At the request of several parishioners, Jeff G’s comments regarding stewardship are being posted here for those who may not have been in attendance on Sunday, 10/31.
I must confess that I’ve been dreading giving this little talk all week.
I’ve been procrastinating and putting off giving the subject serious thought since Julie Esstman asked me to speak last Sunday.
“What does Saint Mark’s mean to me?”
Why have I been avoiding this question all week? Why the struggle here? This should be one of the easiest questions for me to answer. I’m fairly active in the goings-on of the church; choir, outreach, other things… I truly care about Saint Mark’s.
And what does this have to do with stewardship? Money and God. Two subjects that many folks have great difficulty discussing in the same conversation.
So… as I was making coffee at 5 o’clock this morning in total desperation, it hit me. I think the reason I have been wrestling so with the question “What does Saint Mark’s mean to me?” is that, for me… that’s the wrong question.
A better question to ask myself is “What does Saint Mark’s mean to others?”
What does Saint Mark’s mean to the young mothers and children who spent time with us earlier this month at the Fall Festival; the young women and children who are living in homeless shelters or who are victims of domestic violence.
What does Saint Mark’s mean to the families who rely on Irving Cares to feed their families, or the homeless who depend on the Austin Street Shelter to provide a meal and a place to sleep.
What does Saint Mark’s mean to the children who receive books and coats donated to Debbie Swartz’s school, and to the children Dee Mulinaux works with in the Early Childhood Program?
What does Saint Mark’s mean to us as a congregation, a community in faith – in this place where we gather to teach each other and learn from each other; this place where we join to encourage each other in times of joy, and support each other in times of sorrow.
You see, the reason I was having trouble getting my head around the question was because it’s really not about what Saint Mark’s means to ME. It’s about what the existence of this place means to those in need in our community, to our neighbors, to our families, and to you.
One of the things I pray for is opportunity. I pray that I’ll be presented with opportunities that are challenging. I pray that I will have the wherewithal to recognize them when they present themselves and that I will have the courage and perseverance to apply all that I have been given toward making the most of them.
Saint Mark’s is a source of immeasurable opportunity. We are so fortunate. We are drowning in opportunity here. There is so much genuine need in the world, and we have so much to give.
So… here it comes. The Stewardship part. The “money and God” part.
Here’s where the question changes from “What does Saint Mark’s mean to me?” to something more along the lines of “What value hath Saint Mark’s?”
In addition to the basic operating costs involved in running the church, consider all that goes on here; all the lives that are touched by the committed individuals who make it happen through the various ministries and outreach programs. What are our efforts worth to those in need; to the young mothers, and children, and homeless. From their standpoint, I’m not sure you can put a price on it. It’s invaluable.
All of this is what I must consider as I prepare to submit my pledge card next Sunday for the coming year.
I hope you’ll do the same.