Spring to New Life
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- Written by The LCMS Office of National Mission, Stewardship Ministry The LCMS Office of National Mission, Stewardship Ministry
- Created: March 29 2010 March 29 2010
In March we observe the beginning of spring. As the trees and bushes bud, the grass starts to turn green and the soil takes on a smell of new life, we look forward to the beginning of a new cycle with warmer weather and a new start for seedtime and harvest.
Sometimes as God’s stewards we may feel that stewardship is more of the same old, same old. But, just as spring starts a new cycle of life, so also Easter with its joy and celebration starts a new cycle of life for us as God’s stewards. During the reflective season of Lent we look forward to the joy and celebration of Easter. This is a great reminder that we are “Easter people”—that is, people of hope. Hope is stronger than memory. Memory mostly makes us think about past failures, unfulfilled promises, frustration and disappointment. Hope refreshes us with a new start, not just at springtime, but every new day.
During Lent we reflect on the extravagant love of Jesus as He went all the way to the cross and death as the perfect sacrifice for our sins and failures. Philippians 2 reminds us: “Jesus humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him a name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
One day every knee will bow before Christ, even the knees of those who did not believe in Him, and confess Him as Lord of lords and King of kings. Those who did not believe will fall to their knees when they see Jesus coming in glory and then go away to everlasting sorrow. Our knees and the knees of all believers will bow in humble adoration and our voices will proclaim “How great Thou art!”
Just as the earth comes back to life in springtime, we are renewed day by day to live as God’s redeemed stewards who freely and joyfully manage all of life and life’s resources for God’s purposes. This new life is not boring! It is exciting to experience God’s power in our lives and look for opportunities in which we can manage our time, talents, relationships and financial resources in a way that honors Him and provides so many blessings to others and ourselves.
Let’s “spring” to new life as God’s redeemed stewards who, in cooperation with and encouragement from fellow redeemed stewards, manage all that we are and have to God’s glory!
Saint John’s Stewardship Board promotes the development of good stewardship and giving patterns among the members of Saint John’s.
Lenten Reflection
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- Written by The LCMS Office of National Mission, Stewardship Ministry The LCMS Office of National Mission, Stewardship Ministry
- Created: January 28 2010 January 28 2010
On February 17 we will join Christians around the world in observing the season of Lent. Lent is a deeply spiritual time as we reflect on the tremendous love and sacrifice of Jesus for us so that we might have forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. The price of our redemption was overwhelming. As Dr. Martin Luther said in explaining the second article of the Apostles Creed “Jesus, my Lord, has redeemed me a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death.” As Jesus Himself said, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”
Dr. Luther went on with his explanation to state that Jesus made this supreme sacrifice “so that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true!”
In Jesus we have been redeemed from all sins, including the sin of selfishly wanting to use all of God’s blessings for our own needs and wants rather than using them to His glory and the welfare of our neighbor. Selfishness is not part of good stewardship! Here is a definition of good and godly stewardship: “God’s redeemed stewards, in cooperation with and encouragement from fellow redeemed stewards, freely and joyfully manage all of life and life’s resources for God’s purposes.”
Lent provides us with an excellent opportunity to reflect on what is really important and worth spending our lives and resources on. During this 2010 season of Lent may God’s Holy Spirit help us to understand that God wants to use us as instruments in His hands to touch the lives of others in ways that make an eternal difference. As we are led to accept this truth we will better understand what it means to use our time, our skills and talents, and our financial resources in loving and sacrificial ways.
What a time of spiritual growth the season of Lent can be for us as we strive to spend our lives and resources on things that really matter and last beyond our lifetimes. God’s redeemed stewards want to make this world a better place because we have been here. May the love and sacrifice of Jesus so impress us that we will want to reach out in loving and sacrificial ways.
Saint John’s Stewardship Board promotes the development of good stewardship and giving patterns among the members of Saint John’s.
New Greet the Swiftly Changing Year
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- Written by The LCMS Office of National Mission, Stewardship Ministry The LCMS Office of National Mission, Stewardship Ministry
- Created: January 06 2010 January 06 2010
Happy New Year! Isn't it great to be able to start all over with a new year! It gives us the opportunity to put the troubles and failures of the past behind us and look forward to a new year with joyful anticipation. This is especially true for us as God’s children.
Jarsoslav Vajda, a noted Lutheran hymn writer, translated these words of a New Year’s hymn (#896 in the new Lutheran Service Book):
Now greet the swiftly changing year
With joy and penitence sincere.
Rejoice! Rejoice! With thanks embrace
Another year of grace.
God, Father, Son, and Spirit, hear!
To all our pleas incline Your ear;
Upon our lives rich blessing trace
In this new year of grace.
