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Stewardship 2015 Congregational Devotional – YP Reflects

Friday, November 27, 2015 
A Reflection by Nikhil Celly

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."- Matthew 6: 21

I have often heard and read these verses but have never really stopped to reflect on them. I did not think I had any treasure and certainly was not seeking ‘treasures'. Surely I was not a pirate or Alibaba or Indiana Jones seeking treasures. 

As life turned out, I ended up working in Hong Kong the last six years and was often alone there as my wife Mary was in Toronto. Being alone and lonely and at times depressed, I attended a church and joined various life groups in Hong Kong. In fact, that's where I became a regular church goer. Amongst the various activities, I
attended a course on Faith and Money where a question came up about what our treasure is? The most popular answers turned out to be our money and our time. I'm sure most would agree that this is the case. Where and how we spend our time, and what we do with our money reflect what is most important to us, in other words,
our treasure.

I led a bible study in Yorkminster a few years ago about Fear and how the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Preparing for the study required me to invest about 3-4 hours each week for about two months. This was a very small investment in terms of time, but was the most I had ever done in terms of ‘contributing' to a church or any activity that might be remotely termed ‘doing something for God'. As it turned out that small study benefitted me greatly. At the time I was still working in Hong Kong and travelling back and forth between Toronto and Hong Kong and fearful of being away. The study helped me to really identify that I only need fear God and somehow I found the strength to keep going and continue and with much less fear than before.

I followed up on that study two years ago and decided to start a Life Group-the Bay Street Life Group that my wife Mary and I lead in downtown Toronto. We have read the book of Job, Hebrews and Joshua since we started in March 2014. We only meet once a week on Fridays, and preparing for the study has again required about 3-4 hours of time each week, but the reward has far exceeded my expectations. Reading Job, Hebrews and Joshua has taught me to have faith, perseverance and patience and to know that God has plans for us- plans to prosper us and has already prepared the way for us. But of course, we have to do our part. Talks with our small group
members also confirm how much this study has impacted their lives and faith and trust in God.

As we go forward, I look forward to more opportunities to really put much more of my time (and money) to serving others and serving God. I truly believe this is what God wants each one of us to do - to store up treasure in heaven. A part of me however is selfish and I do admit Malachi 3:10 (NIV) best captures this:

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it."

Your Questions or Comments?

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Friday, November 20, 2015 
A Reflection by Warren Paddon

"Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you"-Luke 6:38 (NKJV)

Barbara and I were both brought up in wonderful Christian homes. Our parents were very generous with the limited funds that God had entrusted to them. My father was quite often talking about stewardship as it seemed to be a favourite subject for him. I guess that was one reason he was appointed to be the Stewardship Director for the BCOQ (now CBOQ) and then the Treasurer of the Convention.

It was ingrained in both Barbara and me that tithing and, even more, additional offerings, was something that a Christian should be involved in as thankfulness for what God had given to us.

While courting, Barbara and I were privileged to attend a spiritual retreat for a week and heard a Pastor talk on giving. He and his wife had increased their giving until (at that time) they were giving 45% of their income. What a challenge! We were able to talk together about giving even before we were married and sort out our thoughts and come to the agreement that we too wanted to regularly commit to tithes and offerings in thankfulness to God.
We have been blessed over the 57 years of our marriage and God has been very real to us, lighting our path daily through many difficult times.
Douglas LeBlanc, a religious writer from Virginia, tells this better than I ever could-

"As we open our otherwise tight grip on what we think of as our money, we begin to realize it has come our way only by the grace of God. As we draw closer to people who need the compassion of Christ, we end up, perhaps even unwittingly, drawing closer to God. It is all God's idea and work, ultimately, but we may choose to become His instruments."

Your Questions or Comments?

