Theology of Stewardship
In the bad old days, cowboys used to “break” horses by using pain to force them into accepting a rider and multiple restraints. Some people still do that to horses. But domination does not produce trust, and horses that have been taught through pain will see the rider as a predator and will always want…
Read MoreWhat a gift it is to be part of a denomination that does not require assent to a single doctrinal statement! I love how John Wesley’s quadrilateral (Scripture, tradition, reason and experience) can work together as each person thinks through his or her personal theology. I talk about it like four tent pegs holding down…
Read MoreThe worship season of “Epiphany” emphasizes the ways God’s being and presence are “manifest” or revealed in our lives. We think particularly of Jesus Christ himself as showing us Who God is. But there are countless other expressions of God, as well, including the Scriptures, all of creation, and evidence of the Holy Spirit’s actions…
Read MoreIf you love digging into serious theology, this book is for you! It is Free of Charge: Giving and Forgiving in a Culture Stripped of Grace, by Miroslav Volf (2005: Zondervan). Miroslav Volf is not lightweight: Professor of Theology at Yale Divinity School and Director of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture. At the…
Read MoreExtravagant Generosity Based upon: our extravagantly generous God, the Giver of every good gift, the Source of life and love! (Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, pp. 108-9) A Congregation that Practices Extravagant Generosity: 1. Thrives with the joy of abundance instead of the fear of scarcity 2. Encourages members to grow in the grace of giving…
Read MoreWords can shape our reality by forming the way we think about ourselves, the world, and even God. I have known and said that all my life, insisting on gender-inclusive words for people and for God. But this week that truth took a step deeper into my soul. Ever since my first Old Testament course…
Read MoreHerb Miller, nationally known author of the “Consecration Sunday” annual stewardship program and syndicated columnist, now has gone back to the source, giving us a much-needed resource: Full Disclosure: Everything the Bible Says About Financial Giving (Discipleship Resources, 2003). This book is not meant primarily for the academic student, but rather for someone who wants…
Read More“And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work!” (2 Cor. 9:8) “The One Who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest…
Read MoreI am no longer my own, but thine. Put me to what thou wilt; rank me with whom thou wilt. Put me to doing; put me to suffering. Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee, exalted for thee or brought low by thee. Let me be full; let me be empty.…
Read MoreSERVING THE NEEDS OF LEADERS IN FOUNDATIONAL CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES: STEWARDSHIP MINISTRY What would it look like to lead a congregation of joyful, generous gospel stewards? Stewardship is what we do with what God has entrusted to us. Vibrant Christian stewardship includes what we do on God’s behalf in our relationships; use of time, skills, abilities,…
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