"A story is told of a certain pastor on a Sunday morning who encouraged his congregation to consider the potential of their church. "With God's help we can see the day when this church will go from crawling to walking," he said. This was a place where people spoke out in church. Several people called out: "Let the church walk, Pastor, let the church walk!" He continued with enthusiasm: "And when the church begins to walk, next the church can begin to run!" The people caught his enthusiasm and shouted, "Let the church run, pastor, let the church run!" Pastor was really on a roll now and said: "And finally this church can move from running to flying! Oh, yes, this church can fly! But of course, that's going to take a lot of money!" All of a sudden the congregation got very quiet. From somewhere in the back of the church a voice said: "Let the church crawl, Pastor, let the church crawl!"

(James S. Hewett, ed.,_Illustrations Unlimited_, p. 459 (mod.)

This, as you probably have guessed, is a stewardship sermon! As you have heard repeatedly, we are separating time and talent pledges from our financial pledges this year. If you haven't returned the former, please do – it is very important to us! You should be receiving a financial pledge form within the next ten days. Please spend time praying and thinking about what you might be able to give for the coming year.
We have had the special opportunity today to bless the covenant that Dan Sealy and Bryan Vinyard have made with one another. Any significant relationship, but especially a monogamous union with another person, must have deep roots in trust and commitment. Without trust there can be no sense of safety and contentment, the bedrock of a loving relationship. When two people choose to have the church bless such a relationship they are promising to trust one another for a lifetime. They are also trusting the witnesses gathered who are committed to supporting their relationship. Most important, however, they are trusting God to be there with them throughout their lives together. They are promising to be good stewards of their relationship with one another, with their community and families, and with God.
This year has been difficult financially for St. Margaret's. First, we had to replace the roof over the forum room. One roofer told us that he suspected that, had we not done so, the ceiling in the sanctuary would have fallen in the next few years. Had that happened we would have lost our lovely stained glass windows as well.
We then found black mold in the rectory basement…it required thorough cleaning, painting and re-pointing of the brick work of the foundation.
Finally, we learned that the windows in our condo in Sumner Village needed to be replaced and other necessary upgrades had to be made. In addition, they had to replace the elevator in the building. As we are on the fourth floor and there is only one elevator, our tenant, who is infirm, had to leave. We have had to pay the condo fees and the mortgage since July with no rental income to offset them.
Older buildings, particularly the church, 1830 and the rectory are lovely, but necessitate ongoing repairs. We are most fortunate that those who have come before us practiced a stewardship that produced a fund that has allowed us to pay for those repairs thus far. It cannot be tapped forever, however.
Pastor Meza of Chapel by the Sea, has said: "I am suggesting this morning that it is God's stewardship which we ought to call into question and examine. For none of us will ever rise above the level of our trusts. Trust is indispensable to all of life-relationships, including the relationship of stewardship." (Pastor Meza, "A Matter of Trust, Chapel by the Sea 1/17/96) Ultimately, the question all of us must ask honestly of ourselves: "Do I trust myself, do I trust my community and, most important, do I trust God?"
We have been called to be stewards of all that we have been given by generations before us, to use that which we have for the building up of the Kingdom….not in the distant future, but right now! I would suggest that, to a great extent, we are doing just that! Our doors are open four days a week to the homeless and our facilities are being used constantly by many non-profit and self-help groups. Further, we have been faithful for well over a decade in supporting a doctor in the village of Proteccion, Honduras. Who knows how many people were healed and lives saved of children and adults during that time, thanks to Dr. Waldo Madrid. These buildings are a sign of welcome and hope to all members of the community, not to a select few!
We need the help and prayers of each one of us to maintain this level of outpouring and giving. We have everything we need to continue with vigor to work with God to make the Kingdom a living presence today! Our staff has never been more efficient and kind, our leadership wise and extensive, and our relationships loving and warm. Our parish is not only diverse, but inclusive. I have told many of you of the quote I found the other day. It said: "Diversity is the mix, inclusivity is making the mix work!" (Copied) I truly believe that we are making the mix work!
The real issue, for each of us is "trust." Do I trust this parish to use the gifts I give it wisely? Do I trust myself and believe enough in myself to stretch further than I have? And, most important, do I trust God enough, the God who has given me everything I am and everything I have, to care for me?
I conclude with some words from Jim Puryear, our former seminarian: "Stewardship in its truest form is an ongoing exercise of love with God and God's creation. It is the richness of God's abundance flowing through us into the world. It is never weak-kneed. It is never neutral or blasé. It is relational in nature and never self-effacing in manner. It is a 'selfless' gift that states to all the world 'what we really care about most.' It is our vocation in God in every sense of the world."
AMEN
(The Rev. James Puryear, The Messenger, St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Venice, Florida. October 2006)