THE JOY OF GIVING – TIME, TALENT & TITHE
Fundraising campaigns are necessary. The Church is called to teach who Christ is, to renew God’s Church, to educate, to provide Shepherds & to take care of her Shepherds.
These are but a few reasons that each of us need to understand the meaning and importance of being Christian stewards and to examine our individual and collective responses to the call to be responsible Christian stewards.
DIE VREUGDE VAN DEEL – TYD, TALENT & TIENDE
Fondsinsamelingsveldtogte is nodig. Die Kerk word geroep om Christus te verkondig, om God se Kerk te vernuwe, om op te voed, Herders te voorsien en om haar Herders te versorg.
Dit is maar ‘n paar van die redes waarom elkeen van ons die betekenis en belangrikheid moet verstaan van wat dit is om Christen rentmeesters te wees en om ons individuele en kollektiewe antwoorde te ondersoek op die oproep om verantwoordelike Christen rentmeesters te wees.
A Christian steward can be identified as one who:
• Receives God’s gifts gratefully,
• Cherishes and tends to God’s gifts responsibly;
• Shares God’s gifts in love and justice;
• Returns God’s gifts with increase.
Stewards acknowledge that God is Creator and Owner of all and shares of their gifts our of love for God and one another.
As members of the Body of Christ, Jesus calls us to be disciples. This has astonishing implications.
• Mature disciples make a conscious decision to follow Jesus, no matter what the cost.
• Christian disciples experience conversion, life-shaping changes of mind and heart, and commit their very selves to God.
• Christian stewards respond in a particular way to the call to be a disciple. Stewardship has the power to shape and mould our understanding of our lives and the way in which we live.
Christian stewards recognize God as the Origin of Life, the Giver of Freedom, and Source of All. We are grateful for the gifts we have received and are eager to use them to show our love for God and for one another. We look to the life and teachings of Jesus, the model steward, for guidance in living as Christian stewards.
The Bible contains a profound message about the stewardship of material creation: God created the world, but entrusts it to human beings. Caring for and cultivating the world involves the following:
• The joyful appreciation for the God-given beauty and wonder of nature;
• The protection and preservation of the environment;
• The respect for human life – shielding life from threat and assault, doing everything that can be done to enhance this gift and make life flourish;
• The development of this world through noble human effort- physical labour, the trades and professions, the arts and sciences – Our work.
Each of us has a human vocation – our human role in carrying out God’s divine plan. Our challenge is to understand our role in this plan, and respond generously to this call. Work is fulfilling a human vocation. The Second Vatican Council points out that, through work, we build up not only our world but the kingdom of God, already present among us. Work is a partnership with God- our share in a divine human collaboration in creation. It occupies a central place in our lives as Christian stewards.
Stewards of God’s gifts are not passive beneficiaries, but collaborators with God. We are obliged to be stewards of the Church, collaborators and co-operators in continuing the redemptive work of Jesus – the Church’s essential mission. This mission, proclaiming and teaching, serving and sanctifying, is our task. It is the personal responsibility of each of us. All members of the Church have their roles to play in carrying out its mission:
• Parents, who nurture their children in the light of faith;
• Parishioners, who work in concrete ways to make their parishes true communities of faith and vibrant sources of service to the larger community;
• All Catholics who give generous support – time, money, prayers and personal service according to their circumstances – to parish and diocesan programs and also to the universal Church.
People who want to live as Christian disciples and Christian stewards face several obstacles. In the South Africa and other nations, a dominant secular culture often contradicts religious convictions about the meaning of life. This culture encourages us to focus on our pleasures and ourselves. At times, we can find it far too easy to ignore spiritual realities and deny religion a role in shaping human and social values. As Catholics who have entered into the mainstream of a society and experienced its advantages, many have also been adversely influenced by this secular culture. The struggle against selfishness and greed is almost constant; for many, it is harder today to accept the challenge of being a Christian steward. It is essential, therefore, that we make a special effort to understand the true meaning of stewardship and live accordingly.
The life of a Christian steward models the life of Jesus. It is challenging and even difficult, in many respects, yet intense joy comes to those who take the risk to live as Christian stewards. Women and men who seek to live as stewards learn that “all things work for good for those who love God” (Romans 8:28).
‘n Christen rentmeester kan gedefinieer word as iemand wat:
• God se gawes dankbaar ontvang;
• God se gawes verantwoordelik koester en voed;
• God se gawes in liefde en geregtigheid deel;
• God se gawes veelvoudig teruggee.
Rentmeesters erken dat God die Skepper en Eienaar van almal is en deel van hulle gawes uit liefde vir God en mekaar.
As lede van die Liggaam van Christus roep Jesus ons om dissipels te wees. Dit het verstommende implikasies.
