This is a stewardship sermon. That usually means it is about asking for your financial support of the work and ministry of this congregation. That is true … I will ask for that. But stewardship in the greater sense is about the faithful and responsible care of all that has been given to us. And this is a stewardship sermon in that sense as well.
In the name of the God of all Creation,
The God alive in each of us as God was alive in Jesus,
And the power of God known in the Spirit.
Amen.
The God alive in each of us as God was alive in Jesus,
And the power of God known in the Spirit.
Amen.
This is a stewardship sermon. That usually means it is about asking for your financial support of the work and ministry of this congregation. That is true … I will ask for that. But stewardship in the greater sense is about the faithful and responsible care of all that has been given to us. And this is a stewardship sermon in that sense as well.
Regarding the stewardship of financial resources … This week you will receive a letter asking for you support of St. Cyprian’s during 2015. I hope you will give it your thoughtful and prayerful consideration before returning your pledge of financial support for the coming year. Anyhow, this is a stewardship sermon … I just want to give you fair warning.
The leadership of St. Cyprian’s takes stewardship very seriously. St. Cyprian’s, at its core, is a community of faith. As a community it depends upon the contributions of each and ever one associated with the community. Those contributions include all the personal efforts in our various ministries and committees; and it includes the sharing of expertise and experience in particular areas of our life together. Members of our choir share their musical talents, and delight in beauty, as we worship together. Ushers greet fellow members of our church community, and welcome newcomers and visitors. The Altar Guild prepares our sacred space for Sunday morning and then delivers flowers to nursing homes or shut-ins after our services. Other people read lessons, serve as acolytes and chalicists, host Coffee Hour and receptions, and mow the lawn and sweep the walk. Whether it is cooking a casserole for the homeless, serving as a volunteer at the Wildflower Medical and Dental Clinic, or distributing food at the Ecumenical Food Pantry, it is obvious that the people of this community are eager to contribute their time and spirit to our ministries. Everyone in this congregation contributes, in one way or another, to the fullness of the life of this community.
However, there is also this sacred space to maintain, and salaries to be paid, and insurance premiums that come due, and office equipment to service. You get the idea. As well as all the contributions of people’s time and efforts there is the need to support a budget.
Over the past six years the financial contributions to St. Cyprian’s have increased steadily and dramatically. In 2008, a year after a large contingent of conservative evangelicals left St. Cyprian’s and the Episcopal Church, the tiny remnant congregation pledged roughly $27,000. Our operations budget was supplemented by a grant from the Diocese of Florida. The following year, in 2009, our pledge income had risen to $36,000; and the year after that to $50,000. In 2011 we no longer received support from the Diocese of Florida and we became self-sustaining for the first time in the over 100 year history of this congregation. The congregation’s support of St. Cyprian’s operating expenses has continued to grow and this past year the pledges of the congregation totaled over $90,000. And that is on top of the very generous response to our fundraising for the Commons at St. Cyprian’s.
The Commons at St. Cyprian’s … and the Corinthian Fund which supports it … has truly been a blessing to this church. The paver courtyard with a labyrinth design imbedded in it, the newly dedicated outdoor chapel, and the beginning of our landscaping plan have transformed St. Cyprian’s public “persona” in the Lincolnville neighborhood and greater St. Augustine. This was all possible because of the exceedingly generous contributions of member of St. Cyprian’s and others.
One of the goals this congregation has set … originally in a visioning process in 2008, and then affirmed again in 2012 … was to move from Mission status in the Diocese of Florida to the status of Parish. Although most people would not notice any difference in the way the church operates, moving from Mission to Parish is like moving out of your parent’s basement into a house that you bought with your own money. It does make a difference!
Just two weeks ago I was invited to breakfast by the Rev. Bob Griffiths … the Bishop’s right-hand assistant. He said that he and Bishop Howard would like to see St. Cyprian’s be presented to the Diocesan Convention in January to be voted as a full parish. He and Bishop Howard see lil’ ol’ St. Cyprian’s as a beacon in the Diocese for our ministries, growth in numbers against a receding tide, and the spirit of the people of this congregation. At the end of the conversation he added that if we decided we were not ready to move to Parish status this January, that he hoped we would plan to do so the following year.
This is exciting news. It is also a daunting challenge. If we were to move forward with becoming a Parish in January of 2015 there are a lot of hoops to jump through in a very short time. The Mission Board will meet this Tuesday to discuss this issue in depth, but my recommendation will be to wait until January of 2016 … if for no other reason than to establish a firmer footing.
With all this good news there is also some not so good news. When the pledges for operating St. Cyprian’s, plus the pledges to the Commons are combined, we far exceed the total of past years’ financial support. However, our operating expenses are exceeding our operating revenues for the year. We have some reserves, but they are dwindling quickly. I believe it is important that we record a successful campaign for pledges to our 2015 operating expenses before we move forward towards Parish status. That is why this is a stewardship sermon.
