a time to celebrate all the blessing God has given and then we get to respond as a way to say thank you. These blessings are not just our family or our stuff; these blessings are found in God’s grace, love, forgiveness, mercy and the list continues to grow. Stewardship is our chance to respond through our prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness. To push the understanding that Stewardship is about attitude watch the video Skinny on Tithing to see the wrong attitudes to have concerning the gifts part of Stewardship.
As we continue on our Stewardship Journey may God teach us, challenge us and guide us so that we may be the followers God is calling us to become.