Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Lent 1


Stewardship 101*
Lent: 1

Who made me?

God made me.

Why did God make me?

God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him in heaven.  

     Lent is a marvelous time to consider Stewardship; another name for stewardship is responsibility.  If we are made stewards of something, then we are responsible for that something.  So who has made us stewards?  God, of course, and he even tells us how easily the job can be done.  First we have to learn to know Him.   If we know Him then we will love Him.  If we love Him, then we will serve Him in this world.  Our reward is to be happy with Him in heaven.  Of course we are free not to accept the job, especially if the idea of responsibility is unappealing.
      If we think of Lent as one long journey along the Via Delarosa filled with fasting and abstinence and self-denial,  a time to confess our sins, and the only thing at the end the pain is crucifixion, then the idea of responsibility, of carrying our cross to follow Him, might not be attractive.  But if we only think of that painful journey, and not of all that led up to the cross, then we miss the true beauty of Lent. 
     The beauty is in the wandering path that led to the choice to accept pain: the wonder of Baptism, and Transfiguration, of multiplication of loaves and fish; the beauty in the miracles: the blind were able to see, the deaf were able to hear the Good News, and the lame were able to walk.  Along the way their sins were forgiven, and the dead were given life.  Even the Sermons were filled with blessings-not “thou shalt not,” but “Blessed are those who…”

     Jesus said “My burden is light,” and it is.  We only have to get to know Him, so we and love Him and serve Him.  In the next few weeks we will examine our call to stewardship, our call to responsibility.  The rewards are great, the journey exciting, and filled with marvelous miracles!

* Paper Copy of all Stewardship 101 entries available for $5.  Includes shipping and handling.  e-mail Kathy @chickadeehillinc.com

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