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Friday, October 16, 2015 
A Reflection by David A Dorapalli

In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, 2 the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Genesis 1:1-2 (NRSV)

The opening verse of the Bible is indicative of God's creation of time, space and matter. These are basic categories of human existence, and they exist as the framework of the world in which we live. There are different attitudes to the stewardship of time in different generations. It is essential to understand our presuppositions, and to acknowledge that it is not possible to speak on the stewardship of time without an erstwhile commitment, or a particular perspective of time.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 (NRSV)

The Christian faith takes time seriously. It is God who creates time, and secondly, time is the context in which God reveals himself, and participates in time especially in incarnation. In Judeo-Christian thought, there is one world whose history begins at one point and which moves towards an end, and God's purposes are worked out in time, leading to the eternity with God. Time belongs to God and is filled with a sequence of events with purpose, meaning and destiny.

Time as Relational

Time, for St. Augustine is not an absolute. Time is real and present. He finds the most satisfying answer in terms of relationships-not the external relations of bodies, but instead the internal relations of the soul. Time is essentially a process of mental comparison. It is with the mind we measure time. We are able to know time precisely because it is a capacity of the person, a function of the soul. His interpretation of time is consistent with Einstein's relativistic view of time. Just as there is no space without an object, so too there is no moment without an action. Time is the form and shape of our actions and we must talk of time for whom.

Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy. Exodus 20:8 (NRSV)

Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even in plowing time and in harvest time you shall rest. Exodus 34:21- 21 (NRSV)
And, just as space is filled with creatures and matter, time was filled with days; six days for work, and one Sabbath day. Theologian Brian Edgar says that Sabbath was a time to be rather than to do, and this time was always of greater significance. It was a special day of God's creation. It was a day of rest, not because of exhaustion; but a rest-day in which God appreciated his creation.

This time of resting-in, and appreciating the world, and its creator was to be equally important for children of Israel. Even in the busy times, the Sabbath was to be observed. It was a provision from God incorporating the principle of rest and the appreciation of God, humanity and the creation.

Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the Sabbath Mark 2:27 (NRSV)

However, the significance of Sabbath takes on a new meaning in the ministry of Jesus. It meant a revolution of the understanding of time. In the Old Testament, the idea of Sabbath can be paralleled to the idea of tithe. Just as tithe represents a certain proportion of material possessions being dedicated to God, Sabbath represents the use of time for God. Jesus radicalizes the two concepts. Jesus could not affirm a theology of the tithe, as it was practiced then, because it implied a misunderstanding of the call of God on the entire resources of the disciples. Jesus could not suggest in any way that it was enough to offer ten percent to God while retaining ninety percent for oneself. His claim was on everything. In the same way with Sabbath - there cannot be the merest suggestion that only one part of the week belongs to God. The reality is that all times are God's times, and the Sabbath is to permeate every part of life. Every day is an opportunity to acknowledge God.

Time and Wealth for Others!

A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; 25 it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household! Matthew 10:24-25 (NRSV)

Jesus refers to the community of his disciples as ‘his household". So, we imagine also the tasks and responsibilities of our church-life as "housework": ordinary things as preparing meals, washing dishes, paying bills, and taking care of others, which involve both time and energy. Whether it is Lord's Supper, baptism, or preaching, it is a kind of housework in many ways. And, housework by its very nature is repetitive. There are a lot of common tasks that disciples must perform with diligence especially caring for the others. Disciples do the kind of things that they saw Jesus doing. Therefore, they will also not escape the difficulties that beset their teacher, Jesus. Enemies will slander just as they slandered Jesus. But they must fulfill the call fearlessly, and at the same time be keenly aware of the real harm.

But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kinds, and neglect justice and the love of God; it is these you ought to have practiced, without neglecting the others. Luke 11:42 (NRSV)

This verse construes loving God in terms of proper use of wealth. "Love of God" which the Pharisees are said to neglect refers most likely not to emotive affection, but specifically to concrete actions that demonstrate piety. Jesus denounces their vigorous cultic piety which is not accompanied by justice to the others; the poor, widow, and orphan. We learn that sharing our wealth is an expression of justice and Love!

Therefore it becomes important for us to ask God to help us with wisdom and strength as we partake in the great ministry by sharing our resources of wealth labor, and time.

Your Questions or Comments?

