Tag: Generosity

Claim the High Calling…

To have a vocation is to be called by God to do something. Some vocations are rather specific, such as a call to Holy Orders, a call to teach the Christian faith, a call to work for peace and justice from a religious perspective. All believers share a call to serve God and our neighbors as stewards of what God has provided to sustain and enrich creation. Each time we renew the Baptismal Covenant we promise to live by the implications of our Baptism.

In the biblical stories of creation, the vocation of stewardship is given to human beings alone. I think it is fair to say that the vocation of stewardship is one of the things that makes us human. No other creature is given such responsibility nor the ability to exercise such responsibility. Along with the call to be faithful stewards of God's creation, human beings possess the ability to act with purpose, to create, to communicate in complex ways through many languages, and to live in a conscious relationship with the Creator. Because the story of our faith says this vocation was given to humans by the Creator "in the beginning," I sometimes say that stewardship is in our DNA.

Last Sunday, I was reminded twice of the call to faithful stewardship.

At the principal service, our retiring hymn was "Come, Labor On." It's a hymn that stresses divine call and human response. The first part of one stanza got my attention; "Come, labor on. Claim the high calling angels cannot share." Not even the Holy Angels are expected to do what humans are called to do. To each order of creation is given certain roles that are not given to other orders of creation. Among the roles human beings are given is the vocation to serve God as stewards of creation. That responsibility does not belong to angels or any other creature. As beautiful, mysterious, powerful, and wondrous angels are, their vocation is different from that of humanity.

Later in the day, the Cathedral was full of the creatures with which we share the planet earth – dogs, cats, fish, snakes, ferrets, and other pets – that their human protectors had brought for our annual blessing of the animals. People have a special relationship with their pets. Pets bring a lot of joy to our lives. But as wonderful as these creatures are, they do not share the calling entrusted to their protectors. The Creator did not call them to do the things humans are called to do and they are not endowed with the same abilities and responsibilities as humans.

All this is to say that our annual emphasis on stewardship, which happens in many Christian churches in the fall of the year, is more than a fund raising campaign. It is an opportunity to celebrate God's call to be faithful stewards of God's bounty. It is an opportunity to take a closer look at our relationship with our possessions, our neighbors, and our planet. It is an opportunity to see how we can grow in generosity. It is an opportunity to invite God to use us more and more as instruments who move the world toward the vision God has for it. It is an opportunity to address our need to give as a central aspect of our humanity. It is an opportunity to celebrate the life God gives us through a new covenant to give to God in gratitude for what God has given us and to share our life and treasure with God's people.

Over half of the teachings and proclamations of Jesus have to do with possessions. I believe that is because he realized how easy it is for us to be possessed by our possessions. I believe he also understood that possessions are those things that are most likely to come between us and God, us and our neighbors, us and creation, and even to come between our selves and the selves we are meant to be, our spiritual identity. And, I believe Jesus wanted all people to be liberated from whatever enslaves us. The story of Jesus' encounter with the rich man who came to him seeking eternal life is recorded in all three of the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). Jesus told the man that the only thing he needed to do was to sell his possessions, give the money to the poor, and follow him. Mark's version of the story is slightly different. Mark's version of the story reads, "Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” (Mark 10:21). Jesus said what he did out of love. He knew the man was enslaved by his wealth and true liberty for him would not be possible until he ceased relying on his stuff more than he relied on God. He was inviting the man to be a faithful steward of God's bounty, to become fully human.

And that is the invitation that is annually extended to each follower of Jesus during the fall stewardship emphasis. That is why I look forward to this time of year. Every year, I hear from people who took the next step in pursuit of "the high calling angels cannot share." I hope you will be one of them this year!

I'll see you in Church!

The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
Interim Dean
Saint John’s Cathedral
Denver, Colorado

October 4, 2016
Follow the example of the bees…

Labor Day, observed on the first Monday in September, celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers. We pause to remember and give thanks for those whose labor contributes to the quality of our common life. So many of the products we enjoy in this country are presented to us in final form in markets, stores, and showrooms that it is easy to take granted those who produced them. It is also easy to forget how our own work impacts the lives of others.