In my almost 40 years in the Church one of the things that I have learned is that the act of our giving … in and of itself … contributes to the deepening of our own spiritual journey, and it is certainly a significant element of my own personal faith. I believe that a personal commitment to faithful stewardship is a vital part of any true faith journey. I also believe that such a commitment calls us to challenge our notions of security. Every time we choose to give more we are also moving into a deeper level of trust in the faith we claim. What God wants more than anything else is our trust. What Jesus teaches us over and over again is that the Kingdom of God is about trusting God instead of the world.
This morning’s gospel reading is about stewardship. It is a very well known story about a master and three servants. The master is going on a journey so he entrust his wealth to the servants … his stewards. To one he gave five talents; to another he gave two talents, and to the third he gave one talent … each according to their ability. After a time the master returned from his journey and asked for an accounting. The first steward had doubled his investment, from five to ten talents. The second had also doubled the investment, from two to four talents. However, the third steward claimed that he was fearful of taking a risk and so he buried the one talent that had been entrusted to him. He returned the one talent to his master, but his master was angry that the steward did not increase his wealth. The story in Matthew’s gospel ends with “For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have in abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.”
I would have thought Jesus might have said something like, for all those who give much, more will be given to them and they will have in abundance; but from those who have given nothing, even what they have will be taken away.” But the way it is written it says that those who have will get more, and those that don’t have will have it taken away. It seems that the issue of income inequality was alive and well 2,000 years ago. Again, as like last week, we don’t have the privilege of rewriting the Bible … it is written the way that it is written.
Stewardship is more than just opening one’s wallet or checkbook and making a donation to the church. Stewardship is a way of life. It is about seeing our lives and everything around us as a gift from God. This God of all Creation willingly bestows upon us gifts beyond our imagination. Sometimes they are full of wonder and beauty and are received joyfully. Other times they are painful and are received with grief and sorrow. Yet they are all gifts of what we call life.
God has bestowed gifts upon us all, and God asks us to give in return. Since God does not have a purse or pocket we have to give back to God by giving back to God’s creation in all the many ways that we have available to us. Sometimes it is our time, sometimes it is our spirit, sometimes it is our suffering, sometimes it is our passion, and sometimes it is our money. But it is in giving to God of the currency of our lives that we bind the covenant that God has initiated. It is in our giving that our spirituality deepens, and that we learn to trust in the one who created us rather than to trust in ourselves.
I encourage you to see your faith as a prayer of stewardship: a response to God, in thought and by deed, with and without words. Care for the earth … because it is God’s creation. Care for those with whom we share this planet, in our backyard and across the globe … because we are all God’s children regardless of nationality, or tribe, or the color of our skin, or the faith to which we are committed. Care for those who come after us … for they too are the children of God. And care for this community of faith … because we are doing the work of God in this corner of God vineyard.
Stewardship is about our faith journey, and giving to St. Cyprian’s is about this faith community. I encourage your faithful stewardship in all the forms that it may take. St. Cyprian’s is a worthy endeavor in which to express that stewardship. I encourage your faithful and prayerful consideration. If we are to become a parish in 2016 we need a firm footing on which to stand.
Amen.
Regarding the stewardship of financial resources … This week you will receive a letter asking for you support of St. Cyprian’s during 2015. I hope you will give it your thoughtful and prayerful consideration before returning your pledge of financial support for the coming year. Anyhow, this is a stewardship sermon … I just want to give you fair warning.
The leadership of St. Cyprian’s takes stewardship very seriously. St. Cyprian’s, at its core, is a community of faith. As a community it depends upon the contributions of each and ever one associated with the community. Those contributions include all the personal efforts in our various ministries and committees; and it includes the sharing of expertise and experience in particular areas of our life together. Members of our choir share their musical talents, and delight in beauty, as we worship together. Ushers greet fellow members of our church community, and welcome newcomers and visitors. The Altar Guild prepares our sacred space for Sunday morning and then delivers flowers to nursing homes or shut-ins after our services. Other people read lessons, serve as acolytes and chalicists, host Coffee Hour and receptions, and mow the lawn and sweep the walk. Whether it is cooking a casserole for the homeless, serving as a volunteer at the Wildflower Medical and Dental Clinic, or distributing food at the Ecumenical Food Pantry, it is obvious that the people of this community are eager to contribute their time and spirit to our ministries. Everyone in this congregation contributes, in one way or another, to the fullness of the life of this community.
However, there is also this sacred space to maintain, and salaries to be paid, and insurance premiums that come due, and office equipment to service. You get the idea. As well as all the contributions of people’s time and efforts there is the need to support a budget.
Over the past six years the financial contributions to St. Cyprian’s have increased steadily and dramatically. In 2008, a year after a large contingent of conservative evangelicals left St. Cyprian’s and the Episcopal Church, the tiny remnant congregation pledged roughly $27,000. Our operations budget was supplemented by a grant from the Diocese of Florida. The following year, in 2009, our pledge income had risen to $36,000; and the year after that to $50,000. In 2011 we no longer received support from the Diocese of Florida and we became self-sustaining for the first time in the over 100 year history of this congregation. The congregation’s support of St. Cyprian’s operating expenses has continued to grow and this past year the pledges of the congregation totaled over $90,000. And that is on top of the very generous response to our fundraising for the Commons at St. Cyprian’s.
