$tewardship or S+ewardship?

Friday, Oct. 10, 2014

By John Kaloudis

Director of Stewardship and Development

Unfortunately, when most of us hear or read the word “stewardship,” we instinctively think of it spelled as “$tewardship,” a code word for giving money to the Church. The money may be politely asked for, clothed in pious language and linked to giving of time and talents, but, in the end, stewardship still means, for most of us: “I must give some of my money so that we can operate the Church.”

If this is the case, then perhaps we could consider spelling this key word as “S+ewardship.”  The Bible, from beginning to end, identifies what we now call stewardship as a way of life centered on God.  And for Christians, this means discipleship centered on Jesus Christ as Crucified and Risen Lord. The cross thus dramatically signifies both our identity as disciples of Christ and our calling to a life of sacrificial giving.

Many people know how to raise money; there are experts who work full time in this field. Fund-raising has become a favorite American pastime for public and private schools, political parties, charitable organizations, and legions of athletic and recreational activities. Who needs another fund-raising campaign when we are already inundated with them!

But while there are legions of experts, opinions, and efforts, how many of us have learned sound teaching about stewardship based upon Holy Scripture?

In the Old Testament, the people of God based their very existence upon what God had done for them: through the promises given to the patriarch Abraham, the sacred covenant at Sinai given through Moses, and messianic kingship through David. Because God was their Creator, Savior and King, ancient Israel worshiped him regularly. They considered the very land upon which they lived as a precious gift from God. This meant that all products of their livelihood ultimately belonged to God. The biblical tithe (10 percent) meant that the first and best portion of these material assets were to be returned to God for support of the temple, the ordained ministers and various human needs (including charity).  The remainder (90 percent) was not to be used as each person decided, but according to the will of God. Further, as emphasized by the prophets, the people of God were to seek justice and righteousness in all their relationships. In particular, ancient Israel was to protect, support and advocate for the poor, oppressed and weakest members of society.

In the New Testament, Jesus affirmed the Old Testament concept of stewardship as a way of life based upon God’s ineffable love. He clearly approved of worship, of tithing, of seeking justice and righteousness in all human relationships, and of service especially to the poor, oppressed and needy. However, Jesus went far beyond these in offering himself as the perfect steward of God’s gracious gifts by his voluntary suffering and death on the cross. In this event, he exemplified that true sacrifice for the sake of others has absolutely no limits.

In the Church, everyone is called to be a disciple of Christ. This involves conversion – an inward turning of mind and heart toward Christ – and a conscious and deliberate commitment to follow the Lord. True Christian stewardship springs very naturally from such faith. On the cross, Jesus sets the true standard of Christian stewardship by which we can measure ourselves. Our stewardship of the good news of salvation should be shown in the following ways:

• Creation – joyful appreciation for the wonder and beauty of nature; protection and preservation of the environment; respect for and protection of the sanctity of human life from conception to death.

• Vocation – fulfillment of our God-given calling in life as married or single people, adult or child, working or retired, clergy or laity, to extend the love and truth of God in Christ to those around us.

• Church – becoming active participants in working out our salvation as members of the Catholic Church through the Christian nurture of children, regular worship and fellowship; spiritual formation through on-going education; service to one another and to the poor, sick, and needy; cooperating to make your local parish a vibrant source of faith and work; and supporting the diocesan, national and international ministries that link us to the worldwide Catholic Church.

In a culture that frequently encourages us to focus on ourselves, Jesus Christ challenges us to reorient our priorities according to His will. The antidote to greed and selfishness is genuine repentance and conversion toward Christian stewardship as a new way of living. And what joy there is for those who turn toward God, living as stewards of the manifold grace that has been offered to us through Christ in the Church!