Our Book of Common Prayer provides us with fitting words of gratitude and intercession to God on this day:

Almighty God, you have so linked our lives one with another that all we do affects, for good or ill, all other lives: So guide us in the work we do, that we may do it not for self alone, but for the common good; and, as we seek a proper return for our own labor, make us mindful of the rightful aspirations of other workers, and arouse our concern for those who are out of work; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

We can also apply the petition, "…not for self alone, but for the common good" to our Cathedral community. During this time of transition, everyone is called to work for the common good so that the mission of the Cathedral remains strong and vibrant. The ongoing life and work of any community of faith is not about who's in charge; it's about remaining faithful and steadfast in the work to which God is calling us. When I think of an image of work “for the common good,” I think of bees. I have been observing the bees that live on the Cathedral campus. Every one of them buzzes about doing its part on behalf of the hive.

Throughout history, bees have served as a reminder to humans of how important it is for humans to work for the common good. Bees are helpful not only to their own kind, they are helpful to humans and other creatures that depend upon food that requires pollination. For example, did you know that one in every three bites you eat and 70% of America's food sources are pollinated by bees? That is one reason we should be concerned about and seeking solutions to the worldwide decline in the bee population.

The bee and the beehive have often been used in Christian art and architecture as metaphors for the Church and its members. St. John Chrysostom wrote: “The bee is more honored than other animals, not because it labors, but because it labors for others” (12th Homily). The honey produced by the bee is agreeable to the palate and symbolic of spiritual sweetness and religious eloquence. For this reason, the beehive is emblematic of St. Ambrose and of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, two Doctors whom the Church calls mellifluus and mellificuus, that is, with an eloquence as suave and sweet as honey.

Honeybee Democracy is a book written by Thomas D. Seeley, a professor of biology at Cornell University. He has devoted his career to the study of these amazing creatures and the way they work together for the common good. In the prologue, the author writes, “The story of how honeybees make a democratic decision based on a face-to-face, consensus-seeking assembly is certainly important to behavioral biologists interested in how social animals make group decisions.”

The more we contemplate the energetic work, cooperative nature, and fruitfulness of bees, the better we understand why others have seen in them an example of how Christians might work, pray, and give in unity. We can follow the example of the bees!

There is a place for healthy competition in the secular environments where so many people work. There is even a place for a little friendly competition within Christian communities. In attempting to inspire the Corinthian Christians to greater generosity, St. Paul introduces a little competition when he tells them how generous the poor Macedonians when they insisted on sending aid to the Church in Jerusalem (2 Cor. 8:1-7).

Perhaps we are doing the same thing when we compare the giving patterns of this Cathedral community with the giving patterns of the wider Church and other congregations nearby. It doesn't take a mathematician to recognize in these comparisons that there is room for improvement and lots of it.

But the key to a more generous spirit, I think, is not to be found in comparing ourselves with others or competing with them. God is not calling us to be some other church. Nor is God calling us to aspire to the average contribution level of Episcopalians across the country. (I would be a poor priest indeed if all I did was try to inspire the people of this parish to be average!) The key is to hear the call of God to each of us to be the generous creatures we were designed to be and to all of us to work together more energetically so that we can share God's bounty with others. When we do that, people are uplifted, transformed, and healed, and God is glorified.

St. Paul went on to tell the Corinthians, “You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God” (2 Cor. 9:11, 12).

Jesus Christ, God Incarnate, is our greatest example of generosity. St. Paul referred to him as God's “indescribable gift.” Jesus’ method was to form a community and teach them by word and example. You and I are the descendants of that first community and now the message of Jesus and its meaning for our world today is entrusted to us.

Where are the places in the life of Saint John’s Cathedral in which you can work more energetically, pray more fervently, and give more generously for the spread of the God's reign on earth? Please pray about that.