The Commons at St. Cyprian’s … and the Corinthian Fund which supports it … has truly been a blessing to this church. The paver courtyard with a labyrinth design imbedded in it, the newly dedicated outdoor chapel, and the beginning of our landscaping plan have transformed St. Cyprian’s public “persona” in the Lincolnville neighborhood and greater St. Augustine. This was all possible because of the exceedingly generous contributions of member of St. Cyprian’s and others.
One of the goals this congregation has set … originally in a visioning process in 2008, and then affirmed again in 2012 … was to move from Mission status in the Diocese of Florida to the status of Parish. Although most people would not notice any difference in the way the church operates, moving from Mission to Parish is like moving out of your parent’s basement into a house that you bought with your own money. It does make a difference!
Just two weeks ago I was invited to breakfast by the Rev. Bob Griffiths … the Bishop’s right-hand assistant. He said that he and Bishop Howard would like to see St. Cyprian’s be presented to the Diocesan Convention in January to be voted as a full parish. He and Bishop Howard see lil’ ol’ St. Cyprian’s as a beacon in the Diocese for our ministries, growth in numbers against a receding tide, and the spirit of the people of this congregation. At the end of the conversation he added that if we decided we were not ready to move to Parish status this January, that he hoped we would plan to do so the following year.
This is exciting news. It is also a daunting challenge. If we were to move forward with becoming a Parish in January of 2015 there are a lot of hoops to jump through in a very short time. The Mission Board will meet this Tuesday to discuss this issue in depth, but my recommendation will be to wait until January of 2016 … if for no other reason than to establish a firmer footing.
With all this good news there is also some not so good news. When the pledges for operating St. Cyprian’s, plus the pledges to the Commons are combined, we far exceed the total of past years’ financial support. However, our operating expenses are exceeding our operating revenues for the year. We have some reserves, but they are dwindling quickly. I believe it is important that we record a successful campaign for pledges to our 2015 operating expenses before we move forward towards Parish status. That is why this is a stewardship sermon.
In my almost 40 years in the Church one of the things that I have learned is that the act of our giving … in and of itself … contributes to the deepening of our own spiritual journey, and it is certainly a significant element of my own personal faith. I believe that a personal commitment to faithful stewardship is a vital part of any true faith journey. I also believe that such a commitment calls us to challenge our notions of security. Every time we choose to give more we are also moving into a deeper level of trust in the faith we claim. What God wants more than anything else is our trust. What Jesus teaches us over and over again is that the Kingdom of God is about trusting God instead of the world.
This morning’s gospel reading is about stewardship. It is a very well known story about a master and three servants. The master is going on a journey so he entrust his wealth to the servants … his stewards. To one he gave five talents; to another he gave two talents, and to the third he gave one talent … each according to their ability. After a time the master returned from his journey and asked for an accounting. The first steward had doubled his investment, from five to ten talents. The second had also doubled the investment, from two to four talents. However, the third steward claimed that he was fearful of taking a risk and so he buried the one talent that had been entrusted to him. He returned the one talent to his master, but his master was angry that the steward did not increase his wealth. The story in Matthew’s gospel ends with “For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have in abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.”
I would have thought Jesus might have said something like, for all those who give much, more will be given to them and they will have in abundance; but from those who have given nothing, even what they have will be taken away.” But the way it is written it says that those who have will get more, and those that don’t have will have it taken away. It seems that the issue of income inequality was alive and well 2,000 years ago. Again, as like last week, we don’t have the privilege of rewriting the Bible … it is written the way that it is written.
Stewardship is more than just opening one’s wallet or checkbook and making a donation to the church. Stewardship is a way of life. It is about seeing our lives and everything around us as a gift from God. This God of all Creation willingly bestows upon us gifts beyond our imagination. Sometimes they are full of wonder and beauty and are received joyfully. Other times they are painful and are received with grief and sorrow. Yet they are all gifts of what we call life.
God has bestowed gifts upon us all, and God asks us to give in return. Since God does not have a purse or pocket we have to give back to God by giving back to God’s creation in all the many ways that we have available to us. Sometimes it is our time, sometimes it is our spirit, sometimes it is our suffering, sometimes it is our passion, and sometimes it is our money. But it is in giving to God of the currency of our lives that we bind the covenant that God has initiated. It is in our giving that our spirituality deepens, and that we learn to trust in the one who created us rather than to trust in ourselves.
I encourage you to see your faith as a prayer of stewardship: a response to God, in thought and by deed, with and without words. Care for the earth … because it is God’s creation. Care for those with whom we share this planet, in our backyard and across the globe … because we are all God’s children regardless of nationality, or tribe, or the color of our skin, or the faith to which we are committed. Care for those who come after us … for they too are the children of God. And care for this community of faith … because we are doing the work of God in this corner of God vineyard.
Stewardship is about our faith journey, and giving to St. Cyprian’s is about this faith community. I encourage your faithful stewardship in all the forms that it may take. St. Cyprian’s is a worthy endeavor in which to express that stewardship. I encourage your faithful and prayerful consideration. If we are to become a parish in 2016 we need a firm footing on which to stand.
Amen.
