Saturday, September 18, 2010

Stewardship

Stewardship 2010
We are an Offering
Presence

1 Peter 4:10 (NIV) Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.
January 1st may be the start of the calendar year, but the fall represents its own time for fresh starts. Those of us impacted by the beginning of the school year certainly feel it, but most others do as well. The lazier days of summer are over, and it is time for us to get focused and back to work, even if we haven’t “officially” been on vacation. In this way, fall represents a new beginning. ‘A time to decide what we need to do more of, and what we need to do less of. It is a time of reflection.
Stewardship requires prayerful reflection. It is through stewardship that we thank God for all His blessings by returning to Him a portion of time and talent He has given to us. All that we have and all that we are comes from God. When we choose to enjoy God's blessings, we are also choosing to accept the responsibilities that come with them. Jesus said, "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." (Luke 12:48)
Each week, we choose what will be done with the 168 hours we have available to us. Good stewardship of time means we will share some of that time with God in prayer, praise and thanksgiving, and some time caring for the needs of others. Each of us are vital members of a community of faith and therefore we are called to be physically present at church and in our ministries. We also need to work to stay mentally present, entering worship with an open mind and spirit to share God’s love through Christ.
How present are you? Spend some time in prayerful reflection about stewardship and your relationship with the Lord. Ask yourself questions like:
How much time do I set aside each week in prayer?

How much time do I set aside each week involvement in volunteer activities?
What are my special skills and talents?
How am I using my talents for the betterment of our parish family and for the community as a whole?
Regardless of what we have been given, we need to be faithful.  It is not the size of our ministry that counts, but what we do with what we have been entrusted. Let this fall be a fresh start for you as you strive to be fully present for the Lord.

…Lord use our voices, Lord use our hands
Lord use our lives, they are Yours
We are an offering…

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