A message from the Stewardship Team
This year we have looked at four different aspects of stewardship: Stewarding Relationships, Stewarding Wealth, Stewarding Power, and Stewarding Courage.
Last Sunday we heard the last of our four stewardship themes-COURAGE. Courage comes in many forms. Sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ requires courage and strength that only God can give.
This Sunday, November 3rd, is not only All Saints Sunday, but also our Pledge Sunday. There will be a box at the back of the church in which to place your pledge cards.
Remember: We are stewards of our relationships, of our wealth, of our power, and of our courage.
Thank you,
The Stewardship Team
Stewardship week #4
So often when members hear ‘stewardship season’ they automatically think about congregation and personal finances. Perhaps this is because congregations typically address stewardship in the fall as the congregation council prepares the annual budget, or perhaps it is because ‘money’ is frequently synonymous with ‘stewardship’ in the minds of many. Whatever the reason, Sharing the Good News is a holistic stewardship resource that, following the Revised Common Lectionary, takes a deeper look into stewardship of the whole self. With this 4-week series we will be invited to explore how stewarding all aspects of our lives is a way of living our faith and sharing the good news with the world.
Stewarding Courage
Jeremiah 31:7-9
Psalm 126
Hebrews 7:23-28
Mark 10:46-52
Mark’s gospel begins thus, “The good news of Jesus Christ, the son of God,” and continues to tell story after story about what the kingdom of God is like. The kingdom of God looks like healing, feeding, and often times it looks like making ‘good trouble’ as John Lewis said.
The blind beggar in Mark 10 shows phenomenal courage in shouting out when he hears that Jesus is passing by. Despite the efforts to quiet his shouts, to ‘put him in his place,’ he shouts even louder, thereby getting Jesus’ attention. The phrase ‘Jesus stood still’ only occurs in this story, and it is the same in all 3 gospels. There is something about the courage of this blind man who, upon being healed, followed Jesus on the way. In this story, the blind man was courageous to cry out but showed more courage to follow Jesus after being healed.
It is easy to see people shouting today, and to witness ‘arm-chair advocacy’ where either on social media or in other public ways, people can either be very for or against something. It takes more courage to take that sentiment and put it into action. To actually do the work of having
hard conversations with people who disagree with us, and particularly if those people are someone we love. It takes more courage to show up to a march or school board meeting or legislative hearing. It takes more courage to speak up at a congregation council meeting, or to speak up a differing opinion during a meeting within your faith community.
Following Jesus is not for the faint of heart. Standing up to injustice, speaking out in the face of power, making the small, everyday decisions that upset the status quo, and resisting the ways of the world that are contrary to the kingdom of God are par for the course in the life of a disciple.
How we steward our courage is how we share the Good News: that crying out to God and receiving the healing words of eternal life, we courageously live out our faith.
Questions for Reflection
- When have you acted courageously? When have you shied away from doing the courageous thing?
- How does thinking about courage as something you can steward change the way you think of it?
- How do you sense God calling you to be courageous?
Excerpt used from “Sharing the Good News”
Southeastern Iowa Synod