A Weekly Stewardship Reflection, Sunday, November 18, 2018
By: Tracey Ragsdale, Senior Warden & Russell Wyatt, Junior Warden
Although we have come to the end of another season of stewardship, we realize that stewardship is neither a program nor a campaign, but a part of our discipleship. The way we live our lives and the choices that we make flow from a depth of understanding of and gratitude for who we are and to whom we belong. From our first breath til our last, we are both receivers and givers. How we evolve from an infant, the ultimate taker, to an adult, where we strive to share everything, is one measure of how we live “a godly, righteous, and sober life.” On our journey to generosity, we learn from our own actions and experiences, from parents and family, from friends and colleagues, and most importantly from our church.
Over the past few years, we have been exposed to the uncivil nature of our society on so many issues. Now more than ever is the time to fall back on the core beliefs that we learned from our personal relationships with family, with friends, and with God to help overcome the tremendous differences that divide the people of our great nation.
As we wind down St. Mary’s 2019 Annual Giving Campaign and head into Advent, it is an appropriate time to express our deepest gratitude to a number of different people. First, to those of you who have gone through or are going through a discernment process, pledged or are contemplating pledging, we are extremely grateful. The Clergy and Staff continue to provide support in so many ways, allowing us to live into our ministries and spiritual growth. Lastly, a special thank you to the hard work of the entire Stewardship Committee, with particular thanks to Karen and Mike Huennekens for spearheading such a wonderful effort. Without their strong leadership and tireless determination, we would not be where we are today.
As a token of appreciation, the Stewardship Committee and the Vestry invite you to join us for a celebration honoring St. Mary’s 2019 Annual Giving Campaign after both services this morning in the New Parish Hall. Again, thank you so much for leaning in. We look forward to seeing everyone Sunday.