People's Prayers: Prayers of the People: Our Role as Stewards ~ 6th Sunday in the Season of Creation '24

For Sunday, November 17, 2024, Readings: Deuteronomy 26:1a, 2, 4, 8-11; Psalm 16;

Haudenosaunee of the Six Nations*, Mark 12:38-44

So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, that you, O Lord, have given me…set it down before the Lord your God and bow before the Lord… [Deuteronomy 26:10]

Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge…As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight. Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names upon my lips. The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot…I bless the Lord who gives me counsel. [Psalm 16:1, 3-5, 7a]

The Chiefs of the Haudenosaunee shall be mentors of the people for all time. The thickness of their skin shall be seven spans; which is to say that they shall be proof against anger, offensive action, and criticism…Neither anger nor fury shall find lodging in their minds, and all their words and actions shall be marked by calm deliberation.*

[Jesus] called his disciples and said to them, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” [Mark 12:43-44]

The Season of Creation originated in the Anglican Church of South Africa and was formalized in 2008. It is designed for us to explore our faith from a Creation perspective. For more information see:

https://prayersofthepeople.b logspot.com/2018/10/prayers-of-people-in-beginning-1st.html

We use Biblical and other readings that pertain to the specific theme of each of the 7 weeks of the Season. Alternate readings used are posted with an asterisk.

Week VI's Theme is:

Our Role as Stewards

Any of us who attend a church regularly and considers themself as a “member” or a “parishioner” or a “congregant” has heard and understands what is meant by Stewardship. The dictionary defines it as: the responsible overseeing and protection of something considered worth caring for and preserving. Inside the building where the Church is housed, much is needed to support the staff, the worship, the physical plant, with all the elements of church (small “c”) that we Episcopals call time, talent, and treasure. Of course money is an integral part of the running and maintenance of any organization, not least of all the Church. Your seat in a pew has a weekly price tag, whether or not you are sitting in it or supporting it financially or otherwise, yet there is much more to being Church than its residence. Outside the walls, the needs are exponentially greater. All and each of us are called by Our Lord to give of our selves significantly from what God has given us. Money, or treasure, of course, is what we hear as foremost on the list of needs and wants for inside and outside. Yet there is much more to our role as stewards within the Body of Christ.

The Rev. Eric Law, in his book Holy Currencies: 6 Blessings for Sustainable Missional Ministries, shows us a different way to think about the flow of currencies in our lives. Within the usual offerings of time, talent, and treasure is contained a breadth and depth of re-imagining and discovering our personal gifts for ministry that take us well beyond the scope of a seasonal directive. Stewardship ~ Missional Ministry ~ is not merely a specific program for a specific time of year, but rather it is a way of life through which we continue to fulfill our Baptismal, Confirmation, and/or less formal vows to be faithful to God.

As John Wesley said, "Not, how much money will I give to God, but how much of God's money will I keep for myself?" And that equation works equally well with the other two elements of the stewardship trio: time and talent. A faith community needs our help as it builds us up and sends us out to do the work of Christ we called to do. The CHURCH is not a building, it is whatever we do together and on our own to be true, faithful witnesses as part of the Body of Christ by every thought, word, and action. That said, the physical space of a Church is where we gather to be spiritually refueled to take on all that is outside. It does require ongoing sources of funding as well as other resources for all of the seen and unseen support it provides.

The more we strive to be generous of spirit, to be good Stewards of Creation in all of its forms and faces, the more God will strengthen us. I don't know what tomorrow will bring for my Church, my community, my country, or this world, but I will pray without ceasing for the faith, the energy, the mindset, to be a continuously generous person, to be the Church [capital "C"] as a Christian in the world with many stewarding roles. Jesus reminds us, that this widow gave all she had. The story is known widely as the widow’s mite, mite being a word once frequently used to describe a very small contribution or amount of money.

We, in the Episcopal Church USA, and other denominations elsewhere, generally use the word steward with regard to our relationship with our planet, its creatures, its vegetation, its water resources, etc., and of course, we human beings. One definition of steward is: “a person who manages another's property or financial affairs; one who administers anything as the agent of another or others.” Stewardship can be defined as: the responsible overseeing and protection of something considered worth caring for and preserving. Our Role as Stewards IS exactly THIS: overseeing, protecting, caring, and preserving God’s gifts in and of Creation, as we give our Time, Talent, and Treasure in mite-y and various ways. We, who ARE the Church, will be spiritually and continually fed through all we are called to be as the ministers Christ has called.

*A reading from Haudenosaunee of the Six Nations [from “Wisdomkeepers” by Steve Wall and Harvey Arden]: Brothers, listen to the words of the Creator given to the first United Nations, the Haudenosaunee, over one thousand years ago. The Chiefs of the Haudenosaunee shall be mentors of the people for all time. The thickness of their skin shall be seven spans; which is to say that they shall be proof against anger, offensive action, and criticism. Their hearts shall be full of peace and good will and their minds filled with a yearning for the welfare of the people. With endless patience, they shall carry out their duty. Their firmness shall be tempered with a tenderness for their people. Neither anger nor fury shall find lodging in their minds, and all their words and actions shall be marked by calm deliberation. In every Nation there are wise and good men. These should be appointed Chiefs. They should be the advisers of their people and work for the good of all people, and all their power comes from the “Great Peace”. A chief must never forget the Creator of mankind, never forget to ask Him for help. The Creator will guide our thoughts and strengthen us as we work to be faithful to our sacred trust and restore harmony among all peoples, all living creatures, and Mother Earth…We were instructed to carry a love for one another and to show a great respect for all beings of this earth…In our ways, spiritual consciousness is the highest form of politics…When people cease to respect and express gratitude for these many things, then all life will be destroyed, and human life on this planet will come to an end These are our times and our responsibilities. Every human being has a sacred duty to protect the welfare of our Mother Earth from whom all life comes. In order to do this we must recognize the enemy – the one within us. We must begin with ourselves.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ O Lord our God, re-awaken us to the bounty of Your Creation, the miracle of this earth and the lives we have been given to live. Let us, and all who reside among us, celebrate and offer ourselves as Your grateful stewards giving as we are able in times of plenty and in times of hardship.

O God of Refuge and Counsel

RESPONSE: We bow with glad hearts and rejoicing souls

~ O Lord our God, we lift up our prayers for all who lead this World, this Country, and this Community by election, fiat, or inheritance. Implant in their souls a spiritual consciousness and faithful commitment to their sacred trust, for undeniable integrity, and for the restoration of harmony for all peoples everywhere. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

O God of Refuge and Counsel