From the Pastor at Trinity!

After examining the stewardship of witnessing, prayer, presence and service, our focus turns this week to our giving. As I have studied throughout this Stewardship Campaign, I have been blessed with many good articles on the subject of stewardship. The following is an excerpt from one of my favorite articles by Kirk Nowery from The Giving Christian - Sowing Seeds for an Eternal Harvest:

"Peter Marshall, whose life was immortalized in the book and movie A Man Called Peter, had an uncanny ability to capture people's attention and cause them to think. On one occasion when he was pastor of Atlanta's Westminster Presbyterian Church, Dr. Marshall interrupted the worship service as the congregation was singing the old hymn, Take My Life and Let It Be. In the Gaelic brogue of his native Scotland, Marshall drew everyone's attention to the lyrics they were about to sing:

Take my silver and my gold - Not a mite would I withhold.

He explained the practical significance of "Not a mite would I withhold" - a reference to the widow's mite in the biblical story - and asked all who could not sing that line with absolute sincerity to not sing at all. The instruments began to play, but the hundreds of voices that had been singing so energetically were completely silent. As the notes died down, Peter Marshall made his final point to the church; It's OK for this to make us stop and think. Giving really matters and we must take it seriously.

He was right, of course. Giving is a serious matter; but it is also a practice that brings inexpressible joy when done in the right spirit. And, as Paul told the Corinthians, "God loves a cheerful giver."

Giving is at the heart of the Christian life, at the heart of the Gospel and at the heart of God. "For God so loved the world he gave his one and only son..." God is the infinite and perfect Giver: it is integral to who He is. And because giving is inherent in God's character, when we give we identify with Him and reflect His likeness.

Everything of true value is given by God. He has given us life in the blood that courses through our human bodies and spiritual life in the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ, whose sacrifice makes possible our salvation. God has set the pattern for giving, and there is no worthier goal than to give like He gives. But is that possible? It is not only possible; it is imperative."

Donna Easterling

Stewardship Chairperson