1. THE SOURCE OF ALL BLESSINGS.

Because “the world and its fullness” belong to the Lord (Psalm 50.12 [show] "If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine.
), our

regular giving to the Parish is rightly called stewardship, not fundraising or even philanthropy. As we say together in the offertory sentence: “All things come of thee, O Lord, and of thine own have we given thee.” The things that we have, the material blessings that are ours, are just that – blessings. Even the money we earn by the sweat of our brow, we have ultimately by God’s grace – he gave us the talents, the good health, the opportunities, and the will with which we do our work. So all that we have is from God.

2. STEWARDS, NOT OWNERS.

If all that we have is from God, then we are stewards and not owners. The difference is crucial. Owners have ultimate control and the full right to dispose of their possessions as they see fit. But stewards have responsibilities. Stewards have a duty to use the things they have been given in accordance with the Giver’s wishes. We are especially considering money here, but this truth applies equally to our time, our talents, our property, our influence – all the gifts that we have. We hold all these things in trust, and we must remember that one day we must give an account for all that we have done with what God has entrusted to us (Hebrews 4.13 [show] And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (ESV)
).

3. A BLESSING, NOT A BURDEN.

This trust ought not to be a burden for Christians. In fact, when rightly

understood, the “duty” of stewardship reveals itself to be but one more of God’s blessings. Every serious Christian will admit that money is often a real problem and a constant occasion of sin. This is not surprising; after all, the Scriptures tell us “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6.10 [show] For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. (ESV)
). The best way to free ourselves of money’s power over us is to take the decisive step of persistent, intentional generosity. Giving money away frees us to trust in God and thus to store up real treasure in Heaven, “where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6.19 [show] "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, (ESV)
). This is really a basic question of faith. Do we believe what God has said? Are we willing to commit to it? Not only does proper stewardship liberate us from the love of money, in a very tangible way it incorporates us into God’s work in reconciling the world to himself. This is one of the great privileges of the Church, that in the ministry of the Gospel, we become “God’s fellow workers” (1 Corinthians 3.9 [show] For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building. (ESV)
).

4. GRATITUDE, NOT GUILT.

Though through proper stewardship we do, in a sense, accrue blessings to

ourselves; that is not the best reason to be generous. The best, and finally the only, reason to give is because God has given so much to us. Stewardship is one of the God-ordained means of gratitude. In the Eucharistic prayer we render thanks to God “for that thou, of thy tender mercy, didst give thine only Son Jesus Christ to suffer death upon the cross for our redemption.” We give out of gratitude to the God who gave himself for us, and in doing so gave us all things. Do you believe this? If not, it might be best not to give, for God loves a cheerful giver, and, after all, he does not need our money. Dangerous words in a stewardship campaign? Perhaps so, but more dangerous still to give grudgingly or bitterly. But, “behold what manner of love the Father has given unto us, that we should be called the sons of God” (1 John. 3.1). God has loved us lavishly, and the more deeply we understand this, the more our giving will be marked by gratitude and love.

5. THE TITHE.

The biblical guideline for our stewardship is the tithe – 10% of one’s income

(Leviticus 27.30 [show] "Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the LORD's; it is holy to the LORD. (ESV)
). This is not an easy thing to do; that’s largely the point. If you are not in the habit of tithing to the church, you might consider a program of proportional giving that will allow you and your family to move toward the tithe. Simply calculate the percentage of your income given in 2004, and increase that amount by a couple of percentage points in 2005, gradually moving your giving closer to the tithe.

6. PLEDGING.

Your pledge should be considered prayerfully. Pledgecards are not irrevocable contracts written in stone and signed in blood. They provide you with an opportunity to make a decisive commitment to generosity, and they provide the Treasurer with a tool for predicting the Parish’s income for the coming year. Our practice is not to set a budget including all the things we would like to do, and then to try to raise money to fund our plans, but to calculate how much income the Parish can expect to receive through pledges, and then to budget accordingly as faithful stewards of the resources God entrusts to us through your giving. Your pledges are confidential and may be altered at any time by contacting the treasurer.

7. STUDY AND PRAY.

You should be clear in your own mind that these principles of stewardship

are not clever means for keeping the lights on and the priest decently clothed. Stewardship is at the same time an avenue of and response to the grace of God in Jesus Christ. Our giving is also an essential part of the Biblical worship of God. To “excel in the grace of giving” (1 Corinthians 8.9 [show] But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. (ESV)
) is what God requires of us, which means that he intends to bless us in it. Some passages of Scripture you might look at are: 1 Timothy 6.17-19 [show] As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. (ESV)
; Malachi 3.8-12 [show] Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, 'How have we robbed you?' In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts. (ESV)
; Psalm 50.8-12 [show] Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you; your burnt offerings are continually before me. I will not accept a bull from your house or goats from your folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. "If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine.
; and 2 Corinthians 8.1-9 [show] [8:1]We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints-- and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. But as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you--see that you excel in this act of grace also. I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. (ESV)
; 15.58-16.4. You also might like to use the following prayer in your devotions:

“O merciful Creator, your hand is open wide to satisfy the needs of every living creature: Make us always thankful for your loving providence; and grant that we, remembering the account that we must one day give, may be faithful stewards of your good gifts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.”