"She is such an amazing athlete. Her moves are so graceful." "His graceful dancing is a delight to watch." "The lines of that building are so graceful and elegant." Graceful is a word we use on a fairly regular basis, in a number of different settings, and yet we mostly fail to recognize the potential of its meaning. We associate it with elegance and poise and beauty. But we don’t always remember the theological roots of the word. That’s why, in case you hadn’t noticed, I took the liberty of modifying the spelling when I used it for the stewardship theme this year. To experience graceful living is to experience a life which is full of grace. The dictionary offers this as one of the definitions for grace: "a) Divine love and protection bestowed freely on people. b) The state of being protected or sanctified by the favor of God." A life full of God’s love is grace-full living. And the good news is that everyone everywhere has the possibility for such a life because God is fully present in every time and every place and every person. The question then is not whether our living is full of grace, but whether we pay enough attention to allow such grace to become manifest in our lives and make a difference.

This is a stewardship sermon. It is the first in a series of two. I hope that by the time I’m done we will have explored some of what it means to be a giving people. So, towards that end, it was a very deliberate decision to begin by focusing not on giving but on receiving. I am convinced that in all matters of faith, and that includes stewardship, our actions are in response to the primary action of God. We are encouraged and empowered to give because we have first received. That is, by the way, the theological rationale for placing the offering after the Lord’s Supper in our order of worship. As the bulletin reminds us each week, "Having received the gift of God’s grace, we are invited to respond by sharing our time, our talents and our treasures." We can give because we are truly wealthy people -- in more than merely a financial sense. It is appropriate, then, that we begin our consideration of stewardship by reminding ourselves of the many countless ways in which we have been abundantly blessed by God.

As the Hebrew people prepared to leave their wilderness wandering and enter into the promised land, Moses reminds them to always remember the source of their blessings. The "law of the tithe" establishes an annual ritual whereby the people might gather together to reflect on God’s presence in their lives. They were instructed to bring the first fruits of their harvest (the first and the best of what they have -- this is too important to leave until last and take care of with second-rate leftovers), and give thanks for another year of God’s grace. And they were to do this by having a party. "Spend the money for whatever you wish -- oxen, sheep, wine, strong drink, or whatever you desire. And you shall eat there in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your household rejoicing together." (Deuteronomy 14:26) With God in their lives they experience abundant living and it is out of that abundance that they give. Indeed one of the reasons they give is to remember their abundance and its source.

The apostle Paul makes much the same point to the church at Corinth. In writing to them about giving, he reminds them that "God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work." (2 Corinthians 9:8) When we trust that God will continue to be actively and lovingly present in our lives, we are free to build on that foundation by giving ourselves away. And the more we give ourselves away for others, the more we discover that God can indeed be trusted. Stewardship begins and ends with faith.

How have you been blessed? What do you do to remember your blessings? Does your life reflect a basic attitude of gratitude? There are certainly lots of ways to do this, but it is incredibly important that we begin to put at least a few of them into practice in our lives. Expand your awareness of your own grace-full living. When you sit down to a meal, whether by yourself or with family and friends, take a moment to truly reflect on the abundance of your living -- from the food you have to eat and those with whom you are sharing the meal, to the air you are breathing and the sunlight which illuminates and heats our world. When we share together in the Lord’s Supper during worship, be intentional about looking beyond the routine and experience anew the ongoing love of God in Christ. As the offering plates are passed (and it is no accident that we include offering as a part of our worship), regardless of whether or not you make a financial contribution, use the opportunity to thank God for the overwhelming grace which fills your life even when you aren’t paying attention. This week when you receive the stewardship packet, including the commitment card, take time to make it a worship moment. Do more than just examine your budget to see how much you can afford to give to the church. Spend some time pondering what God is doing in your life. I am confident that your life is grace-full -- it is full of God. Are you paying attention to the particular ways in which that is true? Don’t let another day go by without making an effort to notice, and give thanks.

