In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth; and He created Man in His own image. All things are His, because He created them, yet He gave the earth into our keeping, into the care of the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve. And we are accountable to God.

We worship you and give you thanks, O Lord, for the world around us; for the sun and moon and stars; for the beauty and the resources of the earth and air and sky.

We rely on the earth for sustenance, shelter, clothing, and warmth. Future generations (our children, and our children’s children) will be similarly dependant, so we are called to be stewards of the earth and its resources, so that we not be accused of taking the bread from our children’s mouths and the clothes off their backs. We are called not only as individuals, but collectively, to take action in thought and in word and in deed.
What are you doing with what He has given you?

But God has given us much more than the basic necessities. We are created in His image: we are creators in turn, we have the power of words. We have memory and reason, imagination and logic. We have inborn talents and trained skills, the ability to inspire, to build fellowship and communion.

We worship you and give you thanks, O Lord, for the joy of creation and recreation; for the beauty of palaces and poetry, symphonies and sculpture; the ability and the freedom to debate and decide.

With these we have created the civilizations, societies, cultures and communities in which we live and in which our children, and our children’s children will live. We are called to be stewards of our societies, to work for justice, freedom and peace. In thought, in word and in deed, we are accountable to God.
What are you doing with what He has given you?

Yes, what are you doing with what He has given to you? How are you using your personal resources, your time, your talents, your treasures?
- And most of all, How does God benefit from what you do?

Do not judge, and you will not be judged;
do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.
Forgive, and you will be forgiven;
give, and it will be given to you.
A good measure,
 pressed down, shaken together, running over,
will be put into your lap;
for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.
Luke 6:37-38

St. Paul’s, as a member of  The Episcopal Church, holds up the tithe as the minimum standard of giving: that is, giving one tenth of your time, your talents and your treasure to the service of others and the building of God’s kingdom.

The Bible is clear on how we should give away our tithes: first, to the Church, from which we draw our spiritual nourishment; second, to the poor and needy, both within and outside the Church; to our enemies; and to the Kingdom of God in general.

The poor and needy hold a special place in the teachings of Jesus, and in recognition of this The Episcopal Church has signed up to the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations. These are, by the year 2015, to:

• Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
• Achieve universal primary education
• Promote gender equality and empower women
• Reduce child mortality
• Improve maternal health
• Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
• Ensure environmental sustainability
• Develop a Global Partnership for Development

We are called as God’s stewards to give joyfully, generously, and prayerfully,
out of thanksgiving for all He has given to us.
Remember what He has given, and thank Him in prayer and worship.

We are called to give sacrificially, as He sacrificed Himself for us.
Remember what He has given, and thank Him in generosity to others.

A Working Definition of Christian Stewardship
Christian stewardship is grateful and responsible use of God's gifts in the light of God's purpose as revealed in Jesus Christ. Christian stewards, empowered by the Holy Spirit, commit themselves to conscious, purposeful decisions.

Stewardship is lived out in living and telling the Good News; hearing God in seeking justice, peace, and the integrity of creation in an interdependent universe; wisely employing God-given human resources, abilities, and relationships; sharing the material resources we hold and giving them in service, justice, and compassion; providing for future generations, sharing in the life, worship, and responsible stewardship of the Church and of its mission.

Both for the individual and for the community, stewardship is a joyful act for the sake of God's world.

Stewardship has also been defined as: What I do, with all that I have, after I say, "I believe." and Using the gifts God has given us, to do the work God is calling us to do.

[This definition comes from The Episcopal Church website at http://www.ecusa.anglican.org/stewardship.htm]

Ingathering Sunday

The Feast of Christ the King

25th November 2007