• Volwasse dissipels neem ‘n doelbewuste besluit om Jesus te volg, ongeag wat die koste is.
• Christen rentmeesters ervaar bekering, lewensvormende veranderings van verstand en hart, en verbind hulle aan God.
• Christen rentmeesters reageer op ‘n spesifieke manier op die oproep om ‘n dissipel te wees. Rentmeesterskap het die mag om ons begrip van ons lewens en die manier waarop ons leef, te vorm en te vorm.
Christen rentmeesters erken God as die Oorsprong van Lewe, die Gewer van Vryheid en Bron van Almal. Ons is dankbaar vir die gawes wat ons ontvang het en is gretig om dit te gebruik om ons liefde vir God en vir mekaar te toon. Ons kyk na die lewe en leringe van Jesus, die modelbestuurder, vir leiding om as Christen rentmeesters te lewe.
Die Bybel bevat ‘n diepgaande boodskap oor die rentmeesterskap van die tasbare skepping: God het die wêreld geskep, maar vertrou dit aan mense toe. Om die wêreld te versorg en te koester, behels die volgende:
• Die vreugdevolle waardering vir die Godgegewe skoonheid en wonder van die natuur;
• Die beskerming en bewaring van die omgewing;
• Respek vir menslike lewe – beskerming van die lewe teen bedreiging en aanranding – en om alles te doen wat gedoen kan word om hierdie geskenk te verbeter en die lewe te laat floreer;
• Die ontwikkeling van hierdie wêreld deur die edelheid van menslike inspanning – fisiese arbeid, die ambagte en beroepe, die kunste en wetenskappe – Ons werk.
Elkeen van ons het ‘n lewensroeping – ons menslike rol in die uitvoering van God se Goddelike plan. Ons uitdaging is om ons rol in hierdie plan te verstaan en mildelik op hierdie oproep te reageer. Werk is die vervulling van ‘n menslike roeping. Die Tweede Vatikaanse Konsilie wys daarop dat ons deur middel van werk nie net ons wêreld opbou nie, maar ook die koninkryk van God, wat reeds onder ons teenwoordig is. Werk is ‘n vennootskap met God – ons deel in ‘n Goddelike menslike samewerking in die skepping. Dit beklee ‘n sentrale plek in ons lewe as Christen rentmeesters.
Rentmeesters van God se gawes is nie passiewe begunstigdes nie, maar medewerkers met God. Ons is verplig om rentmeesters van die Kerk, medewerkers en mede-operateurs te wees om die verlossingswerk van Jesus – die Kerk se noodsaaklike missie – voort te sit. Hierdie missie, verkondiging en onderrig, diens en heiligmaking, is ons taak. Dit is elkeen van ons se persoonlike verantwoordelikheid. Alle lidmate van die Kerk het hul rolle om te speel in die uitvoering van sy missie:
• Ouers wat hulle kinders in die lig van geloof koester;
• Parogiane, wat op konkrete maniere werk om hul parogies ware geloofsgemeenskappe en lewendige bronne van diens aan die groter gemeenskap te maak;
• Alle Katolieke wat volgens hul omstandighede ruim ondersteuning gee – tyd, geld, gebede en persoonlike diens – aan parogies- en Bisdomlike programme en ook aan die universele Kerk.
Mense wat as Christendissipels en Christen rentmeesters wil lewe, kom voor verskeie struikelblokke te staan. In Suid-Afrika en ander nasies weerspreek ‘n oorheersende sekulêre kultuur dikwels godsdiensoortuigings oor die betekenis van die lewe. Hierdie kultuur moedig ons aan om op ons plesier en onsself te fokus. Soms kan ons dit te maklik vind om geestelike realiteite te ignoreer en godsdiens ‘n rol te ontken in die vorming van menslike en sosiale waardes. As Katolieke wat die hoofstroom van die tipe samelewing betree het en die voordele daarvan ervaar het, is baie ook nadelig beïnvloed deur hierdie sekulêre kultuur. Die stryd teen selfsug en hebsug is byna konstant; vir baie is dit vandag moeiliker om die uitdaging te aanvaar om ‘ n Christenbestuurder te wees. Dit is dus noodsaaklik dat ons ‘n spesiale poging aanwend om die ware betekenis van rentmeesterskap te verstaan en daarvolgens te lewe.
Die lewe van ‘n Christen rentmeesters modelleer die lewe van Jesus. Dit is uitdagend en selfs moeilik, in baie opsigte, maar intense vreugde kom voor by diegene wat die risiko loop om as Christen rentmeesters te lewe. Vroue en mans wat as rentmeesters probeer lewe, leer dat “alles ten goede meewerk vir dié wat God liefhet” (Romeine 8:28).