It is that time of year when churches across our community hold their annual pledge drives to secure commitments to fund their church and its missions for the coming year. St. Mary's Episcopal is no different. Based on pledge commitments, we'll be able to build a budget for 2019, strengthen the church within and look to more opportunities for outreach ministries beyond the church walls.
Stewardship is a broader term than pledging and is Biblical by nature. Stewardship means to be entrusted with the care of something and to accept that responsibility with both firmness and grace. We live in an agricultural community where the concept of stewardship is widely accepted and practiced. I think my Father had this in mind when he said to me, "Never try to take more from the land than God intended." Forestry best management practices (BMPs) are designed with this principle in mind. I think that Florida's land managers, nearly all private, achieve a BMP rate above 97 percent.
The Epistles of Saint Paul mention the concept of stewardship several times in 1 Corinthians, Ephesians, Colossians and Timothy, but the most on-point scriptural quote comes from 1 Peter 4:10, "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace." Our gifts do come from God, and in the short time we possess them, we are called to share those gifts with others.
The concept of tithing, returning one-tenth of one's wealth to God, is an Old Testament principle. In our modern secular world, many consider this concept to be passé, beyond our reach when we pay so much in taxes to the government. However, I have found a relatively simple formula to achieve tithing, if not immediately, then in just a few years. If you practice the idea of increasing your church pledge each year, then before too long, you will find yourself approaching a tithe. If last year, you pledged a hundred dollars each month, then increase your pledge this year to $110. You can do it; it isn't so hard.
I'm a great believer in Christian charity, that is, charitable giving accompanied by a Christian mission. A good example of this is our local crisis pregnancy center, AWPC of Madison. This mission reaches out to primarily young women who are facing a crisis pregnancy with little or no support. A Women’s Pregnancy Center (AWPC) provides a lot of support, both material and emotionally, to the mother throughout her pregnancy and into the first six months of the baby's life. They do so with love and concern and with the message of God's creation, the essence of life itself. AWPC receives no government support, instead relying on donations from churches and individuals who believe in this mission. Our community is rich with churches and people who believe in the creation story and practice it with their charity as cheerful givers and volunteers.
A church is a volunteer organization. I would challenge every member to look at their church's budget and determine if it is being wisely spent. Stewardship is a two-way street. The Gospels of Jesus Christ offer repeated warnings about church officials who hold themselves above the people and cloak themselves in riches. Just as we ask our congregation to be wise stewards of God's gifts, we should spend the money granted to us by pledges in a prudent and transparent process.
Outreach is an important concept for any church. How much of its resources are devoted to ministries outside the church walls that benefit the wider community? For example, a free and charitable health clinic that serves people without health insurance. We have one of these at St. Mary's that holds a clinic once monthly (Fourth Thursday). Qualifying for this service is simple and quick. Interestingly, about half the volunteers who man this clinic are from other churches in our community. They believe they are accomplishing the work of Jesus Christ who performed nearly three-quarters of his miracles by healing people. Nearly all of the patients we serve are not Episcopalians.
Two scriptural references may be helpful in awaking the Holy Spirit within you. In 2 Corinthians 9, Paul tells us "whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Everyone must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves the cheerful giver." And in the Gospel of Mark 12, Jesus speaks of loyalty when he says, "For where your treasure is, there is your heart." Amen.