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Friday, October 9, 2015 
A Reflection by Ananda Sinnadurai

Stewardship is responsibility and management of a resource. Stewardship is the way values, time, energy, aptitude, skills and resources are utilized. God created everything and made us stewards of our world. Genesis 1:27 - 29. 27 "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth." 29Then God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you;…"

Psalm 90: 12 says: "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." Our days are numbered so our time is limited, thus we must show good stewardship of our time here on earth. Stewardship of time shows responsibility and management of time as a resource. Anything we want to do we can do through Christ, no matter how difficult the task is. Philippians 4:13 "For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength". Christ works through us; we must align our purpose in life with Christ.

Stewardship of time is more than managing our time. It is about clarifying our values and prioritizing our activities to support our values. To know what activities to do we must always ask these questions. What are our values? What is our purpose in life? What is our responsibility to ourselves, our families, our local communities and the global community?

All we have is ourselves, our potential and the time allotted to us when we come into the world. Parents, Spiritual Leaders, Teachers and other caring adults have to help us learn values, find a purpose in life, carve a path in life, find ourselves, find our place in society. At the end of our lives the question will be: Did we live a meaningful, significant, productive and inspirational life?

God gave us responsibility take care of the earth and all life on earth. So any task no matter how small that helps the earth and life on it is good stewardship of time. All acts of services that change another person's life for the better is good stewardship of time. Utilizing our values, time, energy, aptitude, skills, and resources to make the world we live in a much better place is good stewardship of time.

I am personally reminded of how important is the stewardship of time when I reflect on the life of my dear son, Immanuel. His life was tragically cut short in an accident when he was only 18 years old. We are not guaranteed a certain number of days or years on this earth. Therefore, the use we make of the uncertain time God has granted us is very important. Thankfully, Immanuel used the gift of time for God's glory and honour. Up until half an hour before he was struck on his bicycle he had been working as a full-time Christian summer camp counsellor. What a comfort it is to know that he was wisely using his time in God's service. How even more tragic his loss would be had he wasted the few short years of his life simply pleasing himself, or remaining idle.

You and I don't know how many days we will be granted in this life. Therefore in conclusion, it is not a matter of how long you lived, but how well you lived. Did we live a meaningful, significant, productive and inspirational life? Did we use our time wisely? Every day we wake up and realize we are alive is a very good day so what we must ask ourselves is this: "What can I do today to make myself, others and the world better? True stewardship of time is about using that time in service for God. As Paul wrote in Romans 14:8 - "For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord; whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's."

Your Questions or Comments?

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Friday, October 2, 2015
A Reflection by Rosemary Aubert

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. - Ecclesiastes 3.1 KJV

Time is a great gift of the Lord. It is life. It is the space in which we know and love God, in which we try to learn His will for us, in which we accept, with humility, the wondrous world that He has allowed us to call home. For this reason, stewardship of time is of consummate importance.

In thinking about stewardship, wise and fruitful use, we can think of four organizing principles that allow us to make the best use of our time.
The first principle is to set priorities. Our greatest priority, of course, is to follow and serve the Lord. Then come our responsibilities to ourselves: to protect and maintain our physical health and our mental well-being. Next comes our family and our friends, our jobs, our citizenship in our own country and in the world. We must use our hours and our days to meet these priorities.

The second principle is to achieve balance in our use of time. It is easy to become obsessed with our work, our home, sports, hobbies, friends, the outdoors... The list, of course, is endless. But stewardship means that we use our time in a way that each aspect of our life receives the allocation of time appropriate to it, to the whole, and to our commitment to serve God.

The third principle of the meaningful stewardship of time is to establish routines. An orderly life, one in which each task has its allotted place means that no time is wasted trying to figure out what to do when or next.

Finally, the fourth principle of stewardship of time is to allow spontaneity. No life should be so constrained that there is no room for the unplanned, the surprising, the unexpected, the gift of God that we call joy.

There is a time to every purpose under heaven. The time is always now when the purpose is gratitude for every moment we have been granted.

Your Questions or Comments?

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Friday, September 25, 2015
A Reflection by Michael J. Wills

Nick Kyrgios, the current enfant terrible of the tennis world, has a tattoo on the length of one arm which reads: "time is running out". Commentators, growing weary of his behaviour on-court, interpret it to mean that he is running out of time to become a great player, suggesting that he might never make it. Kyrgios probably means it as a reminder to himself to live life to the fullest since life is short. Become the best you can be in your chosen profession or calling, or have the most fun? Or can we do both?

