Stewardship is not much in vogue today. Rarely does the concept creep into people's consciousness. In the church, the mere mention of the word can cause a roll of the eyes and the blockage of one's ears.
The word, however, has a rich and meaningful pedigree. Stewards begin by recognizing we are not the ones in charge. We are responsible as caretakers of another's capital. It is not ours to do as we like, because we are simply managing a resource for the sake of those who are following in our footsteps.
Stewardship in the church has certainly changed over the years. In the 'good old days' as harvest time approached the church would remind the people of the need to give from our abundance to support those who were in need. The church would then distribute the funds through a network of agencies who had a track record of serving the community in need. It was an effective as well as an efficient way to spread the wealth as far as it would go.
Today, every week new nonprofits are formed and they are all engaged in mass mailing campaigns. They tell heart-wrenching stories and through direct mail and phone solicitation they meet their goals. The church, no longer serves as the middle man making sure that those who receive the funds are held accountable. As the campaigns become more sophisticated (and more is spent to convince the individual to give), the church receives less and less in support of its work both locally and globally.
Over the past 50 years the church which had been an effective manager of the gifts has slowly been starved by the expensive ad campaigns of well-funded nonprofits. As a result, individuals who give continue to receive more and more solicitations by phone and mail (something we all complain about), while the church limps along struggling to convince people that it is justifiable to give on a regular basis so as to pass on this legacy to the next generation.
As for myself, I am convinced that there is a value to being a steward of this treasure that resides in clay pots. Yes, the horrors of the church are well chronicled, but let's not forget all that has been accomplished through these communities of faith. From the hospital to hospice, from the shelter to the soup kitchen, from education to emancipation, the church has been at the center of all this and more. Yes, the church is filled with hypocrites because like the rest of society we struggle trying to live up to our ideal, but the church is also comprised of the saints who sacrificially give of themselves for the sake of those who can never repay them.
So I do not apologize when the church makes known its need for support. We are stewards of a legacy that goes back in time and ultimately points to our future hope. The church may not be as sophisticated in its attempt to gain the support of our people, but that may simply be because the church is far more busy engaged in mission and ministry than trying to constantly raise money for this ministry.
I'm glad to be a steward of this treasure, and I hope you are too.
Peace,
Pal
No comments:
Post a Comment