I’ll see you in Church!

The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
Interim Dean
Saint John’s Cathedral
Denver, Colorado

September 5, 2016
A Tortellini Soup Epiphany

We are having tortellini soup today. The aroma itself is nourishing. Here's the story of our special Tortellini Soup Recipe.

Download Tortellini Soup Recipe.

About this time in 1987, I came down with a horrible case of the flu. Gay confined me to the house and that is where I stayed for a week. Toward the end of that week, when my fever had broken, I was improving but was weak, bored, and had absolutely no appetite.

Our friend, Jerry Jones (the REAL Jerry Jones, not the owner of that Dallas football team) called to say he’d be dropping by with a pot of soup. I was grateful but unsure what kind of soup would restore my faith in my poor, dead taste buds.

Jerry arrived and delivered the soup to the kitchen stove. On his way out of the house, he said in his finest United States Marine tone of voice, “This is tortellini soup. Heat it up, eat it, and you’ll be on your feet in no time. I left the recipe.” With that, he was out the door and headed off on the next mission of mercy. Semper Fi!

I followed Jerry’s instructions, heated up the soup, sat down at the table, and put a spoonful in my mouth. Instantly, my dead taste buds were restored to life! It was the first time in a week I had tasted anything. The flavor was amazing and I don’t think I’ve ever had any kind of “comfort food” that can equal that bowl of soup. It was an epiphany for me.

I cherish that recipe. The soup and the act of kindness that brought it to me did indeed have me on my feet in no time. And the flavor of both has remained with me all these years. I love Jerry’s Tortellini Soup! Whenever I prepare this soup, the memory his gift is rekindled in me. I always hope that anyone who tastes it will detect the subtle flavor of the primary ingredients in Jerry's unwritten recipe – generosity, friendship, compassion, kindness, and love. Those are the ingredients that make Jerry’s Tortellini Soup such a healing concoction.

I love to share it with others and always do so in the spirit of Jerry, one of the world’s finest examples of a faithful friend and brother in Christ. Semper Fi, Jerry!

I'll see you in Church!

January 23, 2016
Sermon at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Jackson Hole ~ November 8, 2015

The Twenty-fourth Sunday After Pentecost

Listen to the Sermon for November 8, 2015

Read the Sermon for November 8, 2015

Listen to the Children's Sermon for November 8, 2015

Read the Children's Sermon for November 8, 2015

November 8, 2015
“If it weren’t for St. John’s” – October 11, 2015

After our October 11 Consecration Sunday service, I was at the door saying goodbye to friends who had attended our service and were about to return to Texas. Most of you were already in Hansen Hall enjoying the brunch. I looked up and saw a man coming toward me and his appearance suggested to me that he was going to ask me for assistance. I thought, “This is really an inconvenient time.” How wrong I was!

The man had a bouquet of flowers in his hand. He said, “My wife and I have been visiting Jackson for the past week. She’s a cancer survivor and is out in the car. We’ve come here every day to pray and give thanks for her healing. If it weren’t for St. John’s, our visit would have been incomplete. Before we leave town, we wanted to bring these flowers as a way of expressing our gratitude. May I place them in the church?”

I had been writing and preaching about gratitude and generosity for weeks and here, before my very eyes, stood the incarnation of gratitude and generosity.

St. John's means so much to this community and to many of those who visit Jackson. I'm proud to be the Interim Rector. And it's one more reason I am Unapologetically Episcopalian.

I'll see you in Church!

October 26, 2015
Sermon at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Jackson Hole ~ October 11, 2015

The Twentieth Sunday After Pentecost

Listen to the Sermon for October 11, 2015

Read the Sermon for October 11, 2015

October 11, 2015
The Heart of the Matter

In the last several reflections, I have explored various aspects of Christian stewardship. I would like to think that any one of them might inspire you to place more emphasis on the spiritual vocation and practice of Christian stewardship in your life. Now, in summary, here’s the heart of the matter.

We need to give.