As God’s stewards we are reminded that we don’t get a fresh start only on the first day of a new year. Instead we get a fresh start every day knowing that in Christ all that is wrong has been forgiven and with the power of the Holy Spirit we are equipped to move forward in our free and joyous management of all of life and life’s resources for God’s purposes. What we include in all of life and life’s resources is described by the hymn writer Frances Havergal with these memorable words (#44 in The Lutheran Hymnal):
Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect and use
Ev’ry power as Thou shalt choose.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store;
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all, for Thee.
These verses from that beloved hymn remind us that our whole life is to be dedicated to God so that we use our time, talents and financial resources in ways that bring honor to Him and produce many blessings for those around us.
As we begin this new year let’s remember that we are God’s redeemed stewards who, in cooperation with and encouragement from fellow redeemed stewards, freely and joyfully manage all of life and life’s resources for God’s purposes. Let’s consider making this our resolution for 2010: “Maturing stewards do the right things for the right reasons and strive for excellence in all they do.”
Saint John’s Stewardship Board promotes the development of good stewardship and giving patterns among the members of Saint John’s.
God's Promises
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- Written by The LCMS Office of National Mission, Stewardship Ministry The LCMS Office of National Mission, Stewardship Ministry
- Created: January 06 2010 January 06 2010
“And it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus“ is the way Luke’s account of the Christmas story begins in chapter two. That decree caused Mary and Joseph to travel to Bethlehem, the city of David, where Jesus was born according to ancient prophecy. God’s timing is perfect as He carries out His will. Galatians 4:4–5 reads, “But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.”
For lo, the days have come to pass
By prophets seen of old,
When down into the circling years
Came Christ as was foretold.
His word of peace shall to the earth
God’s ancient promise bring,
And all who take this gift will hear
The song the angels sing.
God’s promises are true and find their “amen” in Jesus. Throughout the Old Testament God inspired His prophets to write down many promises of a Savior. The faithful people of God believed His promises and were saved by that faith even though they had not seen the Savior with their own eyes. They lived before Christmas and we live after Christmas. We also have not seen Jesus with our own eyes and yet, by the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit, we believe that on that first Christmas Christ took on Himself our human form, kept the law perfectly for us, preached the good news of salvation, performed countless miracles and then offered Himself up as the precious Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, ours included!
Christmas is a very joyous occasion as we celebrate our Lord’s first coming into the world but we also know that the shadow of the cross already hovered over the manger where the baby Jesus was laid. He was born to die in our place so that the door to heaven will be open to us and all who believe in Him as our only true Lord and Savior.
As Christian stewards we live in the light of the Gospel and freely and joyfully manage all of life and life’s resources for God’s purposes. God offered up His best for us and in response we strive to offer our best to Him. During this joyful Christmas season we have many opportunities to show our love for God by showing love to all the neighbors He has placed around us, especially those who have special needs of body, soul and spirit. May God help us to use our gifts of time, talents, skills and financial resources to His glory and the welfare of those around us. May He especially help us to be like the shepherds and spread the good news of salvation in Christ alone!
Saint John’s Stewardship Board promotes the development of good stewardship and giving patterns among the members of Saint John’s.
Learning to Give Thanks
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- Written by The LCMS Office of National Mission, Stewardship Ministry The LCMS Office of National Mission, Stewardship Ministry
- Created: November 01 2009 November 01 2009
On November 1, Christians around the world celebrate All Saints’ Day. Among the saints in heaven are our loved ones who have died in the faith and now share in the joys of heaven. The Epistle reading for All Saints includes these words: “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
This beautiful picture of the saints before the throne brings us comfort as we remember loved ones who have passed away and strengthens our hope in the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.
On the last Thursday of November we celebrate Thanksgiving Day, which provides us with the opportunity to pause and thank our God for his mercy which endures forever and his providing of so many spiritual and physical blessings day after day. How fitting it is to remember the example, instruction and encouragement of those saints who have been special blessings to us. Many of us learned about the grace of God in Jesus Christ our Savior at the knees of Christian parents. Many of us have also learned from them what it is like to live as God’s children who receive his gifts with thanksgiving. We thank God for those who have been teachers and examples of good stewardship. It is so true that only the Holy Spirit can change us from selfish, self-centered sinners into faithful stewards of all that God has given to us. But the example of good stewardship that we learned from our parents and other important people in our lives is a great blessing.
One day we will join the saints in heaven, but, until then, God empowers us to be teachers, models and examples of good stewardship for our children and other people who are special to us. “Christian stewardship really is the free and joyous activity of the child of God and God’s family, the church, in managing all of life and life’s resources for His purposes.”
One of our common table prayers contains these words: “Come, Lord Jesus, be our Guest and may these gifts to us be blessed.” The godly ladies who are part of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League have added these great stewardship thoughts to this prayer: “And may there be a goodly share on every table everywhere and may we help to put it there.”
May God bless us as his stewards so that our management of all of life and life’s resources (money, time, talents, relationships, etc.) honors him, blesses our neighbors and serves as an example and encouragement to those around us.
Saint John’s Stewardship Board promotes the development of good stewardship and giving patterns among the members of Saint John’s.