Litany for Stewardship

Used (adapted) by Susan Andrews at the Stewardship Kaleidoscope plenary. Taken from Walter Brueggemann's Awed to Heaven, Rooted to Earth. She used the first part to begin the plenary, the second to end it.

Part 1:

Creator, giver of new creation….

Spirit, multiplier of loaves…

We are children of your bounty,

         daughters and sons of privilege…

We live amidst ample food, ample clothes,

         ample housing,  ample cars, ample stereos,

         ample friends, ample security…

We have ample and count on it,

         reckoning our luxuries to be necessities..

And we are grateful…

In our gratitude,

         we notice the war refugees in Syria…

         we notice the war on poverty

                  even with our government surpluses…

         we notice how you grace our church

                  midst our fear and rage and cunning…

we ask about inheriting eternal life…

         and turn away with our great possessions…

Giver, Giver, Giver who overrides fear in utterance

                  who overrides scarcity in abundance…

                  who overrides parsimony in generosity…

                  we are among the 5000

                  we are dazzled by twelve baskets left…

Our gratitude does not match your generosity,

         but we are grateful…

For all your gifts including the gift of your very own life to us,

We give you thanks…Amen.  And all the people said…..Amen

              (Walter Brueggemann, Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth, p. 140, adapted)

Part 2:

You are the giver of all good things.

         All good things are sent from heaven above,

                  rain and sun,

                  day and night,

                  justice and righteousness,

                  bread to the eater and

                  seed to the sower,

                  peace to the old,

                  energy to the young,

                  joy to the babes.

We are takers, who take from you,

         day by day, daily bread,

         taking all we need as you supply

         taking in gratitude and wonder and joy.

And then taking more,

         taking more than you give us,

         taking from our sisters and brothers…

                  taking because we are frightened, and so greedy,

                  taking because we are anxious, and so fearful,

                  taking because we are driven, and so uncaring.

Give us peace beyond our fear, and so end our greed.

Give us well-being beyond our anxiety, and so end our fear.

Give us abundance beyond our driven-ness,

                  and so end our uncaring.

Turn our taking into giving…since we are in your giving image:

         Make us giving like you…,

                                    giving as he gave himself up for us all,

                                    giving, never taking. Amen.

(Walter Brueggemann, Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth, p.33)

Understanding the Tithe…an adult lesson on stewardship

A lesson on the tithe for adults. You can see the lesson, but if you want to print, you might want to shoot me an e-mail and let me send you a PDF. There is also a power point I can send that includes a basic introduction slide and the responsive readings. I have it in Keynote or PPT. Please let me know which you need.

Grace and peace in this stewardship season!

Don't Let Um Tell Ya...

Much of what I read about stewardship say you should never try to focus a campaign on debt reduction. People won't give to debt. People only give to exciting new things. The only effective campaigns are for brick and mortar projects.

New hymnals?  Can't do that. We don't have the budget money and no one will give to that.

New bells? New paint in the fellowship hall? Can't. Won't. Never happen.

Let me just say this.

My church has carried a $57,000 deficit from 2008 when the economy crashed and we didn't make our budget. In 2012, we asked the congregation to give to a debt reduction fund on fifth Sundays so that we could move on to the mission God had in mind without this anchor.

The fifth Sunday in September, the deficit was retired, less than two years after we begin the campaign.  Why? Because there are people in our congregation who are moved by the Spirit to give mightily to debt reduction.  "They hate debt."

Never say never. God knows what needs to happen in your congregation. God knows the plans for good God has for God's people.

Stop assuming that God cannot work to solve a problem or meet a need. Speak the need. Pray mightily. Give generously as leaders. Watch the miracle of God at work in our lives!

And don't let um tell you it can't be done!