God is frequently referred to as “the giver.” For example, we pray to God, the “giver of every perfect gift,” “giver of life,” and “giver of pardon.” The favorite of all Christian Bible verses is “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3:16). God is the Supreme Giver and we, who are created in God’s likeness, are endowed with a godlike and uniquely human capacity to be givers. We need to give!

Our gift to God establishes a pattern that sanctifies what we do with the remainder. One of the offerings in ancient Judaism was the offering of First Fruits. The first portion of the harvest, “first fruits,” was offered to God. (Leviticus 23:10) “Honor the Lord with your wealth, the first fruits of all your increase” (Proverbs 3:9) And St. Paul wrote, “If the part of the dough offered as first fruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy” (Romans 11:16). So when we give God the first portion of what God has given to us, it has a way of establishing a holy perspective on all our treasure.

Stewardship is different from fund raising. Fund raising is giving to some cause that we approve of with the expectation that we will get something out of it. Stewardship, on the other hand, emphasizes giving to God because we’ve already received. Fund raising will always be necessary, but Christian communities are built upon the generous stewardship of their members.

We need to give and we give to God in response to God’s generosity toward us.

We are asked to make a pledge.

In this and thousands of churches, people are asked not only to practice tithing but also to make a written pledge of financial support. Why is a pledge necessary? Perhaps it should not be necessary. But the fellow parishioners you have entrusted with the governance of the parish do a better job of planning if they have a reliable estimate of the giving of all the members. So, after the pledges are in, they develop a mission plan that seeks to balance the spending with the projected contributions toward God’s ongoing mission.

After all, God has made countless pledges to us. Have you ever thought about the origin of the word “Sacrament?” It is derived from the Latin word sacramentum, which means a sacred pledge or oath. Christian Sacraments are God’s pledge to us. In Holy Baptism, God pledges to love us for ever. In the Holy Eucharist, God pledges ongoing provisions for the living of the Christian life. We pledge to God in response to God’s pledges to us.

We are a covenant community. A covenant consists of unbreakable pledges made between two or more parties. Christianity is meant to be lived in such a community. Theologian George Rupp once said, “There is no life without community and there is no community without commitment.” A written pledge to share one’s treasure is an expression of participation in and commitment to the covenant community.

We make a pledge to God and one another each year as a way of saying, “You can count on me.”

We are called to put our heart into it.

Jesus had much to say about the relationship between our treasure and our true priorities in life. For example, he said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Isn’t that the truth? Just look at how spend money on things we really love.

The spiritual discipline of Christian stewardship helps to prevent us from loving anything so much that God is squeezed out of our lives. Jesus spent so much time preaching and teaching about our relationship with possessions because he wanted to prevent us from a form of slavery in which we are possessed by our possessions. He wanted to help us avoid putting any idol in the place of our Creator. He wanted us to give God our heart and we just can’t do that if our treasure is in the way. When our giving to God is sacrificial enough, we know if our hearts are being drawn from the love of God.

Some say the heart in the St. John’s insignia symbolizes that St. John’s is the heart of Jackson Hole. That may be true, but other churches and institutions also believe they are the heart of this valley. Some say that the heart signifies St. John’s love for our neighbors. That also may be true. I invite you to consider that it represents the divine call to put our heart into St. John’s and, as the cross inside it suggests, to do it sacrificially. The offering of our treasure will be one of the signs that we mean it.

“For, where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

I’ll see you in Church!

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook of food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. - Acts 2:46,47

October 1, 2015
The Cross of St. George and Tithing

Now as you excel in everything-in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you-so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking. – 2 Corinthians 8:7

As it was a challenge to the original recipients, this exhortation of St. Paul remains a challenge to the Church in any age, including St. John’s today. We are invited to excel in generosity toward God! What is the standard to guide us in such an undertaking? The Episcopal Church teaches that the tithe (ten percent of our income) is the minimum biblical standard for Christian giving. Minimum? The average financial pledge for Episcopalians is about 4% and for members of St. John’s it's about 2.5%. We're being encouraged to step up toward the tithe. And yet, our Church’s teaching suggests that that is only “the minimum.” How much more will be enough?

