Fulfilling the Promise is our stewardship theme at St Paul's this year. It is also a reminder that, with God's gift of free will, we have a choice each day whether to make the time, and the effort, to keep our promise; and that stewardship is a path toward keeping our end of our covenant with God. Fulfilling the Promise refers back to a promise that most of us had made on our behalf when we were baptized.

At baptism, we (or our sponsors) entered into a solemn covenant with God that set the benchmark for all that we are, and all that we do as God's children in Christ. While it would be impossible for most of us to recall those original promises, whenever we attend a baptism we get the chance to hear them again.

The creed that we acknowledge is the core of all that we believe as baptized Christians. The promises that we made are both incredibly straight-forward and devastatingly clear. When we are confused and ask, "What do you expect of me?" - the answer lies in a promise made a long time ago in a covenant that each of us made with our Lord, and He with us.

Will you continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers?
I will, with God's help.

Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?
I will, with God's help.

Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbors as yourself?
I will, with God's help.

Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?
I will, with God's help.

Our intent this year is to make our stewardship program help us to find a way live some of those promises.

Throughout the gospels it is clear that Christ was consistent in his message of the path to His Father's house. His love for the spirit of the holy scriptures and his example of prayer and meditation sets a tangible guidepost for getting in touch with the will of God. But most compellingly of all, His actions and deeds show that humble service and complete dedication are the fulfillment of God's will. Christ's message is clear that in order to be His disciple, we must get up off our knees and follow in His steps.

Stewardship is not necessarily easy. Last week's gospel from Matthew told Jesus' answer to a good person that was shockingly hard to accept. "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions… then come, follow Me". How do we respond to that? Is that really what Jesus expects of us?

Few people are blessed with the commitment and strength of a Mother Teresa, or the wisdom and charisma of an Archbishop Tutu - but we aren't here to wait to do great things but rather to continually do lesser things. The significance of our service isn't something that we need to worry about- but the consequence of our service is.

Stewardship means joyfully giving not thinking about the impact on us, but rather on its impact upon others. It means making a decision to share our time, talent, and money; it means sharing our compassion and love; it means offering our prayers and meditation, it means using the blessings that we have been given.

In today's world it is easy to get overwhelmed by the seemingly endless need of the people around us and around the world. It's almost a spiritual overload to think about what it would take to satisfy that need in God's eyes.

Our response to the discrepancy between our overabundance of privilege and another person's poverty should be to live in the awareness that all that we have is not our own - it is God's. We have the choice to live sacrificially in gratitude and continuous service. We have the opportunity to continually do lesser things that benefit someone else.

In a few minutes we will be kneeling in prayer - asking for forgiveness for our shortcomings and thanking God for His blessings. I ask you now, that when we get off our knees that we renew our promise to God and to get involved in service and dedication.

In a couple of days, you will be receiving a Stewardship booklet that talks about the various ways to participate in stewardship here at St Paul's. It talks about time, talent, compassion and, of course, money. Please think about the opportunities for service and plan to get involved. There is something there for everyone in every stage of life. It is a good time to get our youth involved in stewardship and this year we are reaching out to the youth at The School at Church Farm to supplement our own teen pool. The CFS administration and faculty are very enthused about the ability to take part in our programs and a group of us will be meeting next week to nail down some specifics.

Please read the booklet, and the handout in the back of the church, and think about which activities are of interest to you, and to your family, and let us know (by checking off the back of the commitment card) that you want to get involved.

In 2007, the cost of running the parish will most likely equal $35 per family per week - this is about the same as 2006. Last year, less than 20% of our parishioners pledged at this level or higher, and the reality is that in spite of tight control over operating expenses we need to raise more income.

It may not be possible for every parish member to make this contribution, but we need your support and ask that you consider the proportion of your fiscal bounty that you currently return to God's service. St Paul's is a living body that has a ministry to fill, and it has a place in our community. As part of this body, each of us draws from it for our own lives. And like any body, each part needs to work in concert together in order for the body to thrive.

Please think about your baptismal promise and our belief that with God's help all good things are possible. Then think about all the small ways that we can make a big difference and respond…

I will, with God's help.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact: Parish Office (610) 363-2363.