I can relate to this issue as I have enjoyed a leisurely summer, playing tennis, cycling and enjoying the company of friends and family. Not exactly riotous living by Kyrgios' standards but definitely more towards the fun end of the spectrum. Then in mid-August I started a one-year full-time contract that involves a long commute. All of a sudden my life was turned up-side-down. Two hours commuting, an 8-hour day 5 days per week, organizing for shopping and meals...welcome to the real world! And I don't even have kids to bring up! How do working couples manage to do it all?

Obviously I have to become much more efficient, but I'll also have to give up some things. James (chapter 4 verses 13-17) has a few things to say on the subject:

Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money. "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.

I understand this to say that much of what pre-occupies us is trivial, and lasts no longer than an early morning mist that vanishes with the rising sun. I need downtime, but do I really have to watch so much tennis? And follow each day of the Tour de France? Probably not! Instead I should try to discern the Lord's will for my life and follow it. Where do I find meaning? What nurtures my soul? What doors have opened for me recently and what happened when I ignored them? What happened when I went through them?

For me, the real zinger in James 4 is the last sentence: Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins. In a similar vein, the ethicist Peter Singer writes in Writings on an Ethical Life: We are responsible not only for what we do but also for what we could have prevented. We would never kill a stranger but we may know that our intervention will save the lives of many strangers in a distant country and yet do nothing. We do not then think ourselves in any way responsible for the deaths of these strangers. This is a mistake. We should consider the consequences both of what we do and of what we decide not to do.

I'll let Paul have the last word: Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received from me, or seen in me - put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 3, v8)

Your Questions or Comments?

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Friday, July 10
A Reflection by Ken Little

When thinking about our privilege and call to be stewards of the world in which God has placed us, I like to bring the conversation back to Jesus… and to the poor.

Jesus and the world
It is too easy for us to position our care of creation to be virtually the same as the environmentalist who is concerned about the way in which some human activity can negatively impact the natural world. However, as Christ followers, we have a much richer and deeper foundation from which to think about the world in which we live.

The Biblical case for care for the environment places humankind in the center of the action. In Genesis 1:28, we read… God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground." Humans have the God-given right and responsibility to rule over nature. But this ruling is not to be one of exploitation but of care giving. (Genesis 2:15) The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
And the way in which we interact with nature can be a joyful expression of our relationship with our loving Father for "the earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it." (Psalm 24: 1)

I love the way in which Colossians 1:15 - 17 teaches us about the central role of Jesus in the created order. Not only is Jesus our Saviour and Lord in terms of our salvation and walk of faith, but "15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

The implications of this are profound. Jesus is the beginning and the end, the source and the sustainer of the created world. Without Jesus Christ, the universe would disintegrate into chaos and nothingness.

So, is it stretching the point to frame our interaction with the created world in a way that sees our efforts to rule over and care for the world as working together with Jesus our Saviour in His sustaining work in the universe? I don't think so. Caring for the world is one way in which we can express our faith in and our faithfulness to Jesus our Lord!

Jesus and the poor
In my travels around the world as a Senior Project Manager with World Renew (the disaster response, community development and justice department of the Christian Reformed Church in North America), I am able to see firsthand the tremendous inequality of our modern world. And I am privileged to be part of a Christian response to hunger and disaster.

Just as we can see our engagement with the physical world as a partnership with Christ in His sustaining work, we can see our involvement in compassionate response to the poor as partnership with Christ as He guides us to love our neighbours as ourselves.

Pope Francis just issued an encyclical letter in which he reflects powerfully on the Christian responsibility to care for the earth. It is a document that all Christians should be familiar with, and is well worth the read.

On June 22, Harvard Divinity School Professor Ahmed Ragab wrote about the encyclical letter, "Adding to a traditional framework that locates religious views as necessary to provide a moral compass for the evolving science, the encyclical posits the Church as the voice of the poor and questions the inequality inherent in contemporary scientific production.

