Renewing Stewardship in Challenging Times

1. Renewing Stewardship in Challenging Times

2. Lectures • The challenging context for financial stewardship • Consumerism and Justification/Justice • Stewardship as Reformation • Stewardship as Spiritual Practice • Stewardship for the Next Generation

3. Definitions • Steward – manager of another’s property • Fundraising for the church • “… as everything we do after we say we believe.” (Clarence Stoughton)It is our living relationship with God and God’s creation. It is God’s un-conditional love and salvation through Jesus Christ, and the gift of grace through the Holy Spirit. (LSTC website)

4. Definitions • Stewardship means belonging to God, all that we are and all that we have comes from God (Mark Alan Powell- ELCA website). • … the summing up of the meaning of the Christian life. • A basic orientation to the world. • The life and work of the church DJH

5. Definition • Stewardship is a holistic way of life, that informs everything we do, more so it is a way of being, not doing. A joyful living out of a core Christian identity and discipleship. A living out of the abundance of God’s grace and provision in relationship to God, creation and one another.

6. Challenging Contexts

7. Post-modernism • Challenges objectivity, universal truths, ultimate principles or meta-narratives • Pluralism, individualism, relativism, skepticism, social constructivism • Fluidity of identity • Personal contexts rule

8. Negative Positive • $ is root of all evil • Save, Save, Save • Keep it at home • Don’t ask for money • $ tool for good, that enhances values • Can accomplish goals • Good to spend, endorse, shape values • Good to ask money for a good cause Personal values about money

9. Challenging Contexts

10. Changing role of Church • No longer social center • No longer only one providing social services – lots of worthy organizations • Graying of church • Rural churches 75% no longer here in 20 years • ELCA figures – approx. less than 2% of income

11. Passing the Plate – Smith, Emerson • 20% of all Christians give nothing to any charity • Lutherans give 1.7% annual income to all charities • Small minority of generous givers contribute most (look for median not average) • Top 5% mainline gives 57% of all charitable giving

12. Changing role of the Church Religion • A stretch here, but  • Compartmentalization of religion • Faith is about the spiritual, my relationship with God • It is not about MONEY, POLITICS, ECONOMY, ECOLOGY……..

13. Commodification of Religion • Religion is a thing to provide utility or meaning or desire to belong (to be consumed) • Disconnect between beliefs and practices, • Religious smorgasbord – pick practices but ignore beliefs behind those practices, abstracted and given new meaning • Cross as jewelry

15. Competing Religions - Consumption • Sacred Santa – Dell deChant • Consumption as the meaning of life, the basis of the ultimate legitimation, • A comprehensive way of being and living • Meta-myths of success and affluence • Seen as natural, as the way things are and ought to be • Shopping therapy

16. Competing Religions – Therapeutic Moralistic Deism • God exists • God wants us to be nice to each other • Central goal in life is to be happy and feel good about one’s self • God only needed to resolve problems (otherwise God is not on the horizon) • Good people good to heaven when they die

17. Prosperity Gospel? • Difficulties – biblical warrants • Is God’s economy truly one of reciprocity of quid pro quo?

18. Individualism – not individuality • Choices • Utilitarianism – payoff, return • Expressive – how my choices allow me to express myself • Self-fulfillment

19. Individualism • Sometimes sense of entitlement, exception and personal power

20. Individualism • Can abdicate responsibility to others • View problem as too big for one person • Get free benefits from corporate goals (collective action shirking) • Civil rights movement • Church giving

21. Individualism • It is MY MONEY, don’t talk about it • Shenandoah clip • OR • Individualistic servanthood/discretionary obligation – all that I have is from God or is God’s but no one, including God can tell me what to do with it.

22. ECONOMY – POWER OF MONEY • Questions – where is the economy? • Uncertainty about future • Fear/anxiety • Sense of scarcity

23. Compartmentalization of the economy • “The only social responsibility of a business is to make money.” Milton Friedman • “Selfishness is a virtue” – Ayn Rand • Place for the market economy • Is it good for the economy? Should we be asking other questions?

24. Money as taboo

25. Money as taboo • Private – don’t talk about it • How much do you make (pastors, teachers) • Shame, unworthiness • Anxiety • Addiction – how much is enough • Idolatry

26. Passing the Plate – relative deprivation • Christians have the resources to tithe, but tithing would cut into discretionary consumer items • [median credit card debt 2,200] • However, people perceive they do not have the resources to tithe • Partially status discontent driven by advertising

27. Consumerism • Major issue that needs to be addressed. • It will – next lecture