Stewardship Committee

                           St. Luke's Lutheran Church

Marietta, Ohio    An ELCA Congregation

"Embraced by God's love, we connect, worship and serve."

Stewardship from Hearts and Hands

What the New Year May Bring

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January is a time for setting ambitious goals, at the personal level, professionally, spiritually, you name it. As someone in politics, I look forward to the "State of the Union" speech we hear in January each year. So just what state are we in in terms of our lives, our jobs, our spiritual health, our community? If you answered "Ohio" or "West Virginia," that's not the answer I was looking for!

I hope we can set goals that force us to stretch spiritually (more bible study, more consistent prayer, more outreach, more participation at church), and find ways to work our faith into our work life, our community efforts, at the gym, wherever we go. Can we share the "Good News" more often in the new year? Can we link up with spiritual mentors who can help guide our path, or can we serve as a spiritual mentor to someone in need or someone who lacks spiritual direction?

Do we have "Spiritual Deficit Disorder?" I guess that's a way of asking whether we're bringing the proper focus to making our church and our relationship with God the center of our lives. Sometimes we need a jump start to our battery, or a shock of recognition that stirs us from our spiritual slumber. Everything seems to be going along smoothly, but maybe we need to get beyond what's easy and comfortable and take a different path. In the fitness context, you realize you need to change up your routine as your body adjusts to the exercise you're doing regularly or you won't improve and get the aerobic benefit you're striving for.

As I tackle the tasks in my life, prayer has never been more important. Sometimes all of the noise around us seems deafening. Prayer provides the solitude we desperately seek. Prayer multiplied by our congregation and other true believers is amazingly effective as a force for good. It strengthens our resolve; it connects us with those in crisis or need and with our creator. If there is merely one goal that we achieve this year the top one would be greater faith through prayer. With that commitment, we'll receive the guidance we need to help the other goals fall into place...to be more giving, to be more kind, and to set a positive example for those who share the same goals with us. Again, this is what stewardship is all about---taking the many gifts God has given us and using them to transform our world for the better.

Andrew M. Thompson