This orientation toward the poor and toward issues of justice and equality constitute the document's most important contribution, and frames the questions that it poses to all of us. The pope declared that ecological problems must be seen through the lens of inequality, poverty, and historical relations in a post-colonial world."

Creation stewardship is more than just care of the physical world. It is care for the environment in a way that understands the impacts of resource development and climate change on the poor, who often live on marginal lands where changing weather patterns may cause a famine or in contexts where the next flood may destroy their homes.

May God help us all to be fully engaged, as Jesus followers, with our world in the way Jesus is engaged, both in caring for creation and for the poor, so that God's Kingdom may come and His will be done on this earth.

Your Questions or Comments?

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Friday, July 3
A Reflection by Inga Fjuk

"At the age of eighteen he experienced a profound conversion, that is, a radical change of mind and heart when he saw a bare tree in the middle of winter standing gaunt and leafless in the snow. Anticipating the miracle of that same tree burgeoning with new life the following spring (he) was overwhelmed by ‘a high view of the providence and power of God' which never left him and which kindled in him an intense love for God." - Introduction to The Practice of the Presence of God - Brother Lawrence 1611-1691

A few weeks ago in Peter's sermon on creation he talked about how often Jesus chose to be in nature when he communed with His Father. I have read the stories many times... Jesus on the lake, in a boat with his disciples, Jesus getting up early and going outside to pray, using nature references in His teachings... rocks and soil, sparrows and lilies. But suddenly I realized as never before how much nature, creation, was part of Jesus' life. So how much more do I need to pay attention, and care about God's creation!

I read an article by David Rhoades, Professor at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago, who helpfully explains that a steward is not "an owner, but one who has responsibility to an owner to treat property with care and respect." And this applies to creation, as much as any other gifts I have been given... talents, money, possessions, time.

But this can seem like such an impossible task. What can I possibly do to make any kind of difference? I am often in such despair when I read about and see the terrible ways we have destroyed God's wonderful gift to us. Global warming, pollution, soil depletion, forests destroyed... the list goes on. And I see what terrible consequences there are to so many millions of people all over the world. What can one person possibly do? There are some people who have been given a great gift and a calling to speak out about these things and they are able to make significant changes. I think we should as much as possible support them, encourage them, and pray for them.
But what about me? What about you? In the same article David Rhoades reminds us that each of has "a small piece of creation". So I ask "what is my small piece of creation for which I am responsible?"

My little part has often involved food, feeding people, as some of you know. Jesus shared food with others as well, blessing the little boy's home made picnic, eating with friends, symbolically sharing a meal with his disciples. Food is a gift, part of God's creation, to be treated with reverence: respecting and caring for the earth that provides it: honouring those who grow, harvest and provide. Sharing freely with others. Always with thanksgiving and always keeping in mind those who have none. I believe it is good to eat seasonally and locally as much as possible. To eat simply - Michael Pollan says (and I really like this) "eat food, not too much, mostly vegetables"- and with
a thankful heart.

Peter talked about "nature deficient disorder." May I, and all of us, spend time often in quiet communion and contemplation of nature, God's creation (If Jesus needed to do this, how much more do we!). And as a bare tree spoke so eloquently to Brother Lawrence, may we let His Spirit touch us through His wonderful gifts and may we treat them with care and respect. One more thought. It is good to appreciate and thank God for his wonderful gifts in creation. But sometimes I just feel a bit uneasy about how I am so much affected by the weather, by what's going on in nature... the sun is shining, it is mild, no icy sidewalks, no freezing rain, or strong winds... I am full of joy. Then I find myself thinking about Paul and Silas "... after they had been severely flogged they were thrown into prison... about midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God and the other prisoners were listening to them." (Acts 16)

I want my true joy to come from the Lord, no matter what the weather or my circumstances. May creation always bring me back to the Creator.

Once more Brother Lawrence:
"The time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer, and in the noise and clutter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great tranquility as if I were upon my knees at the blessed sacrament."

Your Questions or Comments?