The reason our Church's teaching is stated this way is that the New Testament standard for giving is one hundred percent. Do you remember the occasion when Jesus pointed out the poor widow who put two small coins in the offering box at the Jerusalem temple? It was an object lesson for his disci-ples. He wanted them to notice that the more prosperous people contributed the mandated minimum portion of their wealth as an offering to God and the poor widow contributed everything she had. “Truly I tell you,” said Jesus, “this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on” (Luke 21:3-4).

On another occasion, some people asked Jesus whether it was lawful for the faithful to pay taxes to Caesar. He responded, “Show me a denarius. Whose head and whose title does it bear?” They said, “The emperor's.” He said to them, “Then give to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's” (Luke 20:24-25). The image and title of the Emperor was stamped on the coin of his realm. Jesus' subtle point was that the image and title of God is stamped on the human being, which is the most valuable asset of God's realm.

It is our purpose and our privilege to offer ourselves to God. Jesus showed us how to do that on the cross. The result of that ultimate offering was resurrection. Our offering is made complete and our lives made victorious when joined with his offering. “Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).

In the insignia of St. John’s, the Red Cross of St. George on the white field is a reminder of the English origins of The Episcopal Church. From the thirteenth century until the nineteenth century, the flag of England was a red cross on a white field symbolizing the patron saint of England, St. George. Most of what we know about St. George is legend. We usually associate him with the Crusades or dragon slaying. However, reliable sources suggest that George was a martyr who suffered under the persecution of the emperor Diocletian in the fourth century.

Martyrdom has always been considered the supreme witness for one's faith. Even more importantly, that red cross is a reminder of victory through sacrifice – the sacrifice of Christ and his martyr, George. When Christian art began to depict the Risen Christ holding a triumphal cross-shaped staff with a banner attached to it, the banner was most frequently white, symbolizing purity, with a red cross on it, symbolizing the victory of the risen Christ over death.

Although Christians still die for their faith in many places, you and I will probably never be required to face physical death for our faith. Nevertheless, we are called to offer our lives completely in Christ's service. St. Paul's invitation to Roman Christians is as significant to us as it was to the those to whom it was addressed during a time of persecution two thousand years ago:

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, 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 renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God-what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:1-2).

So, then, how are we to understand the tithe in relation to the radical expectation that we are supposed to give everything to God? Here's a way to look at it. The tithe is the portion we give specifically to God as a tangible sign of our acknowledgement that everything we have – possessions, time, lives, relationships, labors, influence – whether saved, spent, or given away is a sacred trust from God. Giving sacrificially to God is a spiritual discipline, like the disciplines of worship, prayer, sacraments, study, and good works. We give God a portion of what we have that is large enough to be considered sacrificial so that we notice when it is gone. That should make us mindful of what we do with everything else that remains.

Gay and I practice tithing as a spiritual discipline in this way. Years ago, when we struggled with the decision about how much to give to God, we realized that if we tithed and could not live on the remaining 90%, we were living beyond our means. So we made the necessary adjustments to our life-style and discovered that we still have more than enough. In fact, we are still able to save for a comfortable retirement and to support other worthy causes. It is only one way to keep tabs on our spiritual life and values, but a very important one. It helps us see how abundantly God blesses us so that we can bless others.

When you see that red cross, remember the ultimate sacrifice and victory of Christ, St. George, and all the Christian martyrs. Be mindful of the living sacrifice you are called to make and the victorious life you are called to live. Consider how your bold decision to give to God will gladden your heart and make you a more generous saint in God’s household. Envision how together with your fellow saints you can ensure that St. John’s is a beacon of generosity.

“You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God” (2 Corinthians 9:11-12).

I’ll see you in Church!

