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January 14, 2008
When did stewardship become a negative word?
Communication is a fascinating subject. Deconstructing how we create a message, send a message and receive a message is a complex process. I'm also very interested in how words, specific words carry with them a perception that colors not only the message but the messenger.
Let's take stewardship for an example. Most of the people I talk to about stewardship have great hesitations on the subject. They have visions of someone beating the pulpit and demanding a tithe. Somewhere along the way the word stewardship evolved into something negative--a subject no one wanted to deal with or talk about or even discuss. And if you did speak of the subject you were considered old, outdated and definitely "uncool."
If I'm honest, I've thought the same things myself. But there is a larger reality that I think most people miss: No Money. No Ministry.
Stewardship is the life-blood of all that we do. It's the oil that keeps the machines runnings. It's the resource we use to supply the needs of the ministry we have been called to do.
That being the case, how can we begin to "re-seed" the story of Biblical stewardship so that it becomes more of a holistic approach to the Christian life and less an irregular fund-raising and capital campaign program?
Posted by bstroup at January 14, 2008 1:51 AM
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