Flourishing in Faith - Guest Blog
This month, I have offered space on the blog to members of our Stewardship Committee to reflect on their experiences of flourishing in faith. - The Rev. Jennifer Andrews-Weckerly
This week, Debbie McGee offers her reflections.
Thanks for stopping by to check out St. Margaret’s blog today. I wanted to take this opportunity to chat a bit about what “Stewardship” means and how it relates to my life.
Yesterday, my 20-something son received the St. Margaret’s Stewardship letter and enclosure in the mail. His response was, “They want my money!” I replied, “Who wants your money?” He responded, “The Church!” It was soon apparent that my son did not understand what Stewardship is about and that we needed to spend some time talking about it – but how about you? Would you have experienced the same reaction?
As a member of St. Margaret’s stewardship committee for the past two years, I have traveled a long road in coming to terms with what stewardship is truly about. This is not something that occurs overnight but becomes clearer as one deepens their spirituality. I remember as a kid, watching my dad leave home at night to “go visit” other parishioners to talk about stewardship, and hopefully come back with a new pledge card. It did not make much sense to me back then, but my dad was always happy when he received a new pledge commitment!
Today, I find myself as one of God’s stewards and have a much better understanding of what stewardship is all about. Firstly, it is NOT about paying dues or membership to an organization. Stewardship is about responding to God’s generosity in your life with a glad, grateful and generous heart. “It is important to look around each day and recognize we are blessed. It is important to live with an attitude of gratitude. People who are grateful see the good side of life more often and have a tendency to perceive their glass as half full, not half empty. Living with such an attitude also makes us more realistic, for we realize that nothing just is, and everything is a blessing.”[1]
I am a faithful follower of Jesus Christ. Being a good steward brings me closer to God. It has become a journey for my family and me as we intentionally make a choice to give and give generously. We experience such joy with our giving. We are part of St. Margaret Church’s commitment to mission and have seen firsthand the positive change our giving has made. We have tremendous community in our parish and I have witnessed the generosity displayed toward one another. St. Margaret’s continues to be transformed as we seek out and explore new kinds of outreach due to a groundswell of stewardship.
God designed us for goodness and generosity. It is a privileged role we can play as his stewards. Jesus Christ challenged his disciples about their relationship with money and possessions. And so I challenge you! What do you value and how will you walk in the steps of Jesus Christ? Your stewardship is both a gift and a response to God’s boundless and unending grace. God is calling us to be faithful supporters; so give generously from your heart for all the blessings you have received.
How will you respond?