September 23, 2015
We Can Follow the Example of the Bees

Labor Day, observed on the first Monday in September, celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers. We pause to remember and give thanks for those whose labor contributes to the quality of our common life. So many of the products we enjoy in this country are presented to us in final form in markets, stores, and showrooms that it is easy to take granted those who produced them. It is also easy to forget how our own work impacts the lives of others. Our Book of Common Prayer provides us with fitting words of gratitude and intercession to God on this day:

Almighty God, you have so linked our lives one with another that all we do affects, for good or ill, all other lives: So guide us in the work we do, that we may do it not for self alone, but for the common good; and, as we seek a proper return for our own labor, make us mindful of the rightful aspirations of other workers, and arouse our concern for those who are out of work; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

When I think of an image of work “for the common good,” I think of bees. While hiking this summer on the Game Creek Trail south of Jackson, I noticed dozens of bees at work among wild roses. Every one of them was buzzing about doing its part on behalf of the hive.

Throughout history, bees have served as a reminder to humans of how important it is for humans to work for the common good. Bees are helpful not only to their own kind, they are helpful to humans and other creatures that depend upon food that requires pollination. For example, did you know that one in every three bites you eat and 70% of America's food sources are pollinated by bees? That is one reason organizations and governments are concerned about and seeking solutions to the worldwide decline in the bee population. The bee and the beehive have often been used in Christian art and architecture as metaphors for the Church and its members.

St. John Chrysostom wrote: “The bee is more honored than other animals, not because it labors, but because it labors for others” (12th Homily). The honey produced by the bee is agreeable to the palate and symbolic of spiritual sweetness and religious eloquence. For this reason, the beehive is emblematic of St. Ambrose and of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, two Doctors whom the Church calls mellifluus and mellificuus, that is, with an eloquence as suave and sweet as honey.

Honeybee Democracy is a book written by Thomas D. Seeley, a professor of biology at Cornell University. He has devoted his career to the study of these amazing creatures and the way they work together for the common good. In the prologue, the author writes, “The story of how honeybees make a democratic decision based on a face-to-face, consensus-seeking assembly is certainly important to behavioral biologists interested in how social animals make group decisions.”

The more we contemplate the energetic work, cooperative nature, and fruitfulness of bees, the better we understand why others have seen in them an example of how Christians might work, pray, and give in unity. We can follow the example of the bees!

There is a place for healthy competition in the secular environments where so many people work. There is even a place for a little friendly competition within Christian communities. In attempting to inspire the Corinthian Christians to greater generosity, St. Paul introduces a little competition when he tells them how generous the poor Macedonians when they insisted on sending aid to the Church in Jerusalem (2 Cor. 8:1-7).

Perhaps we are doing the same thing when we compare the giving patterns of this congregation with the giving patterns of the wider Church and other congregations nearby. It doesn't take a mathematician to recognize in these comparisons that there is room for improvement and lots of it.

But the key to a more generous spirit, I think, is not to be found in comparing ourselves with others or competing with them. God is not calling us to be some other church. Nor is God calling us to aspire to the average contribution level of Episcopalians across the country. (I would be a poor priest indeed if all I did was try to inspire the people of this parish to be average!) The key is to hear the call of God to each of us to be the generous creatures we were designed to be and to all of us to work together more energetically so that we can share God's bounty with others. When we do that, people are uplifted, transformed, and healed, and God is glorified.

St. Paul went on to tell the Corinthians, “You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God” (2 Cor. 9:11, 12).

Jesus Christ, God Incarnate, is our greatest example of generosity. St. Paul referred to him as God's “indescribable gift.” Jesus’ method was to form a community and teach them by word and example. You and I are the descendants of that first community and now the message of Jesus and its meaning for our world today is entrusted to us.

Where are the places in the life of St. John’s in which you can work more energetically, pray more fervently, and give more generously for the spread of the God's reign on earth? Please pray about that.

I’ll see you in Church!

