Stewardship is about making choices, as individuals and in community. It is more than giving money to the mission and work of the church. Stewardship is about being faithful disciples, caring for and managing all that God has given us.

Stewardship is our grateful response to God's grace and goodness. It requires a consideration of how our choices affect us and others, of how we can be good caretakers of the created world, and how we can best serve God as disciples of Christ in our daily lives; and still be faithful to our Christian calling. A simple way to describe our stewardship accountability: Let us say you are planning to go on vacation to Bahamas or Jamaica, so you ask your neighbor or a family member to feed your dog and cat, collect the mail, turn the lights on, and be in charge of the property until you return.

On your return you will collect your key and expect an update how things went while you were away. You would be surprise if there were no responsible accountability. Your dog and cat seemed to turn your once spotless home into what appears to be a war zone, both look extremely weak and hungry. Mail is piled up in the letter box, and the water pipes are leaking. So the person you left in charge of your affairs has failed to be a responsible steward in your absence.
The Lord has left each of us in charge of His mission here on earth; so we give of our time, talent, and resources. Have you heard the story about the carpenter's tools? Well they were having a conference. Brother Hammer was presiding, but the others informed him that he has to leave because he was too noisy. All right he said, I will go but Brother Plane must withdraw too, there is no depth to his work, it's always on the surface. Brother Plane responded, well Brother Rule will also have to go, because he's constantly measuring people, as if he were the only one who is right. Brother Rule complained about Brother Sand Paper, saying he's rougher than he ought to be and he is always rubbing people the wrong way.
In the midst of the discussion, the Carpenter of Nazareth walked in. He went to His work bench to make a pulpit from which to preach the Gospel. He used the hammer, the plane, the rule and sand paper. And said, you see you are all important, for you have important tasks. Jesus is saying you are all important stewards for the functioning of the Body of Christ through the ministry of Bethel United Church of Christ.

Let us give our very best to the work of Christ, even if we are a hammer, plane, rule, or sand paper, because our spiritual gifts are little building blocks that help to fit the body of Christ together.
Some years ago a member gave me a piece of paper with the Stewardship Beatitudes: Blessed are those who support the entire program of the church, for they are kingdom builders. Blessed are those who contribute regularly, for they enable the church to operate even when they are absent. Blessed are those who tithe, for they enrich both the church and themselves. Blessed are those who make pledges, for they enable the church to run on facts, not imagination. Blessed are the systematic givers, for there shall be order in their lives and in their financial statements. Blessed are those who use the offering envelopes, for their contributions shall be recorded and shall be deductible from their income tax. Blessed are those who mark their envelopes clearly, for they reduce the headaches of the church treasurer.

God has placed a great level of confidence in each of us to build his kingdom both near and far. So let us give of our very best to the work of God here at Bethel United Church of Christ
Pastor Lawrence