Author: TechCommittee
Stewardship Corner May 2019
Stewardship is not just about giving money to the church. It includes this, to be sure, but it is not limited to it. Stewardship involves our whole life – everything we have and everything we are.
Let us not, though, fall into the trap of thinking that because we give of ourselves in one area we can neglect giving in another. Stewardship is not stealing from Peter to pay Paul. It is not a game we play whereby we justify ourselves in not giving a tenth of our income because we have given in some other way. This is why our Lord warns:
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.” (Matthew 23:23)
We are given to do both – tithe of ourselves and what we have. And so it is that St. Paul makes his appeal to us:
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:1-2)
We are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God. We are not to have the mind of the world, where we exchange equal weight of this for an equal weight of that, and then think that we have done what God has required.
Our whole life is given over for service in and for the Church of God. This is to be done in thanksgiving for what God in Christ has accomplished for us. This is our spiritual worship, the reasonable response to what He has done for us – not one for the other, but all in all.
But what does this look like? St. Paul never lays down a general principle without also giving us some practical application of what shape that principle is to take concretely. He gives the general principle that our bodies are to be living sacrifices to God, and, after admonishing those who have been given particular gifts of grace to serve the church, St. Paul then speaks generally of what is expected of all. He says:
“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.” (Romans 12:9-13)
This is what it looks like to present your bodies as living sacrifices. This is how we live out the grace of God here in time.
Let us then heed the apostle’s teaching. Let us present our bodies – everything that we have and everything that we are – as living sacrifices to God, our reasonable response to what God in Christ Jesus accomplished for us by His death and resurrection.
Through this we have forgiveness of sins, a new life in Christ, and eternal salvation. And through this worship, the grace of God is made manifest in His saints – for the church and the world.
Celebrating May 2019
Birthdays
| Anna Holland | 5/3 |
| Lorene Backsmeier | 5/5 |
| Cory Fortney | 5/5 |
| Lucas Piper | 5/8 |
| Renee Pinson | 5/9 |
| Lindsay Orr | 5/11 |
| Kerry Warren | 5/12 |
| Benjamin Holland | 5/16 |
| Nicki Cloyd | 5/19 |
| Terry Trost | 5/19 |
| Jack Gooding | 5/24 |
| Doris Hoffmann | 5/25 |
| Mandy Kluender | 5/26 |
| Joyce Schneider | 5/26 |
| Keyyon Pleasant | 5/27 |
Baptismal Birthdays
| Carly Benjamin | 5/1 |
| Cathy Cloyd | 5/1 |
| Marlene Hitch | 5/5 |
| Halle Sheley | 5/6 |
| Daryle Schempp | 5/15 |
| Drew Kemp | 5/18 |
| Ethan Bliese | 5/21 |
| Lorene Backsmeier | 5/22 |
| Marvin Huth | 5/22 |
| Steve Parry | 5/26 |
| Lucas Piper | 5/29 |
| Renee Pinson | 5/31 |
Pastor’s Notes May 2019
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Recently I made a hospital call at Advocate Bromenn Mennonite Regional Medical Center (try to get that on a business card). Anyway, I pulled into the parking garage and made my way up. I passed the blue level and the red level and eventually rested my vehicle on the yellow level – level 4 I believe.
As my 2011 Camry made each turn with careful precision I looked at all the vehicles that had already made their way there on that Tuesday afternoon. That parking garage was filled with millions upon millions of dollars worth of transportation worthy cars, trucks, SUV’s, motorcycles, and electric cars. As I made my way down each row and around every corner another thought came to my mind: almost every vehicle in there was less than 10 years old. Aren’t we the most blessed people in the world? This comes from someone who is in a family with a car over 10 years old – a 2005 Camry driven mostly by the offspring. But that mode of transportation has been a blessing as well.
The older I get the more grateful I become. The Lord has allowed me to see so much. I see people struggling to get up and down stairs. I thank Him each time I take the stairs at the hospitals or in office buildings or when I run the stairs for exercise at church. I appreciate the hand of the Lord in my health and my family and in our congregation. In a world of bad language and bad behavior and people whining about every little notion that doesn’t go their way, I thank God for the kindness, the uplifting word, the helping hand. I don’t want to be cynical. Please Lord help me in my gratefulness.
This all flows from our Resurrected Savior. His love and care and mercy and kindness and selflessness. He is the Vine we are the branches. May He continue to lead us to not take things for granted. May we recognize the blessings. May the parking spot you want be available – then thank Him for it!
In Christ,
Pastor