This month we dive into the topic of stewardship, where we see ourselves again as the servants whom God has found to be trustworthy enough to make use of God’s things. It’s a powerful worldview - to believe that God found me trustworthy enough to make good use of what belongs to God?!
Over the course of the first three Sundays in October we’ll be launching into conversation about “Holy Currencies”. This is a term coined by Rev. Dr. Eric Law. First, he defines currency as “something that is in circulation as a medium of exchange.” Then, he identifies six things as currencies which organizations and congregations need to have in constant circulation:
- Place and Time: our building/property and the time people give to our church
- Gracious Leadership: “The ability to use skills, tools, models and processes to create gracious environments” where relationships can be built, and truth and wellness can be fostered
- Relationships: the internal and external networks of connections we’ve built in and around our church
- Truth: having a perspective on ourselves and our world that is based in reality
- Wellness: physical, social, economic, ecological, and spiritual health
- Money: you know this one.
In order to have a healthy, thriving church, you have to have all of these and they have to be actively in circulation.
As you come to worship these first three weeks of October, I invite you to reflect on your own lives. What places do you occupy and what are you exchanging these places for? How do you steward your homes and yards? Do you exchange them for wellness? For relationship? How about truth? What are you doing to cultivate a wider perspective on the world? What about money? Do you exchange your money for access to place, for truth and wellness, for more money?
So often we think in linear terms. We like the task of acquisition, but what God calls for is not acquisition of currencies but circulation thereof. Our work is not to amass wealth or homes or knowledge or friendship. It is to cultivate these currencies in order to exchange them for other currencies so that we find ourselves living sustainably in a thriving ecosystem.
Join us this month for the following Sundays:
Sunday, Oct. 1st:
In worship we will examine the currency of money at St. Peter’s. Come and hear about the wonderful things we’ve turned our money into this past year.
Sunday, Oct. 8th:
In worship we’ll focus on the currency of relationship. Join us after worship for a congregational forum where we will create a web of our relationships and see how far our reach really is! Come ready to share what organizations you’re connected to? Do you volunteer anywhere? Are you on any boards? What parts of the wider world or community are you connected to?
Sunday, Oct. 15th:
In worship we’ll focus on the currency of place and you’ll hear how our building is used to cultivate wellness, relationship, and truth not just for our congregation but the wider community. Bring your pledge card and stay after worship for a festive fellowship time to celebrate all that God has entrusted to us!
Please consider participating in this meaningful time of development in the life of our church. Stewardship is about developing ourselves as disciples who are equipped to make good use of the good things God has given us! See you there!
Peace,
Pastor Bekki