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"And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Ephesians 5:2

 


Going Against the Grain

To live as a Christian is countercultural.  To intentionally grow in the spiritual discipline of stewardship is exponentially countercultural.

Why is stewardship so frequently addressed by Jesus?  What does stewardship look like today?  Why should I care?


Why did Jesus talk about the danger of wealth…often?  Money poses the same issues today that it posed in Jesus’ time.  With it, we are able to meet our human needs.  With more of it, we are able to fulfill wants and desires.  And, for some, desire for money begins to erode desire for God.  Jesus warned us that we are prone to an idolatrous relationship with wealth.  Idolatry is a big deal for followers of the Way. 


What is stewardship?  When we choose the countercultural path of stewardship, we shift our focus away from idolatry toward God -- from the profane to the Holy.  It is a difficult shift.  We become faithful stewards of our lives and our gifts over time.  Stewardship invites us to a life of prayer:  How, what, and where is God calling me to give?  When we pursue these questions prayerfully, we experience a new kind of partnership with God.  We learn more about our gifts—not just the financial kind.  We also learn about our spiritual gifts and talents.  As we grow in our capacity to faithfully respond to God’s inspiration, we flourish in ways we could not have imagined.


Why should I care?  We are invited into deepening relationship with God.  Stewardship is one portal through which we can continue growing toward God.  And, Jesus gave us a new commandment…to love one another as Jesus loves us.  The ministry of Jesus is a witness of generous self-offering:  he gave his time, his gifts, and his life for the sake of the world.  Our gifts to and through the Church continue the work of Christ in our time.  


Walk With Us

Walking with St. Christopher’s is a life-changing journey.  We are a community of faith knit together by worship, fellowship, and discipleship.  We are discerning and reimagining how God is calling us—in this moment—to extend ministries into our community.  We are living the Gospel!


If you feel drawn to make a financial gift to the ministry of St. Chris, there are two ways you can help:


1. General Fund--Our worship, ministries, and overhead are supported by pledged giving to our General Fund.  This fund does much more than “keep the lights on." This fund allows us to respond to God’s call.  The fund underwrites:  Christian formation for all ages, communication within our community and into the world, worship (space, music, sermons, communion), hospital and house visits and the less glamorous work of laying a strong foundation for St. Christopher’s future.  This fund underwrites the work and ministry we are called to do today.


2. New Direction Fund--We have discerned a congregational call to re-establish our perpetual memorial garden and columbaria, to rebuild our worship home,and to strengthen our presence and ministry in Southwest Fort Worth.   This ministry is supported by giving to our New Direction Fund.


A Prayer for Stewardship

Gracious God,


You welcome us into faithful stewardship of all that you have created and provided for us.  Open our eyes and hearts to your movement in our midst, to the suffering of others.   


Disturb us when our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little, when we arrived safely because we sailed too close to the shore.  


Strengthen in us the desire to give freely and generously to you, the source of all that we have and all that we are.   


 Accept our gifts:  may they be the first fruits of all you have given us and not what is left over from all we have consumed. 


 All this we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. 


 Amen.

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