Pastor Craig's ConSpiritu Blog

The Stewardship sermon this week is ""All You Can: Stewardship in a Wesleyan Mode." "Wesley" as in John Wesley, the founder of the church revival movement in England that came to be known as Methodism. This week I will look at some of the things Wesley had to say about stewardship and giving. Here are some places to begin our exploration: The scripture is: Luke 16:1-12   John Wesley's Sermon, "The Use of Money" About John and Charles Wesley and the time in which they lived and worked. "Our Founder," John Wesley Tomorrow: Looking at Wesley's sermon. What might Wesley say to the financial and economic mess we are in now? Pastor Craig

Well, it's been a long week. It all began with a fire in our chapel following the 11:00 service. Only three of us were left in the church when we heard the smoke detector's shrill beeping. Our lay leader and his wife discovered the fire in the chapel, and we immediately shut all doors and called 911. We even made the news . Damage assessment is still underway, as well as clean-up.  The interesting thing in all of this is that I am in the midst of a sermon series on Stewardship. Our congregation is now faced with the opportunity of redesigning a new chapel that will be used by the generations that succeed us. Stewardship relates not only to what we do with what has been given us, but also with what we are passing on to those who will follow us. There was a poem written by Rebecca Parker, the president of Starr King School for the Ministry that I read in last Sunday's sermon that I share here now: Your gifts  whatever you discover them to be  can be used ...

So here are some things to ponder: How might the Ferengi from Star Trek , Yard Sales, Moses, Andor Foldes and a kiss help us to understand stewardship? Or here's another question: have you ever met a person who has never had a belly button? I knew of a woman once who had to have hers removed because of an infection. She was very self-conscious about it and never wore a swimming suit in public. But outside of that, belly buttons are ubiquitous. What do our belly buttons tell us about life? Just this: that we are not self-existent. We do not create ourselves. We owe our very existence to a billion forces and One Force beyond ourselves. So considering that, look at the following picture and describe what is theologically incorrect (besides the obvious fact that God is depicted as a big old dude with a long beard). Correct answers will be treated to a cup of coffee or comparable beverage of your choice at any of our fine establishments in Pocatello. Hope to see you in church...

This week begins a series of sermons focusing upon stewardship. I understand stewardship to be at the center of the Christian life and walk, simply because at its heart, stewardship is all about what we do with what we are given . In a nutshell, stewardship: recognizes our full dependence upon God for our existence reminds us that we are not self-made beings but are creatures of a Creator readjusts our thinking and acting accordingly reintegrates our lifestyles with our deepest beliefs and commitments in life. In his article, "The Attributes of a Biblically Generous Church,"  Michael Reeves refers to stewardship as involving our whole life. It's not just about money, but about what we do with our time, our gifts and talents, how we direct our prayers and thoughts, how we treat our neighbors and the natural world as well. At the core is the recognition of life - all of life - as a gift. In the Greek origins of the New Testament, one of the words for "gift"...

I extend a special welcome to all who are just now logging on to this new blogspot. Here is the drill: I will use this blog to share comments, thoughts and research for the coming Sunday's sermon. Each week there will be a new series of blogs. I encourage you to look up the scriptures, think about the subject, and send in your questions and perhaps a suggested story or poem or website or piece of info of your own. Then come to worship at either the 8:30 or 11:00 service at the First United Methodist Church in Pocatello, Idaho and see what emerges out of our blogging. I'll be back! Pastor Craig