Wholistic Stewardship

When I was a child, a favorite series of books for me was The Borrowers. This series followed little people living inside the homes of full-sized people and all the adventures that came with “borrowing things” and going unnoticed so as to keep their existence comfortable and safe.

I have been a “borrower” as of late, learning about extending grace and dignity to mistreated people groups during two conferences in January. First came the Gay Christian Network conference in Portland, Oregon, and then basking in the wisdom of Nick and Claire Wolterstorff during the Justice Conference in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Add to these experiences the opportunity to absorb the refreshing and inspiring presentation of Marva Dawn from her book Keeping the Sabbath Wholly during Calvin’s ReGathering celebration. (You may notice I am “borrowing” from Marva and adapting a bit for the title of this blog.)

As I grow in years, the quantity of my questions is also growing—rather than resolving. How does one conduct him/herself in such a way to keep stewardship wholly? Does justice have a role in our stewardship practices? Are my stewardship practices self-serving? Are they promoting dependency rather than dignity?

A previous post on this blog addresses the idea that all our resources are gifts from God in various stages of abundance—placed under our care for purposes of advancing the kingdom, holy expressions of worship while caring for the global community.

When I consider what it means to fully embrace stewardship, I consider the new understandings of justice and the more holistic approach needed to redeem injustice. These are corollary principles for stewardship.

The holistic approach to stewardship, much like the call to act justly, demands that we ask the hard questions about the social or political structures that are operating in our communities which often cause injustice, fear and dependency. Justice has a role in our stewardship practices in that we are to respect all of God’s creation and treat others with dignity. A holistic approach to stewardship calls me to manage all my resources such that basic needs are provided to others without creating a culture of dependency.

How much easier is it for us to check the charity box and feel satisfied we have given rather than to investigate and pursue matters of justice. We prefer to give a gift, and often even expect favors in return, than to think deeply about matters of justice. We prefer to not investigate too deeply for fear that social and/or political change might impact our personal, comfortable situations.

Let’s be courageous enough to ask: Am I willing to surrender any of my comforts for the opportunity to bring greater justice into our communities? Am I willing to surrender my privileges for another’s safety and dignity?

I think we believers might agree that the real challenge gets personal. The real questions get personal. The real growth gets personal. But it’s all for a global purpose.
Along the way, we can find encouragement in the fact that we are prompted in this questioning by a God who holds the answers.

The “O” word

Four years ago a seed was planted by a friend of Calvin College!

A conversation began standing around a kitchen counter—sharing, praying, celebrating God's abundance. It was then I learned of the Stewardship Bible; now a daily part of my life. Years of disciplined reading the scriptures because it was a good habit has turned into eager anticipation of "what do YOU have for me today?" 

Reading the scriptures from a perspective of stewardship has made me familiar with the Greek word "Oikonomia." It is the root of the word for economy. More than that, it is a word that means "managing a household." All that is entrusted to me demands my faithful attention, my intentional watch of detail, my purposeful accountability. I like to think of all these perspectives as definition to the task I am called to, a task we are believers are all called to, that of stewardship.

Oikonomia was chosen with intention as the subject of this blog. Let's travel this road together. Enjoy, respond, change, adapt and join me on this journey of understanding stewardship. Those who know me know of my love for adventure; this journey is not for the weak of heart.