Stewardship Summary

What do stewardship, thanksgiving, and an Advent theme dealing with creation have to do with one another? For the answer, let us first turn to the explanation of the first article of the Apostle’s Creed, found in Luther’s Small Catechism. It says, to paraphrase: God created everything. He provides everything I need. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him.

Since God is Creator, we should rightly thank Him for everything we have. Everything. Air, food, sight, clothes, shelter, friends and family, our Church, salvation, etc. etc. etc. While Thanksgiving is not strictly a Church holiday, it is good and salutary to gather for a special service where the focus is on thanking God.

But our thanksgiving isn’t a purely mental exercise. We live a life of thankfulness by serving and obeying God. This includes fulfilling the First Great Commission to “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth (Genesis 1:28).” We are meant to take care of what God has given us. We show our thanks by taking care of it. By being good stewards.

Hymn 782 in the Lutheran Service Book put it this way:

            Gracious God, You send great blessings
            New each morning all our days.
            For Your mercies never ending,
            For Your love we offer praise.
           
            Lord, we pray that we, Your people,
            Who Your gifts unnumbered claim,
            Through the sharing of Your blessings
            May bring glory to Your name.

May our stewardship lead those around us to thank the Creator who gives all good things.