Why give?

 

Two reasons: One practical, the other spiritual.

 

As a practical matter, your annual financial pledge is essential to enable our church to operate and help the many hundreds of people it serves within and beyond our walls every year. St. Stephen’s has no “outside” funding source – it’s only source is you. Supporting the church financially is not merely the obligation of those who sit around you in worship. Each of us is expected to financially support this community of faith, consistent with our ability to do so.

 

The second – and immeasurably more important reason to pledge – is spiritual. Jesus talked more about our relationship with money and material possessions in the Bible than nearly any other aspect of daily life. It is clear from the words of Jesus that there is a strong link between money and the nurture of our spiritual lives.

 

That link begins with the recognition that all that we have comes from God. No matter how hard we have worked or how talented we are, we end up at God’s front door.

 

The primary motivation for giving is gratitude. It is one of the most powerful forces in the world. Gratitude is the door to inner peace and wholeness. Gratitude fosters a sense of abundance and therefore frees us to be generous.

 

Conscious and active gratitude toward God leads us to joyfully give back to God. Please take some time this week to prayerfully reflect on God’s abundance in your life. If you haven’t been a pledging member of St. Stephen’s, please join with the rest of us and do your part to financially support the church. If you have been a pledging member, please examine your finances and giving priorities and see whether you can increase your pledge for 2012.

 

Let’s “Feast on Gratitude” together!