Where Your Treasure Is

We all tend to live our lives as if we were in charge, rolling high with the good times and hanging on with gritted teeth through the bad. Often it's only when we really hit a wall that we bring God into it. Or so we think. But God is in your life always, blessing, healing, inspiring, consoling. Acknowledging God's presence and opening your eyes and heart create a space within which God's work of blessing can take place.

One of the ways that we acknowledge God's presence is by giving over a part of our lives to God's work in the world. God blesses us with so much and asks for only a portion back. In the Church we call this idea "stewardship". This word has sometimes seemed like shorthand for fund-raising, but actually signifies and understanding that all we have is God's and that we are stewards of it. A steward is one who manages in trust the property of another. You can be a steward by giving of your time to God's work in the church and in the world. You are also called to be a steward of your money, giving some of it to the church and to God's work in the world.

As a reminder of our responsibility to God, we have begun the practice of passing an alms basket (the Episcopal term for a collection basket) during the service. As the bread and wine and our money offerings are brought forward to the altar we offer our lives to the service of God. And we get back infintely more.

Jesus said, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."