{"id":1287,"date":"2010-10-17T17:09:04","date_gmt":"2010-10-17T17:09:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2010\/10\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-real-basic-stewardship.html"},"modified":"2010-10-17T17:09:04","modified_gmt":"2010-10-17T17:09:04","slug":"sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-real-basic-stewardship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/10\/sunday-inspiration-from-the-high-calling-real-basic-stewardship.html","title":{"rendered":"Sunday Inspiration from The High Calling: Real, Basic Stewardship"},"content":{"rendered":"

Real, Basic Stewardship<\/h3>\n
READ Psalm 8:1-9<\/a><\/div>\n
 <\/div>\n

You gave them charge of everything you made,<\/p>\n

     putting all things under their authority.<\/p>\n

Psalm 8:6<\/a><\/div>\n

\nAt this time of year, many churches focus on stewardship. For sixteen
\nyears as pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church, I would preach sermons
\non this core biblical theme. Yes, these sermons were part of our effort
\nto encourage people to make “faith commitments,” financial pledges to
\nsupport the ministry of the church in the next year. But I continually
\nreminded my congregation that real stewardship wasn’t about money.
\nRather, it was living our whole lives in faithfulness to God’s intention
\nin making us in his image and giving us charge over his creation. <\/p>\n

Psalm
\n8 celebrates real, basic stewardship. The psalm begins by praising the
\nmajesty of God as revealed in creation. Yet the glory of God in the
\nuniverse accentuates the apparent insignificance of human beings: “What
\nare people that you should think about them?” (8:4). The startling
\nanswer to this question comes from the very creation of humanity, as
\nrevealed in Genesis 1 and underscored in Psalm 8. God, in fact, created
\nhumanity “a little lower than God” and “crowned them with glory and
\nhonor” (8:5). Moreover, he delegated to human beings the care of his
\ncreation: “You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all
\nthings under their authority” (8:6). God made us to be his stewards who
\nmanage his creation for his purposes and benefit. <\/p>\n

Thus,
\nstewardship is about far more than supporting the church financially,
\nhowever important this may be. Real, basic stewardship is about living
\nour whole lives in faithfulness to our created purpose as human beings.
\nWe do this by giving to Christian ministries, to be sure, but also by
\nthe way we function at work, by the way we treat our neighbors, by how
\nwe vote, by how we relate to others, by our wise care for the earth, and
\nby innumerable other acts of faithful stewardship.<\/p>\n

The more we
\nreflect upon the majesty of God in creation, and the more we take to
\nheart whom God has created us to be, the more we will live each moment
\nof each day in response to our high calling as divine stewards.<\/p>\n

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION<\/strong>:
\nWhen you hear the words “stewardship” or “steward,” what comes to mind?
\nDo you think of yourself as someone entrusted with care for God’s
\ncreation? What would it mean for you to live as a steward in the context
\nof your work? your family? your neighborhood? your school? your church?
\nyour city? How might our stewardship impact the way we think about the
\nworld?<\/p>\n

PRAYER<\/strong>: O LORD, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!<\/p>\n

The
\nmore I reflect upon your greatness, the more I am astounded that you
\nwould think about me. It’s even more amazing that you have chosen to
\nmake me a steward of your creation and redemption. I get to participate
\nin your work of caring for and redeeming the cosmos. How incredible!<\/p>\n

O
\nLord, may I be a faithful steward for you. Help me to honor you in all
\nthe places where you have given me influence or authority. May I serve
\nyou well at work and at home. May I represent you accurately in my
\nrelationships and in my business transactions. May I use well the money
\nyou have entrusted to me, being careful in spending it and generous in
\ngiving it. Teach me, Lord, to be a true steward every single day.<\/p>\n

O LORD, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!<\/p>\n

Amen<\/em>.<\/p>\n

_________________________________________________<\/p>\n

<\/a>Would you like to receive a Daily Reflection like this one in your email inbox each morning?  <\/p>\n

Here’s how . . . .<\/em><\/strong>
\nThis devotional comes from The High Calling: Everyday Conversations about Work, Life, and God <\/em>(www.thehighcalling.org<\/a>). You can read my Daily Reflections there, or sign up to have them sent to your email inbox each day. This website contains lots of encouragement for people who are trying to live out their faith in the workplace. The High Calling<\/i> is associated with Laity Lodge, where I work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Real, Basic Stewardship READ Psalm 8:1-9   You gave them charge of everything you made,      putting all things under their authority. Psalm 8:6 At this time of year, many churches focus on stewardship. For sixteen years as pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church, I would preach sermons on this core biblical theme. Yes, these sermons were…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1287","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sunday-inspiration"],"yoast_head":"\nSunday Inspiration from The High Calling: Real, Basic Stewardship - Mark D. 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Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1287","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1287"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1287\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1287"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1287"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1287"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}