Stewardship

On Stewardship and Values

My grandfather was a fisherman. Not like John and James, whom Jesus asked to be fishers of men. He fished for money, and he fished to feed his family, living along the shore of the Raritan Bay. His wife and all 13 of his children.

In the early 1900’s, there were still plenty of oysters in the bay for summertime taking. And stripers and blues, and crabs. But as they began to wane, he’d move south, into the marshes and tributaries below Barnegat and down to Atlantic City.

Winters were spent close to home. He and his sons would go out on the Raritan Bay ice, with their horse and sled, and a hole saw. And they’d fish for ling and whiting, through the ice. Now salt ice is fractious stuff, not like pond ice. It’s full of air, and in a tidal bay, it’s rough stuff, too. Always moving and shifting with the currents.

This wasn’t easy work. Safest when it was coldest. 20 below, and they’d be out on the ice right after dawn. Sometimes as much as a quarter mile offshore. Cut the holes, and hunker down in the lee of the horse and sled. Scant protection from the wind and cold. And they’d wait. And they’d tend their lines.

By the time the tide shifted, 6 hours later, they usually had enough to feed the family for a day or so, and they’d head back in, the horse pulling the sled over the rough ice. If they were lucky, they had enough to sell, as well, to buy flour.

Grandpop was a simple man, living in hard times. But he knew what he valued. He valued his family. He valued his horse. And he had time for little else.

We are going through difficult times, today. Resources are tight. We hold onto that which we value dearly. Sometimes we are forced to compromise, to make sacrifices. But at the core of what we do remains what we value.

Values are at the core of this year’s stewardship campaign, at St. Luke’s. God knows, it’s tough making ends meet in this economy. Over the next two months, you’ll see and hear from members of the stewardship team, asking you to prayerfully consider your pledge to continue the work at St. Luke’s.

As you receive those communications, please don’t think about the money. Instead, think about what you value at St. Luke’s. Think about what you’d like to see more of, at St. Luke’s. Then consider how you might help make it happen.

The every member canvas will ask for your treasure: A pledge, prayerfully considered, to support the work of the church. Stewardship, however, is more than that. It asks you to think about what you value…what feeds you…what brings you back to Saint Luke’s, and to consider how both your treasure and your talents might contribute to its growth.

Now, my grandfather was a hard man. It’s likely the only time he uttered a prayer was while working his way back to shore over shifting, cracking bay ice. He wasn’t terribly clear about God, but clearly valued his family.

Stewardship asks that as we negotiate the shifts and cracks in our economy, that you be clear about what you value at St. Luke’s. And then, do what you can to help support it.

Yours, in Christ,

Jim Jarvis,

Stewardship Chair, 2009

Click here to read about the role of St. Luke's Church in the lives of Jim & Peg Jarvis and family!