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Class Expectations • Be here, be prepared, be a participant Each week students will be expected to write a 500 word reflection on the reading assignment and post this paper on “My Luther Net”. This reflection must be posted each week by 6 p.m. Wednesday. (Earlier would be wonderful) Class Expectations Reading Assignment to be completed by February 12 – Word and World Supplement 6 (WW), pp. 1-19 – The Soul of Money, pp. 43-94 – Ask, Thank, Tell, pp. 11-56 Session II – February 13 – Biblical Reflection/Discussion of reading material Class Expectations The final project will be a 3000+ word presentation of a financial stewardship plan for a congregation well known to the student. Weekly writings will contribute to this final project. This final project will include an analysis of the congregation’s setting and stewardship history and a proposal for financial stewardship ministry for the next three years. The instructors will provide additional detail during the first class session. The Bible on Money and Possessions Money and the Mission of the Church – CL 4560 What does “stewardship” mean? For most people, “stewardship” is a code word. – For most congregation members, it is code for “What the congregation does to get some of my money out of my pocket and into the offering plate.” (and my job is to give just enough to not feel guilty) – For most congregations, it is code for “Those things we have to do to get enough money to pay the bills.” (and we know how well we have done at year end when we know if we have enough money to pay all the bills) What does “stewardship” mean? Until we “crack the code” (“smash the code”?) and stop connecting stewardship with paying the bills, – There is no hope for financial stewardship to become a part of a Christian’s walk with Jesus – We are dooming ourselves to long faces every fall The #1 Stewardship Resource regardless of your ministry setting The Bible What does it say about stewardship? What does “stewardship” mean? For most people, “stewardship” is a code word. – For most congregation members, it is code for “What the congregation does to get some of my money out of my pocket and into the offering plate.” (and my job is to give just enough to not feel guilty) – For most congregations, it is code for “Those things we have to do to get enough money to pay the bills.” (and we know how well we have done at year end when we know if we have enough money to pay all the bills) What does “stewardship” mean? Until we “crack the code” (“smash the code”?) and stop connecting stewardship with paying the bills, – There is no hope for financial stewardship to become a part of a Christian’s walk with Jesus – We are dooming ourselves to long faces every fall The #1 Stewardship Resource regardless of your ministry setting The Bible What does it say about stewardship? It all belongs to God. God is the creator and owner of all that is. Psalm 24:1-2 The earth is the LORD’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; for he has founded it on the seas, and established it on the rivers. Psalm 89:11 The heavens are yours, the earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it--you have founded them. Morning Prayer “Into your hands we commend ourselves: our bodies, our souls, and all that is ours.” “Into your hands we commend ourselves: our bodies, our souls, and all that is yours.” What we have is much more than a gift from God. God owns what we “have”. Our society and ownership • What we have is a source of self-worth. • What people have is a source of how they are valued. • If we don’t “have” anything, then all of this comes into question. Deuteronomy 8:12-18 When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, then do not exalt yourself, forgetting the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, an arid wasteland with poisonous snakes and scorpions. He made water flow for you from flint rock, and fed you in the wilderness with manna that your ancestors did not know, to humble you and to test you, and in the end to do you good. Do not say to yourself, “My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth.” But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your ancestors, as he is doing today. “The crisis reflected in the text and in Israel’s lived reality in the land, is that gifts given in abundance to the satiated do not finally eventuate in trusting gratitude, but in complacent self-congratulations. A gift kept long enough begins to seem like a possession. A gift kept long enough becomes separated in the memory from the giver, so that the giver is forgotten.” - Walter Brueggemann. Deuteronomy. p. 109 It all belongs to God. If we don’t get this right, nothing else will be right either. It all belongs to God. We are stewards. We are stewards. I Corinthians 4:1-2 Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy. We are stewards. I Peter 4:10 Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. Sty warden – the keeper of the sty. Steward – a most important and prestigious role Genesis 39:1-6a Now Joseph was taken down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh…bought him. The Lord was with Joseph…. His master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hands. …He made him overseer in his house and over all that he had. Steward – a most important and prestigious role God thinks so highly of you that God has chosen to entrust some of what