"From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded." Luke 12:48

In the church, right before Thanksgiving and before Advent is the time known to most as stewardship season. It the time of year when churches go to their communities and ask for each household's financial pledge for the following year. Each church does this somewhat differently but with the same goal: to create a budget for the coming year that will match the dreams for ministry of the congregation. The church staff and those who are involved in the ministries of any given congregation are aware of the needs of their neighborhoods, the church members,and  those who seek solace within their sanctuaries.Most churches are also involved in ministries that take them far away from their own life experiences to places of great need in the world. Each community discerns this financial need through their understanding of God's call in the life of their church.

This year in particular could be a challenging time in the life of any church. As we see the great needs around us, we also see people in our community losing their jobs while others watch the money they had counted on dribble away. We simply don't know what the next year will hold from an economic standpoint. How might life be different this time next year, for instance?

The truth is we have never known the answer to that question. We can only speculate, act wisely and be prayerful in our living. As I have been thinking about these acts of stewardship which we make, I remembered my Mother's words to me which were actually the words of Jesus: "To whom much has been given, much will be required." She said it most often when I was complaining about something I didn't want to do, something I wanted to ignore. In saying it she always reminded me of the gifts of my life. Though those gifts were most often not monetary, she reminded me of the many gifts I had that others didn't….a loving home, adequate food, a good education, a faithful community. She reminded me that because of the blessings of my life I was asked to share myself with others, that I had a responsibility to share the resources of my life with the world.

In Eugene Peterson's interpretation of this scripture verse, he has Jesus sharing these words: "Great gifts mean great responsibilities; greater gifts, greater responsibilities! "  How we use what we have been given, some which we never worked to attain but were just passed on to us, is a huge responsibility. How we choose to share the bounty of our lives is also a gift.  A gift to be shared.