It might seem odd to you to be talking about stewardship at this time of the year. It is barely the first of June and our annual stewardship campaign is still way out on the horizon. Indeed, talk of stewardship in the church usually ends up focused on money. But in his Letter to the Corinthians, Paul talks about stewardship in a different context, of being "stewards of God’s mysteries." He goes on to write that, "Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy." Paul was aware that as a servant of Christ, he was entrusted with the mysteries of God and that he was accountable to God for his oversight of those things God had placed into his care.

Money is certainly one of those things, but there are many others. We might add to that list our families and friends, our health, our property, our community, and our place of worship. In each of these areas, we are called to be good and trustworthy stewards of those things that God has placed into our care. It is a task that requires us to be good stewards of what we’ve been given everyday of the year. It’s not always easy, but as servants of Christ it is what we are each called to do.

Our May clean-up day was a wonderful example of good stewardship. Many of you showed up and devoted yourselves to the sprucing up of our church. Rooms were cleaned, windows washed, painting done, trees trimmed, the list goes on and on. It was a wonderful day that was filled with the spirit of stewardship! As stewards of God’s mysteries, we are each called upon to care for the upkeep of God’s church. St. John’s has been placed in our care, and we stand on the foundation of those who came before us. It will eventually be our task to pass the church on to others. It is important that we be trustworthy stewards of God’s property, for that time He has placed it into our hands.

During the month of June, there will be two excellent opportunities to learn more about stewardship. On Saturday, June 14th, St. John’s will be the host site for the annual northeast regional Diocesan Stewardship Workshop. Members of the Diocesan Stewardship Commission will be here to present the nuts and bolts of doing an annual stewardship drive. The cost is $10/person and lunch will be provided. The workshop runs from 10am-3pm.

On Thursday, June 26^th, Char Fabian will present a stewardship workshop to our parish. Her presentation will talk about stewardship as a year-long practice. In the words of St. Paul, she will address the challenges of being a servant of Christ and a steward of God’s mysteries throughout the entire year. This workshop is designed for the entire parish and I strongly urge you to attend. The workshop will run from Noon to 4pm.

During this wonderful season of Pentecost, when the beauty of God’s creation is all around us, I hope you will take advantage of these workshops. Take some time to enjoy the summer colors and ponder the kind of stewards we are each called to be.

God’s peace,
Father Dave