ST JOHN S TOORAK STEWARDSHIP AND PLANNED GIVING CAMPAIGN 2014 REJOICE AND GIVE THANKS CAMPAIGN BOOKLET
REJOICE AND GIVE THANKS RESOURCING THE MISSION OF ST JOHN S TOORAK Reflections on the theology of Christian stewardship Our stewardship campaign, indeed any stewardship campaign, and any discussion or reflection on giving and generosity in the Christian context, must begin with God. In his majestic prayer over the offerings of the people for the Temple in Jerusalem, King David acknowledged the sovereignty of God over all of creation, saying: Yours, O Lord, are the greatness, the power the glory, the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heavens and on the earth is yours Riches and honour come from you But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to make this freewill offering? For all things come from you and of your own do we give back to you (1 Chronicles 29.11-14). King David s prayer is perhaps some 3,000 years old and continues to ring true! In the Christian worldview, all that we are and all that we have, truly does belong to God. Christian discipleship is about what we choose to give back to God. We normally express this first and foremost, and quite rightly, in terms of our personal decision (or otherwise) to accept the claims of Jesus Christ and live accordingly. This recognizes again, the prior action of God, in sending his son Jesus into the world to give of his life in sacrifice for the sins of all, so that we might be reconciled with God. There is nothing more, and nothing of more value, that God could possibly do for us, than he has already done in sending his own son into the world to suffer and to die for us. Our response is one of gratitude to what God has already done for us in and through the person of Jesus Christ his life, death, and resurrection, and his promise to come again and take us to himself. This calls for a personal response, a decision, and a will, to live accordingly. But Christian discipleship does not end there. Our knowledge of God, and of what God has done for us in sending Jesus into the world, requires us to live in a new way, with a new set of values and priorities. We are to recognize, and to understand, that all that we have comes from God, and of God s own do we give back. This includes our very lives, which begin and end in God, and also the material riches we are privileged to share in during the course of this life, many of us abundantly. 2
From the earliest of times it was the calling and the pattern of God s people to bring a tithe, or proportion, of their income into the storehouse, to resource the liturgical and worshipping life of the Temple, and to provide for the needy in the community. In earlier times, a proportion of the agricultural produce, of the crop yield and harvest, often 10%, was given by the people. In New Testament times, the fledgling Christian communities of the Mediterranean world gave of their monetary wealth. St Paul set out a pattern for Christian giving in his instructions to the Corinthian Christians, that provides a useful model and theological template for us today. o Giving must be universal, each church member should play their part (2 Corinthians 9.7). o Each should set aside to the Lord a portion of their income, determining prayerfully what is possible in their circumstances (2 Corinthians 8.3-5). o Your giving should be planned and regular one the first day of the week (1 Corinthians 16.2). o Giving should be determined freely and cheerfully, without compulsion, but each should give as you have made up your own mind to give, for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9.7). These biblical and theological themes, are reflected in the present stewardship campaign, in the sentence and prayer below, and in the series of addresses, with their themes and topics, outlined in this booklet. They take as their starting point the cry of King David all things come from you, O Lord, and of your own do we give back to you. Our campaign sentence Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Philippians. 4.4. Our campaign prayer. Heavenly Father, all things come from you, and of your own do we give back to you; Help us to be faithful stewards of our time, our talents, and our wealth, and to consecrate gladly to your service, a due proportion of the abundance you have given us; Through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who died that we might live. Amen. 3
WEEK ONE THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a 20 th century martyr of the church (killed by the Nazis towards the end of the Second World War), famously titled an early work that first brought him to prominence in the 1930 s The cost of discipleship. Bonhoeffer is rightly admired today for having the courage of his convictions, and the integrity to live them out in everyday life. As the Nazi s tightened their grip on power during the 1930 s, and sought to extend their control over the Christian churches, Bonhoeffer led a breakaway Confessing Church movement that refused to come under State (Nazi) control. Whilst few of us today, if any, will be called to such a costly form of discipleship, his example reminds us powerfully that there is a cost to following Christ. Sadly, in today s consumer driven and individualistic social environment, many people approach the Christian church as they do a service provider asking What's in this for me? or How can this church meet my needs? The call to discipleship requires, however, that our response be one of gratitude for what God has already done for us in sending his son Jesus into the world. In addition to living our lives in the light of this, we are called to take up our place in the assembly of the faithful, and to sow into it, both of our time, our talents, and our treasure. For most of us, the cost of discipleship will pale in comparison with that paid by many of the saints of the Christian past, like Dietrich Bonhoeffer. WEEK ONE SUNDAY 17 TH AUGUST Sentence. Then he said to them all, If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. Matthew 16.24. Readings Isaiah 6.1-8. The call of the prophet Isaiah is described in the context of a heavenly vision, to which the prophet responds emphatically Here I am Lord, send me. Romans 12.9-21. Instructions for disciples. St Paul, in these verses, provides an outline of the characteristics followers of Jesus are to exhibit in their daily lives. Matthew 16.24-28. The call of Jesus is a call to radical, costly, discipleship take up your cross and follow me. 4
