The Blest Life

Define It!• Lots of money• Good Health• Good Health Benefits• Secure Future• High Paying Position In

a secure company

• Large IRA• Secure Retirement• Model Children, usually

a specific number• No Worries

• These are all Blessings, but are they a Blest Life?

• Pay Check to Pay Check• Chronic health

problems• Reducing health

benefits• Entry position at an

“iffy” company

• No IRA• No or diminishing

retirement• Lots of children with

some with special needs• One headache after

another

• Challenges many face daily

but can this be a blest life?

A Blest Life

• Whatever life we have

if we see it and all in it as

a gift from God!

What is every person given by God?

• Our gender• Our abilities• The family we are born into• The religion we profess• A face different from all others• A name called by God, different from every other

name

• These are our gifts, what we do with them defines our lives as blest or not.

• John Powell, S.J. wrote:• “There is an ancient tradition that God sends each

person into the world to deliver a special message, with a special song to sing, with a special act of love to bestow. No one else can speak my message, sing my song, or offer my act of love. They have been entrusted only to me.”

Three Convictions underlying the Pastoral:

1.Mature disciples make a conscious, firm decision, carried out in action, to be followers of Jesus Christ no matter the cost to themselves.

Our Current Challenge

•Does our church have more or less mature Disciples now?

•How do we get more?

Conviction Two

2. Beginning in conversion, change of mind and heart, this commitment is expressed not in a single action, nor even in a number of actions over a period of time, but in an entire way of life. It means committing one’s very self to the Lord.

Necessary Conversion

• God’s ownership of everything also changes the kind of questions we ask in giving. Rather than ‘How much of my money should I give God?’ We learn to ask ‘How much of God’s money do I keep for myself?’

Conviction Three3. Stewardship is an expression of discipleship,

with the power to change how we understand and live our lives. Disciples who practice stewardship recognize God as the origin of life, the giver of freedom, the source of all they have and are and will be. They know they are recipients and caretakers of God’s many gifts.

4 ways to get them there• This is a long term continuing process that demands we know

our place in the process.

• The Parable of the sower and the seed applies here.

• We must constantly sow the seeds of Stewardship and trust God to make them grow.

• Do we have the right Stewardship seeds in our seed bags and is there enough there?

• Encourage people to examine and interiorize these principles

• Are we giving them enough?

The 4 ‘I’s• The purpose of stewardship is to ask people to

participate with God at their parish through offering involvement opportunities, and instruction in biblical stewardship while encouraging intercession and involvement in the ministry.

• Lay out a vision of a sharing generous accountable way of life rooted in Christian Discipleship.

• Constant sowing of biblical principles and invitation to a fulfilling life journey.

• Present a vision people can take to heart and apply to the circumstances of their lives.

• To help people become rich before God we must show more than the ministry’s financial need we must sow a clear idea of what it is trying to accomplish.

Implications

• Parents must model a selfless service to one another, other children, to the wider community and those in need

• Cannot assume they know how to do this, we have to give them what they need to thrive.

• We must know the person/ s, find their passion, get their permission to share our ministry, share how they could best participate and encourage prayer about their response.

• Parishes must become true communities of faith where the Christian way of life is learned and practiced.

• Liturgy, Formation, Administration and Outreach.

• The Church must adopt sound business practices that are legal, open, consultative, collegial and accountable.

• People must know what we are doing

• Why are we doing it and

• How to plug into it

.

Danger

• Parochialism

• Counterproductive to the mission

• Adopt an outward vision in service to all in need

The Three ‘M’s’ of Life

• Mate/s

• Morals

• Mission

Modern Day Stewards• Luke 12: 42-44• Faithful & prudent• Understands the need to serve• Accountable to what is entrusted• See world as grandeur of God• Conscientious• Understands role of co-worker of God• Generous out of love as well as duty• Understand life is not always easy

Who are they?• CEO• CFO• COO• President• Pastor• Boss• Supervisor• Banker

• Stock Broker• Teacher• Parent• Sibling• Child• Friend • Believer• All

Whose Job is This

• This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

Genealogy of Faith

• Who most influenced you?

• What influence am I having on those coming after me?