What is God Calling us to Do?  There is no better way to think about this than in the context of our individual and congregational stewardship – the giving of our financial gifts to God. 

 

OSA's treasurer says that "as a congregation, we are faced with the task every year of balancing our budget, of making sure there is enough money to cover our building expenses, and of cultivating the funds necessary to support our ministry." 

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But our giving is so much more than meeting the needs of the church.  We, in our lives and in our congregation, are charged with the faithful management of all that God gives us so that God can use our financial gifts to transform us spiritually and to extend Christ’s transforming love to others. The act of giving our financial resources is an embodiment of God calling us to grow in faith and relationship with God.   

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Stewardship is a fundamental part of our spiritual relationship with Christ. 

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In Matthew, Mark, and Luke – Jesus talks about money more than he talked about sin or love.  From Luke 12:34 ‘Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’ 

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Many have found that giving to God has been a reflection of the ups and downs of their relationships with Christ.  Relationships are hard.  Relationships change with time. When it comes to money and material possessions, we get greedy, we get resentful, we want more, we become envious, we worry about there being enough.  We struggle with being thankful for what we have. We get stingy.  

 

But God somehow finds a way to work within use.  God’s love, grace, and mercy moves us to act, moves us to give, despite being full of these negative thoughts and emotions.  And in doing so, in sharing a percentage of our income, we feel God becoming alive in us.  When we give, we feel more connected to God and to other people.  We feel more blessed and thankful.  We feel our faith in action.  

 

Being human, we still struggle with wanting to spend money on ones self first and to give what is left over to God. But week after week, day after day, God gives us opportunities to become attached to the God who gives us money, and lessen our attachment to the money itself. 

 

As a congregation we hope that OSA offers you an opportunity, through stewardship, to grow in faith and in your relationship with God.