FROM THE PASTOR
It’s About Taking Care of Our Home
Judy and I have done several major home improvement projects in the years since I retired from Rainbow Hospice. The first was replacing the second floor (“Judy’s”) bathroom. Taking the existing bathroom down to the studs was probably one of the most satisfying experiences of my life. At the end of the day I could truly see what I had accomplished.
We also updated our 1970’s kitchen with oak cabinets and black appliances. We freshened the basement guest room with new floors and a coat of paint. We replaced the last of the windows which were here when we purchased the house in the late ‘90’s. In the midst of the pandemic our contractor, whose schedule had been opened by a number of postponed or cancelled projects, was able to replace our deck.
This year we have begun re-landscaping the front yard. As I stood watering the first new plantings, the thought crossed my mind, “What will the new owners think?’ We’ve done all the improvement projects for our own enjoyment and convenience. We live on the deck at this time of year and the improvements we made in Judy’s bathroom were invaluable as she recovered from her various joint replacement surgeries. And certainly, we have no thought of selling the house at this time. (Judy says 10 more years.) But I have begun to wonder how our house will be received by those who own it next. Will they appreciate the changes we have made? What will they need to do to make this house their home?
Stewardship conversations begin by looking back, not only to “how have we been blessed?” but also to “how have we cared for those things with which we have been blessed/entrusted?” Have we been good stewards for the sake of the next generation? Good stewards of our homes and assets. Good stewards of our congregation’s resources – its mission, people, and property. Good stewards of creation – natural resources, animals and plants, air and water.
The call to be stewards is a call to take care of our homes – house, congregation, creation. As we continue our stewardship focus, consider the question, “How are we serving those who will follow us?”
Pastor John Schumacher, BCC