Pew bulletin
Fr Vijay’s sermon
“Giving from the Heart: The Joy of Stewardship”
(Luke 12:13-21; 1 Chronicles 29:10-18 & Corinthians 9:6-8)
Dear Church in Christ, today’s readings invite us into a deeply spiritual practice, not just giving, but giving with joy. Stewardship is not about obligation; it is about worship, gratitude, and trust.
In 1 Chronicles 29, we see King David leading the people in offering gifts for the building of the temple. After giving generously, David prays, “All things from you, and of your own have we given you.” This is the foundation of stewardship: everything we have is already God’s.
In 2 Corinthians 9:7, Paul reminds us, “God loves a cheerful giver.” And in Luke 12, Jesus warns us against storing up treasure for ourselves but not being “rich toward God.” From these readings, let me offer three simple truths about cheerful stewardship.
1. Stewardship begins with Gratitude.
David’s prayer is filled with thanksgiving. He recognizes that wealth, power, and resources all come from God. When we truly understand this, giving is no longer a loss, it becomes a response of gratitude.
Often, we think, “this is my money, my effort, my success.” But scripture gently corrects us: all we have is entrusted to us by God. Stewardship is simply returning a portion with thankful hearts. Gratitude transforms giving from duty into delight.
2. Stewardship requires Trust.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the rich fool who stored up wealth but forgot God. His security was in his possessions, not in his Creator.
Cheerful giving requires trust, trust that we provide, trust that we will not lack, trust that God’s economy is different from ours. Paul assures us, “God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance.” This does not mean we will be wealthy by the world’s standards, but it does mean we will have enough to share. When we give, we declare: “My security is not in what I Keep, but in the God I trust.”
3. Stewardship is an act of Worship.
Giving is not just financial, it is spiritual. It is an offering of our hearts. David and the people rejoiced as they gave. Their giving was worship. In the same way, every time we give whether money, time, or talent we are participating in God’s work.
There was widow in a small parish who lived on very limited income, each week, she placed a small envelope on the offering plate. One day, someone asked her, “why do you keep giving when you have so little?”
She smiled and said, “because God has never stopped giving to me.” Her gift was not large in amount, but it was rich in faith, she gave not out of surplus, but out of love, and with joy.
That is the kind of giving God desires. Not the size of the gift, but the spirit behind it. Dear church, stewardship is not about how much we give, but how we give. With gratitude, With trust. With joy. As we reflect on these readings, let us ask ourselves: are we holding tightly to what we have or are we offering it freely to God? Are we giving out of obligation, or out of love?
May we become a people who are rich toward God who give cheerfully, live faithfully, and trust deeply. And may our lives, like David’s prayer proclaim:
“All things come from you, O Lord, and of your won have we given you.” Amen.