"He looked up and saw the rich putting in their gifts into the treasury; and he saw a poor widow put in two copper coins. And He said, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for they all contributed out of their abundance, but she gave out of her poverty in all the living that she had." Luke 21:1-4 |
Stewardship Matters... I was reading a few days ago about the perspective of stewardship in the New Testament compared with the Old Testament. I was reminded that the Old Testament focused on people's collective relationship with God. The "Tithe" was expected for the support of the community's religious institutions, and to some degree, for society itself. The practice of giving a tenth was common among Hebrew cultures as well. In some ways, the Tithe was like a tax, a necessary contribution for the support of the community. The new Testament, on the other hand, focuses on people's individual relationship to God. While churches and the larger society were certainly mentioned, especially in Paul's writings, it was the individuals belief, commitment, and practices that were seen as crucial.Jesus was a personal savior, not for a particular tribe. The Gospels say little about giving out of obligation. Rather, the focus was on "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."In other words, stewardship shifted from "Giving is the law" to "Give because you love God, the church, and your neighbor." At First Christian Church we don't emphasize tithing, at least in my memory. And we don't emphasize stewardship as a duty. I believe that we give to the church as a form of worship, a way to "Love our neighbor," and a way to show our devotion to God. Good stewardship should be a joy, not just an obligation. Giving is all about helping ourselves grow spiritually, not necessarily meeting a budget or responsibility.
Service Everyone has at least one God-given talent for the expansion or support of the church, or skills or talents that can be used for His service. Some service opportunities available at First Christian Church of Berryville include:
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