Sermon: "The Basis of Christian Stewardship"
The Right Reverend Charles G. vonRosenberg
Third Bishop of East Tennessee

[This sermon by Bishop vonRosenberg was delivered using the following notes.]

T. S. Eliot expressed a provoking and an enduring thought in his book, "Murder in the Cathedral." He wrote these words, "The last temptation is the greatest treason: To do the right deed for the wrong reason" (pt. I). Of course, Eliot was informed by our Lord's teachings. Jesus spoke about the significance of intentions in passages like this: "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matt 5:27-28). Then, with similar logic, Jesus made this observation: "What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person…" (Matt. 15:18-20a). Then, again, our Lord affirms that "You will know them by their fruits … (E)very good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit" (Matt. 7:16-17).

Therefore, Jesus expresses an idea that T. S. Eliot and others have built upon. Our motivations and our intentions are as important as our actions. The spirit of the law may be more difficult to quantify, but maintaining that spirit, consistent with the letter of the law, is essential to our soul's good health. If our intentions and our motivations are at odds with our actions, then we have stepped onto the slippery slope of falsehood and of living a lie. Thus, T. S. Eliot again, "The last temptation is the greatest treason: To do the right deed for the wrong reason."

So it is that Jesus told the parable in today's Gospel. Remember the contrast that he presented there of two people praying. One was a Pharisee whose prayer listed his accomplishments and his faithfulness in following the law - "God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income" (Lk. 18:11-12). However, the tax collector's prayer was simpler and to the point - "God, be merciful to me, a sinner" (Lk. 18:13). Jesus' conclusion indicates the value of authentic prayer. He said of the tax collector, "I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other" (Lk. 18:14).

Here at Trinity Church, you are in the midst of your yearly financial stewardship campaign. In every parish - no matter how large or small - this is the time of year that lay and clergy leaders wonder if the resources available in the year to come will meet the needs for mission and ministry during that time. Indeed, this can be a very anxious time for those leaders, as they try to construct a responsible and faithful budget with the money entrusted to them. In that regard, I want to say how grateful I am that Trinity has committed yourself to fulfilling your fair share part in the diocesan budget for the past two years - thus indicating your commitment to the larger church of which we are a part. You present a good example to others, and I thank you for that.

However, in the rest of this sermon, I want us to consider a different aspect of stewardship. As important as it is to consider opportunities for Trinity to engage in the church's work in the world, I want us to look at something else for a few minutes. Indeed, our readings today call us to a different focus, it seems to me. We need to look at stewardship as individuals, in addition to our stewardship as a church. And my prayer is that each one of us will grow into authentic Christian stewards - doing the right thing for the right reason, if you will. Or, as an Easter Week prayer for faithfulness in Christian living puts it, "Grant that … (we) may show forth in (our) lives what (we) profess by (our) faith" (BCP, p224).

The practice of Christian stewardship as individuals begins with gratitude. This is the most appropriate place to start our reflections on personal stewardship. Everything we have is a gift. All that we are is given to us. Time, people, resources, life itself - all is gift. We are receivers, benefactors of the generosity of others … and ultimately, of God Himself.

That memorable encounter between God and Job comes to mind here. Job, remember, was engaging in a bit of self-pity - and perhaps, appropriately so, we might think, because he had endured considerable hardship and tragedy. But God spoke to Job, putting several things in their proper - and unmistakable - perspective. "The Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: … Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding" (Job: 38:1,4). And that was only the beginning of God's correcting Job.

Like Job, we sometimes need to get things back into perspective … things, for instance, like the order of creation. God is Creator; we are creatures. God is giver; we are receivers. All is given to us. All is gift. Thus, when we present our offerings at the altar, we appropriately affirm, "All things come of Thee, O Lord, and of Thine own have we given Thee." It is only from the gifts that God has given us that we can give some of them back to God.

Once we get straight, then, about our giftedness as God's creatures and about the ultimate source of all that we have, then a practical matter confronts us. That is, what will we do with those gifts?

You see, we have been given gifts - time, family, resources, life itself. And we have responsibility for the use of those gifts. That is, we have the responsibility of stewardship. A steward is someone who takes care of something that has been given to him or her by someone else. Therefore, we are stewards of what God has given to us.

To summarize these points, then, it is important for us to understand two complementary ideas as Christian stewards. First, we need to perceive that we each have been given a great deal indeed. The source of all that we have and all that we are is none other than God Almighty. Thus, the foundation for our stewardship is gratitude, and that gratitude toward God puts us in our right place in God's creation.

The second thing to understand about personal stewardship is that we have a responsibility for the gifts that God has given us. We are not given gifts to hoard or to feel superior about, like the Pharisee in today's parable. We have no right of self pity, like Job. No, indeed! We have a place in this wonderful creation of God Almighty. We have been given gifts, and we are wonderfully blessed by those gifts. Therefore, we have the responsibility of stewardship for what we have been given - in the name of God Himself and for the sake of God's world.

One final point, by way of conclusion. Stewardship is not simply one part of our Christian lives. No … it is much more important than that. Stewardship very precisely reflects those lives in Jesus Christ. May we be faithful in our stewardship, in God's name, therefore, for we have certainly been wonderfully blessed by God. Amen.

Copyright © 2007 The Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee