Stewardship
Two weeks ago, as I was leaving the 9:00 am service, I overheard a visiting couple comment on the choir. “Weren’t they good?” she said. “Yes,” he replied, “I wonder how many of them are paid?” At that point she called his attention to the postlude, and they stopped to listen as I continued toward the door. As I passed out of Church, I reflected on how good it felt to have visitors comment positively about our Church home.
I can think of many examples of times I’ve felt good about Pohick, and I suspect most of you can think of times you’ve felt good about Pohick as well. I feel good when I hear the youth talk about their experiences on their latest mission trip and about the positive role Pohick plays in their journey to adulthood. I feel good when I participate in the canning of the apple butter, or when I can see that other parishioners are enjoying fellowship. I feel good that Pohick’s Brotherhood of St Andrew is among the nation’s largest chapters, and when I see a newborn baptized and the Guild of the Christ Child presents a candle commemorating the light of Christ coming into this young life. I feel good when I see that Sunday School attendance is up, and when newcomers are greeted warmly after the service.
All these things happen in the life of our Church as a direct result of the stewardship of the members of the Parish. Stewardship is Pohickians freely giving of their time, talent, and treasure to the glory of God and the furtherance of his Church. Stewardship is the lifeblood of Pohick and every other Church. Without stewardship, everything stops, buildings become cold, and the Church ceases to be a welcoming sanctuary.
Let’s get back to that idea of feeling good. Feeling good has physical, mental, and spiritual aspects that grow with participation in the life of God’s Church. Said another way, the more of God’s bounty we return to him through stewardship, the better we feel. Every one of us can think of many small, and not-so-small ways, in which giving to Pohick makes us feel good. The most obvious of those is our service - service as ushers, greeters, nursery volunteers, and a host of other activities. Outreach is less obvious because it touches us less often, but is equally vital, and an equal source of joy. On their mission trip, our youth have the opportunity to see the smiling faces of those they help. Those faces not only make all the heavy work and fundraising worthwhile, they give reinforcement to the good feeling of being instruments of God’s love in the world.
Ok, here’s what the Stewardship Committee would like you to do. As we move toward the annual stewardship campaign in the fall, every time you feel good about Pohick, stop, and think about what enabled you to feel good. Was it an expression of concern? Was it a friendly greeting from an usher or a particularly beautiful anthem from the choir? Was it the replacement of old heating pipes that made the Church warm on a cold November Sunday? Think about the stewardship that made each of those things happen and think about how your stewardship can make those feelings grow. And the next time someone tells you to give until it hurts, turn to them, smile and say “No, I want to give until it feels good!”
