Dear Friends in Christ,
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry calls Christianity the Jesus Movement. Bishop Curry intends to convey that our faith is all about the mission of God in the world. When the Apostle Paul was before a Roman government official named Felix (Acts 24:22-27), he described Christianity as “the Way,” in the sense that Christianity is a way of life. Both St. Paul and Bishop Curry describe our faith as something God does within us and through us.
This is how I think about stewardship. The Episcopal Church defines stewardship as: What I do, with all that I have, after I say, “I believe.” For me, stewardship is about our life together. It is about how we tend with creativity to what binds us together – the love of God. Stewardship is our grateful response for the love of God that comforts us, transforms us, and sends forth into the world to love others.
As members of the Jesus Movement, we are stewards of the gifts that God is giving us for the work that God has given us. It is all gift. God is always bestowing with the gifts we need to do the work God is calling us to do.
Sometime next week, you will receive your pledge card in the mail. Your pledge card is of course a practical matter, but it is also a spiritual tool. It is an invitation to personal reflection about the work God is calling us to do, and an opportunity for personal commitment to that work.
I am grateful to Keith Davis and Judy Willard, and to the entire stewardship team, for inviting us into this time of shared commitment. It always has the potential to be transformative, for each of us as individuals, and for our community as a whole.
Yours in Christ,
Padre Santi+