Stewardship

NOV. 3, 1980,5:53 AM
W. WILLOW, STUDY

You heard yesterday, a sermon focused on stewardship. Then you practiced stewardship in the afternoon and heard of the budget in the evening. Hear, o son, some observations of mine on this important theme.

Stewardship means taking care of what is yours in this world and contributing toward the maintenance and promotion of that which you consider of much worth… of which you are a part. The term obviously is used mostly in conjunction with the church, so let us consider that concept first.

The Church is, fundamentally, My Body here in the earth. It is a spiritual body concerned with the expression of spirituality and with the growth of spirit, within individuals and within congregations. In this sense stewardship is an exercise of the spirit, giving to others of time, talent, and resources that could be utilized for your own pleasure and gain. The aspect of stewardship that makes it most spiritual is this desire to give.

Now because the church is also a physical entity and reality the desire to give is translated into actual giving. There is a building that requires maintenance and repair. There are staff who carry out a good deal of the mission of the church, and they must be financially sustained. Each person gives according to his own view of self as giver, and the congregation gives… and the result is how if feels about staff, physical plant, and program. If the church is a true spiritual entity, the giving of individuals, as each spirit directs, results in “making a budget” that is representative of a spiritual congregation.

Know that this will not represent equal giving. It isn’t even ideal that all should give equally. Obviously some have more from which to give. The smaller percentage from she who has much makes a larger pile of coin than the larger proportion from the less affluent. In practical terms some people have to give more because they have more from which to give. Of more importance is the fact that giving will come from the development of spirit, and there is a great range in the development of spirit in any congregation. Those to whom much is given… and who know it to be a gift from Me… should and will give more… because “you give Me but Mine own”.