What is your stewardship credo?

I was having a conversation with someone about the creeds -- the three ecumenical creeds to which many Christian denominations .

It got me thinking about the word "credo."  It means "I believe."  What is it that I really believe about this world and this life I am living?  Forget for a moment the ecumenical creeds that we can all recite together.  These were written with a lot of fighting and arguing because we all have a slightly different credo.  That is what we individually believe.

What do you believe about the nature of this world and how it works?  What do you believe about God and God's relationship to you and the world you inhabit?

The creeds we recite have an overarching understanding about the world: That it is one in which the Creator of the Universe cares for you and provides for your needs.  It is a world view which sees the primary work of God as bringing about salvation and reconciliation between God and God's people and among all God's people.  It is a sureness that God's Spirit is at work in this world, working through God's Word to bring people to faith and to the new life that God offers.

If this is truly what we believe, then we will be contributing to that work in the world.  We will be moved by the Holy Spirit to give toward the work that the Holy Spirit inspires in us.

We will share that message of God's salvation and put our resources to bear to that end.

We will be thankful for a God who has created us and sustains us and trust in God's continued support so that we can share generously what we have now.

I have long heard the phrase, "Put your money where your mouth is."  This should be true when we recite the creed.  It become more about putting your money where your faith is.

Lord, We give you thanks for all that yo do in this creation to care for us and sustain us and save us.  And we give you thanks that you have seen us as people of yours who are blessed to share in your work in this world.  Amen


Copyright © 2006, The Rev. Dana Reardon. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Email her at mspastor@aol.com.


The Rev. Dana Reardon is pastor at St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church, Warwick, RI.  A lifelong Lutheran, she came to ordained ministry after 21 years in nursing, mostly in pediatric intensive care.  She graduated from Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia in 1998 and served 4 ½ years in Upstate New York before becoming a New Englander.  She is still trying to understand the accent.  While in the Upstate New York Synod she chaired the Stewardship Team.  That began her fascination with what makes stewards -- and more, what makes for generosity. She has three amazing daughters: Pastor Reardon says much of what she knows of life she learned from them.