God owns into • your care • your management • your stewardship Image and dominion in Genesis 1 and 2 Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” Image • To be in the image of God is to be in relationship with God. • “Our God is the God of belonging. The Lord created us and all that exists to belong to him.” - Rolf Jacobson The state’s image establishes the state’s rule. The king’s image establishes the king’s rule. Those in God’s image establish God’s rule. That would be you!! Dominion (not domination) • Genesis 2:15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. • The human being is, as God’s steward, accountable to God and responsible for its fellow creatures. – Douglas John Hall • We are God’s representatives, to exercise care as God would exercise care. It all belongs to God. We are stewards. • What does this mean? – Not “What do I want?” – Rather “What does God want?” – Not “How much of my stuff do I want to share with God?” – Rather, “How much of God’s stuff do I dare keep for myself?” It all belongs to God. We are stewards. Stewardship writ large • Care of the earth • God does not care just about how much we give away. God cares equally about all that has been entrusted to our care, including, but not limited to, that which we give away. – How effectively do most congregation’s stewardship practices communicate this? – How often do congregations talk about money when they aren’t asking for any? It all belongs to God. We are stewards. The absolute importance of getting this right. The generosity of God Genesis 1:31 God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. The generosity of God Malachi 3:8-10 Will anyone rob God? Yet you are robbing me! But you say, “How are we robbing you?” In your tithes and offerings! You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me--the whole nation of you! Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing. The generosity of God Justice issues around money Justice issues around money • How you earn money • The duty and delight of generous living How you earn money Exodus 22:21-23:12 (portions) If you lend money to my people, to the poor among you, you shall not deal with them as a creditor; you shall not exact interest from them…. You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in their lawsuits…. You shall not oppress a resident alien John Wesley – “The Use of Money” Gain all you can without hurting yourself, your family, or your neighbor. (Then save all you can. Then give all you can.) The duty and delight of generous living I Timothy 6:17-19 As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life. The duty and delight of generous living II Corinthians 9:6-8 The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. The threat of money • We are rich – We work like crazy to get money, – then we act like we don’t have any. • Median Household Income for this zip code – $71,298 – Top .84% annual income in the world The threat of money Matthew 6:24 No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. The threat of money Mark 10:17-22 As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’ ” He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” The threat of money is the power it can exert in our lives. Faithful giving is one of the most effective ways to keep this power in check. Characteristics of Faithful Giving • Intentional – II Corinthians 9:7 – Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion. • Regular – I Corinthians 16:1 – On the first day of every week, each of you is to put aside and save whatever extra you earn, so that collections need not be taken when I come. Characteristics of Faithful Giving • Generous – II Corinthians 9:8 – And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. • Proportional – Mark 12:41-44 – Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. Characteristics of Faithful Giving • First – Deuteronomy 26:1-2 – When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you…you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground…and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling place…. • Cheerful – II Corinthians 9:7 – God loves a cheerful giver. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” -- Luke 12:34 Where your money goes will cause your heart to go there as well. A thermometer measures what is. “If you want to know what is important to a person, look at their checkbook register.” A thermostat changes what is. What a person does with money will change that person’s relationship with Jesus. What does “stewardship” mean? When the bible talks about financial stewardship, • It never talks about getting enough money to pay the bills. • It always talks about how important it is for a child of God to align her/his financial life with her/his life in Christ. What does “stewardship” mean? For most people, “stewardship” is a code word. – For most congregation members, it is code for “What the congregation does to get some of my money out of my pocket and into the offering plate.” (and my job is to give just enough to not feel guilty) – For most congregations, it is code for “Those things we have to do to get enough money to pay the bills.” (and we know how well we have done at year end when we know if we have enough money to pay all the bills) The most important thing you can do in stewardship ministry is to move the money conversation… From “Paying the Bills” To helping people connect faith and finances in their lives.