"Previously, in this sermon series. . ." If this were a television show, that’s how this sermon would begin. This is part two in a two-part series focusing on the theme of stewardship. So, it will be helpful to spend a moment reviewing what we covered in part one. To sum up in one sentence what it took me about ten minutes to say last week, "We have been abundantly blessed by God." Well, OK, it’s not quite that simple. But almost. Recognition and celebration of the fact that we are the recipients of God’s abundant and ongoing grace forms the foundation upon which our stewardship responses are built. As I said last week, "I am convinced that in all matters of faith, and that includes stewardship, our actions are in response to the primary action of God. We are encouraged and empowered to give because we have first received." So, hopefully, you have spent some time this week reflecting not merely on your finances, but on the "grace-full" nature of your living.

Awareness of our bounty, however, is only the first step. In order for a gift to be fully appreciated, and, indeed, for it to be fully used, there must be some kind of response of gratitude on the part of the recipient. It is how we human beings are put together. Because we have been created in the image of God, we have, built into the core of our being, a need to give. I know that there are those for whom the whole business of stewardship is an uncomfortable subject. There are some pastors who avoid the topic, or try to soft-pedal it, or apologize when they absolutely can’t get out of it. There are some church members, or even outside critics, who complain that all the church ever does is ask for money. But I am here to tell you that I am neither uncomfortable nor ashamed about being a whole-hearted supporter of the idea of stewardship. It is important. Indeed, it is a vital aspect of faith. It is about so much more than just money -- it is about giving ourselves away in grateful response to the God who fills our lives with abundant grace.

Even if it were only about raising money to support the budget of the church, I would be committed to the importance of stewardship. This congregation has an important role to play in our community and our world. We make a difference through the various ministries which we support. People are fed and sheltered and given self-worth and made whole because of what we do. Opportunities for worship and study and spiritual growth are made possible because of what we do. The good news of God’s love is proclaimed on the Palouse and throughout the world because of what we do. And such efforts require funds to continue. If that was all stewardship was about -- it would be important to support.

But there is more, because stewardship is about more than money. At it’s heart it is not a financial issue -- it is a faith issue. It is about everything we do with everything we have. It is about the choices we make and the actions we take. It is about responding to God’s grace with an attitude of gratitude. Taking stewardship seriously is vital for our spiritual health. It need not be tedious or controversial. When we approach it from the right perspective it can be both exciting and fulfilling. The abundant gifts which God pours into our lives are most fully appreciated when we are able to be intentional about our response of gratitude.

“Remember to enjoy life and give thanks to God!” That is part of the message of Deuteronomy. “And remember to include everyone in the party!” That is the other part of the message. When we practice stewardship as a part of our faith, we are bound together into a rich and vital community with God at the center. And our experience within this community is enhanced because we are actively participating in the work of the community. Faith is a participatory activity and stewardship is one of the central ways in which we become fully engaged.

“Trust in God’s extravagant abundance!” That is the message which Paul offers to the church at Corinth. When we risk giving away some of our resources from the top of the pile, we are opening ourselves to experience the ongoing support of God. There is always something else we could be doing with our money, or our time, or our energy. But when I look at my own budget, where the first line is set aside for my stewardship response, I am reminded again and again that trusting in God is a lesson worth learning and a practice worth committing ourselves to. Money is important, and it can accomplish a great many positive things. But ultimately stewardship is about deciding what is of central importance in our lives. What are the guiding priorities around which our lives are organized? Money is simply one of the ways we talk about these choices. Choosing to give away some of our money is really about bringing all of our life into focus. There are always needs within the church which are easier to address with money in the bank. Indeed, it would be a wonderful challenge if the Budget Committee had to figure out what to do with a sudden infusion of extra funds. But as exciting as that would be, the real importance of stewardship will be seen in lives which are transformed when they are able to respond to God’s grace through their grateful giving. How will you respond?