Stewardship

For the Love of God

 

A working definition of stewardship is “what we do with everything God has given us to further God’s purposes in our world.”  We give of ourselves – by giving of our time and talents and treasure – in gratitude for all the love shown to us by God and out of our love for God.  To put it most simply, we are called to give for the love of God.

 

 

“For the Love of God” is what we’re calling our annual pledge drive this year.  But before we send out a pledge card, asking you to give for the love of God, we want to share some reflections on the ways our gifts help us make the love of God tangible in our life together and in our world. 

 

For the love of God … AND our youth and children

The people of St. Mark’s have long supported ministries that care and support our children and youth.  Even as the numbers of children have declined in recent decades, the people of St. Mark’s have honored the promise we are asked to make at every baptism:  “Will you who witness these vows do all in your power to support these persons in their life in Christ?”

 

For many years now, a graduating senior has offered the Sunday sermon around the time of high school graduation.  In that spirit, Rachel Klabunde gave the sermon one day last spring.  Rachel began her sermon with a brief introduction of herself:  “I have been a member of St. Mark’s for as long as I can remember. Baptized in the font just down the aisle, the foundations of my Christianity reside here in this building,” she told us.  And she went on to say, “Sunday School taught me about my place in the eyes of Jesus – one of his precious sheep, cherished and loved…” 

 

In her concluding remarks, Rachel summed up the importance of St. Mark’s for her, saying:

 

 

The community of people here at St. Mark’s is unlike any other, and the love of Jesus manifests itself in each and every one of you, wrapping me in love every time I walk through the door… 

 

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this family, thank you for letting me share myself with you for all of these years, and most of all thank you for your love.  In it I have found a glimpse of the unconditional love of Jesus, something that I will take with me always, wherever I go. 

 

Three years earlier, Rachel Klabunde was one of a group of youth who went off on a pilgrimage – in her case, a pilgrimage to Scotland.  Other groups of pilgrims have set off on pilgrimages from here … journeying to Israel, Italy, Ireland, and, most recently, Spain.  The amazing generosity of the people of St. Mark’s has made these experiences available to our young people, tangible expressions of the love of God for these children of God.

 

In the course of this morning’s service, we’ll hear just a few words from one or two of those who participated in this year’s pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela – one of the oldest and most enduring pilgrimage routes in Europe.  These most recent pilgrims – los peregrinos de Santiago – will have much more to say during our Sunday morning forum this morning and especially at their major event later today, this afternoon’s “Paella Dinner.”

 

It is a fact that the numbers of children and youth have been declining in recent years.  And it’s fair to say that the future of our ministries with and for our young people is a bit uncertain.  There are, however, two new ministries begun this fall that give us hope. 

 

We’ve begun a “Children’s Chapel” program, meeting concurrently with our 10 am service on Sunday mornings.  In our Children’s Chapel, we are working to train children in the practices and traditions of the Episcopal Church AND to help them – through music, storytelling, prayer writing, and more! – hear and understand the good news of God’s love for them in Scripture.

 

And now that our youth have returned from Spain, we’re finding new ways to keep them plugged in with one another and our church.  Supported by adult volunteers, “Club YAC” has been meeting on Wednesday evenings to offer times of fun and fellowship for our youth, as well as to give our youth a way to invite some of their friends to come and join us.

 

Next month, when we ask for your 2008 pledge of a financial gift for St. Mark’s, we hope you’ll see it as a promise to help us continue to share the love of God with our children and youth. 

 

In the meantime, we ask you to hold all young people in your prayers:

 

 

God our Father, you see your children growing up in an unsteady and confusing world: Show them that your ways give more life than the ways of the world, and that following you is better than chasing after selfish goals. Help them to take failure, not as a measure of their worth, but as a chance for a new start. Give them strength to hold their faith in you, and to keep alive their joy in your creation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Book of Common Prayer, p. 829

 

St. Mark's Episcopal Church 426 W. 6th Street Medford, OR 97501 Phone: (541) 773-3111 Fax: (541) 772-4375 Email: stmarks@stmarks-medford.org

Sunday Services 8:00 AM Holy Eucharist 10:00 AM Holy Eucharist and Children's Chapel   Friday Service 11:00 AM Healing Eucharist