WEEK TWO WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS Of all the parables and teachings of Jesus, the Sermon on the Mount is probably the most famous. Found only in St Matthew s Gospel (chapters 5-7), Jesus here outlines some lessons for living for the benefit of his disciples, and the many others listening, together with we who hear and read these words today. In the course of this single, extended discourse, Jesus pronounces the Beatitudes (5.1-12), teaches the Lord s Prayer (6.5-15), and introduces the golden rule (7.12). Demonstrating his clear grasp and understanding of human nature, in this famous speech, Jesus also identifies with clarity something that is inherently true of most us where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (6.21). Each of us must make a series of decisions in life and we will all have to determine in our hearts and minds, and for many others in consultation with significant others, what we spend our income on and what we do with the riches and treasures God has entrusted to us in terms of our material wealth. Because Jesus lived among us, and knew what it is to be fully and truly human, sharing in all of the complications, the joys, and the sorrows of human life, he knew that the evidence of what is truly of value and importance to us, as human beings, is to be found very often in how we use our treasure for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. This short saying packs a powerful challenge. It suggests that, the importance and value we place on the things of God is evidenced in the generosity, or otherwise, of our giving. WEEK TWO SUNDAY 24 TH AUGUST Sentence. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6.21. Readings Isaiah 45.1-7. The prophet describes how God, the ultimate source of authority in the world, will use the Persian king Cyrus to achieve his purposes and plans. Galatians 6.7-10. St Paul outlines the principle of sowing and reaping the one who sows sparingly reaps sparingly, but the one who sows generously reaps abundantly. Matthew 6.1-4,19-21. The teaching of Jesus on generosity and giving, from the Sermon on the Mount. 5
WEEK THREE FAITH AND DUTY In times past it was often expected that one would do one s duty to family, to an employer, a social superior, to one s king and country. Such values are inherently old fashioned and rarely heard today. Whereas the previous generations would have understood the concept and call to do one s duty, such language would have very little resonance in today s rights driven and individualist society. Nonetheless, the concept of duty is a biblical one, and does still have meaning for Christians, regardless of how quaint or meaningless such concepts may be considered in the world around us. The prophet Malachi criticized the people of Old Testament times for neglecting their duty to resource the Temple. St Paul called upon the Corinthian Christians to respond generously, and with a cheerful heart, to the needs of the less fortunate of their brothers and sisters. Jesus likened the demands of discipleship, and of faith, to a soldier under command, who instinctively obeys the voice of the commanding officer. Jesus also taught that, however we might consider our faith small, inconsequential, new and fragile it is powerful if you have faith the size of a mustard seed you can do great things. With faith comes a call and a duty to actively live out that faith in all aspects of our life. WEEK THREE SUNDAY 31 ST AUGUST Sentence. You know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. 2 Corinthians 8.9. Readings Malachi 3.8-12. The prophet strongly rebukes the people of his day for robbing God by neglecting their duty to bring the required offering into the Temple storehouse. 2 Corinthians 8.1-7. St Paul encourages the Corinthian Christians to be as generous as they possibly can be in giving to the needs of others. Luke 17.5-10. The disciples ask Jesus to increase their faith, but Jesus tells them they already have enough faith to do all that God has called them to do. 6
WEEK FOUR GIVE TO GOD THE THINGS THAT ARE GOD S So they asked him, Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth Tell us, then, what do you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not? (Matthew 22.16-17). There is no doubt this is a trick question, and one of the most famous ones in history. At the beginning of the passage we read then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him (Matthew 22.15). The response Jesus gives has been used, and misused, to support all manner of social, economic and political propositions. The Roman coin was engraved with the image and inscription of the ruling Caesar the emperor. It was, like coins today, a reminder to the handler of where power lay and in whose name it was exercised. Jesus, in answering this way, does not drive a wedge between church and state, nor does he deny the need to handle and deal in money, nor to pay taxes. What Jesus does is to challenge his questioners about their own priorities and values. If God truly is Lord, then there is no sphere in their lives in which he is not Lord, including the way they use their material wealth. So give to Caesar the pittance that belongs to him and which he demands - but give to God the things that really matter your heart and soul and mind! WEEK FOUR SUNDAY 7 TH SEPTEMBER Sentence. Then he said to them all, Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor s, and to God the things that are God s. Matthew 22.21. Readings 1 Chronicles 29.10-22. The majestic prayer offered by King David after taking up the people s offerings for the building of the first Temple in Jerusalem. 2 Corinthians 9.6-15. St Paul encourages the Corinthian Christians to give generously and cheerfully. Matthew 22.15-22. Jesus answers the question about paying taxes with the famous response to give to God the things that are God s. 7
THE CAMPAIGN HYMN 599. TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE 1. Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to thee. Take my moments and my days, let them flow in ceaseless praise. 4. Take my silver and my gold, nothing, Lord, would I withhold. Take my intellect, and use every power as thou shalt choose. 5. Take my will and make it thine; it shall be no longer mine. Take my heart, it is thine own; it shall be thy royal throne. 6. Take my love: my Lord, I pour at thy feet its treasure-store. Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for thee. Frances Ridley Havergal 1836-79 alt. 8