September 2, 2015
A Heritage of Generosity

Several aspects of parish life are symptomatic of the spiritual health of the community and its members – including hospitality, worship attendance, faith development, outreach to others, and stewardship. Priests who are discerning a call to serve in a parish are especially interested in examining these practices in light of their own priestly gifts and vocational emphases.

Together at St. John's, we have been exploring these practices and other areas of congregational health in a variety of settings. We are now at a crossroads when Christian stewardship of possessions must have our full attention. In many ways, how God's people relate to their possessions and how they express their generosity toward God touches every other aspect of personal spirituality and the common life of the parish. When we practice the spiritual discipline of stewardship our hearts are gladdened and we become more generous. Generosity changes both the giver and the Church.

This is nothing new. St. Paul addressed this relationship with the members of the Corinthian Church: “You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God” (2 Cor. 9:10-12). Jesus said it this way, “Strive first for the kingdom of God and God's righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Mt. 6:33).

During conversations prior to my arrival in Jackson Hole, the Wardens and Vestry impressed upon me that they wanted me to help the parish take the next steps that will lead to a lasting change in the culture of giving at St. John’s. My assessment is that parishioners should focus less on the church's need to receive and focus more on the giver's need to give to God. It is possible that many members have not taken full responsibility for their own personal stewardship because the parish has begun to lean too heavily on other sources of income. I’ve been told that some don’t give because they think St. John’s doesn’t need their contributions. That viewpoint misses the point of Christian stewardship altogether.

Emphasizing the church's need to receive is a fund raising strategy. In contrast, emphasizing the giver's need to give fosters Christian stewardship. One is based on need, the other is based on God's bountiful generosity toward us. One is consumer-oriented, the other is God-oriented. One anticipates receiving something in return, the other is our response to something already received. There is nothing wrong with fund raising, but personal stewardship must be the foundation for the Church’s mission.

We give to God, not to a budget. Budgets and financial statements are are useful indicators of spiritual health and they provide assurances about the fiscal management of the parish. But they are not an adequate basis for Christian stewardship, have provided very little motivation for greater generosity, and certainly should never be an excuse for a Christian to withhold what belongs to God. We give to God first because God first gives to us. We give to God because we believe that all that we have, whether spent, saved, or given away is a sacred trust from God. We give to God because of our consciousness that we are the only creatures created in God's image and entrusted with the divine vocation to be stewards of everything God has provided. Giving to God is our heritage, our birthright, and our privilege.

Today's generation of worshipers at St. John’s are heirs of the generosity and stewardship of those who went before us, moving St. John’s from a humble frontier mission to the place of being the largest Episcopal Church in Wyoming. I believe God is calling this community to be even more than that; St. John’s ought to be the leading Episcopal Church in Wyoming and beyond. Since leading by example is basic to all leadership, setting an example of generous stewardship is a key to the future impact of the gospel.

Is it possible that other sources of income have become a stumbling block instead of a steppingstone? Are we leaning on fundraising, Browse ‘n’ Buy, weddings, and the endowment to balance our annual budget instead of rising to new and more generous levels of stewardship in each generation? The ordinary day-to-day mission of the parish should be sustained by the generosity of all its members so that the other sources of income will make it possible for St. John’s to do extraordinary things.

A common question that is asked during interviews with prospective rectors for large parishes is, “How heavily do you depend upon sources other than member contributions to balance the budget for the ongoing mission of the parish?” The correct answer is, “ZERO.” At the present time the answer at St. John’s would have to be, “Thirty-five percent.”

Now, during this period of transition, St. John’s has the opportunity to take the step that will change that answer! Your Stewardship Committee and I believe that every member can find ways to step up in generosity. If every member will take this step as a matter of spiritual growth, it will make a remarkable difference in your life and also allow this parish to continue the heritage of generosity that has been entrusted to us.

I recognize that some people find that talk in Church about possessions makes them feel uncomfortable. I hope that you will pray for the grace to live with that discomfort long enough to find in this challenge a priceless opportunity for spiritual growth, both for you and for the Church you love.

I’ll see you in Church!

August 26, 2015