Stewardship Season: Our Money Story
Week One Theme: Recommit: to Remember
This fourth Sunday of Eastertide, which is also my farewell Sunday of my role as a seminarian at United Parish for the academic year, we’ll begin our stewardship series by remembering what we were taught or how we learned about money and how it influences our relationship with money in our daily lives. The Bible talks about money and includes many stories that aim to teach us how to think about resources. We’ll look at the story of the manna in the desert, where God provided the Israelites with manna, after they complained in the wilderness about being hungry following their Exodus from Egypt. (Exodus 16:1-18) In this story, God supplied enough food for everybody. It taught the Israelites not only to trust in God, but also to share their basic human resources equitably. God provided a concept for what living with enough looks like. Jesus talked about money too: “Stop collecting treasures for your own benefit on earth, … Instead, collect treasures for yourselves in heaven. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)
But how do you discern what is enough? How do you determine when you have too much or too little? What does having enough resources look like for you?
How can you live with enough when the social practices that are set in the manna story collide with the established economic patterns of our current society?
In your own life, when have you felt like the Israelites, wandering and doubting you would have enough?
When we talk about resources and abundance, we tend to think about money, but is it all about money? Think about a time in your life that felt like receiving manna — perhaps this was an unexpected financial gift, but maybe it wasn’t. Maybe it was a nourishing time spent with those you love or a beautiful meal shared with family. What did it feel like to receive this? How do manna moments like this impact your faith and your stewardship practices?
Come on Sunday to think about these questions together.
In faith,
Iuliana
2022-2023 Seminarian
Stewardship Season: Our Money Story (April 30-May 21)
Weekly Themes
April 30: Recommit: to Remember
May 7: Recommit: to Release
May 14: Recommit: to Reimagine
May 21: Recommit: to Restore
Consecration Sunday (pledges due!)
Image credit: Enough by Hannah Garrity, inspired by Exodus 16:1-18, © a sanctified art | sanctifiedart.org
