Stewardship Reflections

Hi everyone. It is that time of year again. The time when we pause to think and focus a little bit more than usual on Stewardship. We try all year long to be good Stewards of the bounty that God has bestowed on each of us. Quite frankly I think the Erwin First family does a really good job of this. We rise to the occasion when needs come up and we are faithful in our gifts of Tithes, Time, Talent, Prayer and Presence.

I started looking through my Bible, (New King James). It was a Gift from my Dad and his Wife given to me the year I began attending Erwin First (1999). I have come a long way in my faith journey since getting that Bible and it is through knowing many of you that my journey has been fruitful. I am thankful for that.

Anyway, I was looking for a passage to use in this reflection. I started with the index, looking under "Steward" and not finding what I wanted. So, as often happens for me when I am feeling the need for some spiritual inspiration God helped to open my mind and allow me to see what I was looking for as I paged through his Word. I found Isaiah Chapter 5 verses 1 through 12. This spoke to me in light of the troubling times our world and our country are now facing. This chapter of Isaiah speaks about a vineyard. The vineyard is on a prime piece of real estate that should be fruitful and provide great wealth for its owner. So the vintner cleared it of stones and planted his choice vines waiting for the harvest that he was due. Well all of his hard work and expectations came to naught. Instead of the prized fruit he ended up with wild fruit and he lamented this turn of fortune. Well, this poor fellow reconciled himself to the failure that he wrought and tore apart his vineyard, knocked down the beautiful tower and the winepress he had built and commanded the clouds not to rain on the spot so that briers and thorns should grow instead of vines. He asked that his vineyard be compared to the vineyard of the Lord and compares what happened to his vineyard to that of the Nations that should be the Lord’s Vineyard. He laments that Israel and Judah are similar to the failed vineyard and declares that God will do the same to the Nations as the vintner did to his field because Israel is not bearing the fruit that God desires. He says the harp and strings, the Tambourine and flute and wine are in their feasts but they do not regard the work of the Lord nor consider the operation of His hand.

What this spoke to for me was something that I have been reflecting on periodically for the last two years or so and hourly for the last week or so. It is easy to find discouragement and to be anxious and scared when the world seems to be heading off a cliff. It is easy to ask Why God? Why is this happening? Easy to worry and to fret away our time concerned for our future and our children’s future. But I think what God asks of us is to remain faithful to him, to do our best to act in a way that is faithful to how Jesus Christ would act, to be moral, to be just and to serve God in everything we do. I think our faith can sustain us and that through that faith we can come to know that the things of this world are not as important as the plan God has for all of us.

I am thankful for my faith in times like these, thankful that my girls will grow up in a way that allows them to know Jesus Christ and through him God and grateful for the comfort that comes with belonging to a faith community when times get tough. I know each of you will faithfully consider the needs of the church for the coming year and we will all continue to do the good work that God calls each of us to do. Take good care and may God continue to bless each of us.

Sincerely,
Randy Klein
For the Stewardship Team