Dear Friends in Christ,
Long time Episcopalians might remember the old offertory claim. All things come of thee, O
Lord, says the priest. And the people respond: And of thine own have we given thee.
One of my favorite modern songs says it more succinctly: Everything here is borrowed.
Either way, the claim is the same, and it’s true. We are not owners of anything. We are
stewards of everything.
Sunday marks the kickoff of our pledge campaign, which creates space for all of us to think
about financial stewardship. Money is absolutely critical, and our willingness to give money
away is the acid test of whether we will put our money where our beliefs are. But it is also only
one part of the many ways in which we think about being good caretakers of the resources we
have.
We all know our time is precious. Do our calendars reflect our core values? Would a stranger,
looking at the commitments you have made for the week, get an accurate sense of what you
believe matters about the world?
We know the world around us is finite and precious, too. What about the way we treat the
land around us, the waters, the air?
The weeks ahead—when you will be hearing lots from our stewardship team—are a chance for
self-reflection as the year draws to a close. What has been most precious in your life? Do you
treat it that way? And is it ready to return in good shape to the God who gave it to you?
Yours in Christ,
Anne+