Communion Wheat photo by Eric Fritch, Chinook Farms, St. John's Snohomish, WA
Stewards' Stirrings 
5th Sunday after Pentecost
Proper 10 - Year A
in the Diocese of Olympia
This is a resource here in the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia to help point to some stewardship themes in the weekly lectionary to make it easier to preach, teach, study, pray and speak about stewardship throughout the year.  

 

 

Refrain for Proper 10 Year A
Your word, O Lord, is a lantern to my feet,*
    and a light upon my path.


Click 5th Sunday after Pentecost Year A for a link to this Sunday's readings which include: Genesis 25:19-34 and Psalm 119:105-112; or Isaiah 55:10-13 and Psalm 65 (1-8), 9-14; and Romans 8:1-11; and Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23.

 

Gratitude requires truly receiving that which is given.  True reception of a gift includes utilizing it for its intended purposes. God lavishes us with the seven-fold gifts of the Spirit in our baptismal rebirth blessing us with the birthright of Christ.  Our readings this week address the reception of the gift of our blessedness, as stewards of our birthright as children of God.

 

In our first reading option from Genesis we hear of the birth of Jacob and Esau, twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah.  We hear as the story progresses that Esau, the elder son, forfeits his birthright for a bowl of stew to satisfy the hunger of his belly.  Jacob, the younger twin who has traded the stew for Esau's firstborn-son-birthright, understands the blessing of the birthright and positioned himself to receive it.  While we can't deny that Jacob took advantage of his brother, the fact remains that Jacob was appreciative of the birthright and Esau squander it to satisfy the immediate yearnings of the flesh.  This story is parabolic of our present culture with the ubiquity of marketing strategies to take advantage of instant gratification.  While buying an extra candy bar in the grocery check-out line or an making an impulse buy online while checking your email account isn't damaging in and of itself, it may be an act without restraint.  The pervasive and dominant culture of marketing desires as needs leads to acquisition to satisfy emotional desires.  Like consuming empty calories this practice only leaves us hungering for more, starving the soul for real nourishment. It is only later that Esau realizes his mistake and his soul is grieved. 

 

The option from Isaiah illustrates the beautiful reception of God's gifts which rain down upon the earth bringing forth fruitfulness as God intends the world to be.  The openness to receive God's gifts produces blessings upon blessings nourishing the world with the fullness of the gifts setting an example of how we are to receive God's gifts and utilize them for the good of the whole world. Then in our epistle lesson, Paul's exhortation to the Romans contrasts between living "in the flesh" which he argues leads to death and living "in the Spirit" which he posits leads to "life and peace."  The problem of a mind set on the flesh (such as Esau's) is a life set in a constant insatiable conquest that spirals in on self-centered self-service creating a barrier to reciprocal relationships founded in mutual love and care. Therefore, a life lived in the flesh is "hostile to God" and is less than God intends for us. Paul urges those who have been baptized by the Spirit into Christ not to forsake the birthright of living "in the Spirit." His exhortation encourages us all to be good stewards of the gift of God's Spirit and the freedom we have been given in Christ living in righteousness in the world. 

 

Jesus' Parable of the Sower in the Gospel lesson from Matthew this week is a rich text for stewardship.  First, note the context of Jesus utilizing the resources he had at hand to teach the crowd that had gathered. As the crowd forms around Jesus he realizes there will be too many people for them all to be able hear him so he gets into a boat and pushes off the shore a bit to take advantage of the broadcasting effect of sounds traveling across the water.  And the parable itself along with Jesus' explanation warns of the dangers of not fully receiving the gift of the word of the kingdom of God. The implications of the Parable of the Sower are timeless and show us that the gift of the good news about the kingdom of God is to be nurtured and stewarded in our lives continuously.  Just like soil that is not seeded, a heart left fallow can grow undesirable fruit.  We should not forsake the word in our own hearts, nor should we forsake sowing and nurturing the kingdom word in others. The "thorns" of the worldly cares and lure of wealth can choke the word of the kingdom in our hearts.  God's kingdom is founded on a theology of abundance and gratitude of God's providence.  Conspicuous accumulation of wealth and conquest seeded with greed are based in a theology of scarcity wrought with fear and denial of God's providence. Sharing of oneself and one's resources for the sake of establishing God's kingdom tills fertile ground in our hearts to yield peace and justice in the world as God intends for the whole of creation.  This is our baptismal birthright and anything less would deny our birthright as children of God.

 

How do you tend the word of God's kingdom in your heart and in the world?

 

 

Grace,  

Lance 


The Rev. Canon Lance Ousley 
Canon for Stewardship and Development
The Episcopal Diocese of Olympia
1551 10th Ave E.
Seattle, WA  98102
 
 
 
For more Stewardship resources go to TENS.org
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