April 23 - 29 , 2007

 SOLI/Update

  www.stewardshipoflife.org


Here is an archive column from 2006. Enjoy! --Rob Blezard



The Lessons of 'Financial Fasting'

Some demons can be cast out, Jesus instructed his disciples, only through prayer and fasting. It’s a teaching on the power of temporary, voluntary self-denial to energize us and focus our intention.

I relearned this recently when I began fasting once a week for a specific prayer concern. Though I envisioned enduring hours of hunger pangs, dazily dreaming of Oreos, Doritos and ice cream, I was pleasantly surprised to miss the food only a little. And far from feeling weak, I actually felt strong and centered.

By doing without I learned how little of what I consume I actually need for nutrition. I saw the degree to which my incessant nibbling and snacking arose out of pure habit, and not real hunger.

As an experiment, I expanded this to my consumer life, setting aside “financial fasting” days when I would simply buy nothing. When there arose an everyday need or want that would normally send me to the store –  say, for something I thought I needed for a recipe, a cup of coffee or soft drink while "on the road," or just to “stop by” any store for whatever – I resisted. I put the brake on impulse buying.

The lesson? A good chunk of the money I spend is just frittered away on junk I don’t really need, or even really want.

At the end of the financial fast, I felt focused, more powerful and in control of my spending. Some demons can be cast out only with prayer and fasting. For stewards, maybe financial fasting is a way to cast out the demon of overconsumption.

-Rob Blezard, editor and webmaster
 Permission is granted to publish the message for local, nonprofit use. Just include the following notice: "Copyright (c) 2006 The Rev. Robert Blezard, www.stewardshipoflife.org. Used by permission."

New This Week:

Shrinking the Footprint
Here's one of those gems of resources -- visionary, theological, practical -- all in one. It's the Church of England's initiative to cut down on energy and material consumption, that is to "shrink the footprint," of churches and communities. A few items apply only to Anglican churches, but there are tons of things to sink your teeth into. Go from thinking about doing something to devising an action plan to implementing a program. This website will help lead you. Click here for "Shrinking the Footprint, from The Church of England.

You Can't Tell a Giver by her 'Cover'
"Imagine those grade-school homework assignments where we have to draw a line to match one set of items with another. In this case, imagine the givers on one side and their gifts on the other. Could you match gifts and giver correctly?"." Click here for the latest weekly column by Pastor Dana Reardon. To read past columns, click here.


Brethren Witness: Our Environment
The folks at the Washington office of the Church of the Brethren have assembled a nice assortment of essays and other resources to help educate Christians about environmental stewardship. Click here for Brethren Witness: Our Environment, from Church of the Brethren. Peruse the page as you wish, but here are a couple of my favorites:
Our Fair Share Series talks about excessive consumerism.
Be(a/t)les Guide to Saving God's Good Earth is a creative look at problems using the titles of Beatle's songs.  

The Church's Call to Environmental Stewardship
"The biblical call to stewardship will lead us to foster quality of life. The quality of life that is measured only by material goods and economic factors is incomplete. Total quality of life must include the health and stability of the natural world, relative justice and peace for people, and the free and true worship of God Almighty. It is on this basis, on this biblical vision, that Christians are motivated to respond to ecological crises." Click here for “Three Layers of Environmental Preaching,” from the Lutheran Laity Movement for Stewardship Archives.