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Friday, June 28
A Reflection by Noel Davidson

Stewardship should make us Our Brother's Keeper

I have always taken the literal definition of "Stewardship" personally, and by Stewardship, I mean the caring responsibility for your fellow-man. In North America today, the diminishing positive presence of men of African and First Nations ancestry in Canada, is masked by a few things: the election of an African-American President, the prosperity of a few rich black entertainers and sportsmen, the profitability of First Nations casinos and, finally, the First Nations Land Management Regime. According to the survival and prosperity index, the forecast for Native and Black male children in the USA and Canada betrays ominous signs of a lost generation of men. There is also mounting evidence that the African male in the Americas should sooner qualify as the more endangered of the two.

One promising sign has been the long legacy of Baptist advocacy against injustice and for social relevance. So, I was pleased to hear from Rev. Dr. Peter Holmes about his support for our Native Canadian families and the victims of the residential school system.

To watch in a trance-like manner, the "guns of justice" extinguish the life of unarmed citizens and to witness the stony silence of the seemingly indifferent and unaffected, is not only heart wrenching, it is enough to shake the foundation of hope.

As someone with close family members in the Canadian law enforcement ranks, I understand some of the many challenges that come with protecting our at-risk communities. However, it is traumatic to witness young men being gunned down at the hands of those sworn to serve and protect them. The frightening conclusion, it seems, is that if you match a certain ‘narrow' profile you are not considered worthy of living.

I am reminded of the eulogy for the four girls who were murdered in the Baptist church in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. cautioned us to be mindful of the comforts of indifference and apathy. He said the victims had something to say to every one of the ministers of the gospel: "I want to believe they have something to say to us in their death. They have something to say to every minister of the gospel who has remained silent behind the safe security of stained glass windows...." Regarding all the murdered, missing and mistreated children, Dr. King has left several messages to all of us today.

"It may well be that we will have to repent in this generation. Not merely for the vitriolic words and the violent actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence and indifference of the good people."

Mis-Education: From Dropout to Missing Man

According to a 2006-2008* PR News Wire report, nearly 23 percent of all young Black men aged 16 to 24 who have dropped out of high school are in jail, prison, or a juvenile justice institution in America - this from a disturbing new national report released very recently, on the dire economic and social consequences of not graduating from high school.

Students who drop out of school are more likely to end up as criminals. Black students were three times more likely to be suspended than White students in the 2006-7 school year, according to data released to the Star newspaper by the Toronto District School Board. Black students make up only about 12 per cent -- about 32,000 -- of high school students in the Toronto public school district, yet account for more than 31 per cent of all suspensions. In recent years, the Toronto board recognized that Black students were not doing as well as others, and were dropping out at a higher rate. It is somewhat encouraging that, once pegged at about 40 per cent, their dropout rate is now down to about 23 per cent (Quan, Toronto Star).

Many men of African ancestry find it extremely difficult to secure the tools to participate in a productive and meaningful way in their homes, with their families, and in their communities. While there are many studies that assign causes and effects, blame and responsibilities to this tragedy, I want to reference this complex issue through the bite-size lens of personal and collective investments in education. Education for all children is essential, but to rescue the endangered ones -- the ones at risk of giving up on finding productive means of earning their living; the ones most desperately trapped by a lack of options -- requires a Christian mission similar to the one that saved me.

Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 1 Peter 4:10

I am a Baptist today because of the body of work executed by missionaries in the field, who were truly fishers of men: efforts that, through Christian stewardship, engaged a community and a country in exerting themselves to save all children at risk, particularly children in poverty.

Missing

In New York City, almost 120,000 African-American men between the ages of 25 and 54 are missing from everyday life. In Chicago, 45,000 are missing; and more than 30,000 are missing in Philadelphia. Across the US South, hundreds of thousands more are missing. They are missing largely because of early deaths or because they are in prison. The scale of this combined toll is jarring. It is a measure of the deep disparities that continue to afflict African-North Americans. In addition, due to the high incidence of African-Americans killing one another and being killed by the police, many homes are being parented by only a mother, and entire communities now find themselves with insufficient men to be husbands, fathers, and mentors.

The United States has 5% of the world's population but 25% of the world's incarcerated population, with over 7.3 million on parole, probation, in jails, in prisons, or under some form of correctional supervision.

Discarded

"The Census estimates that approximately 18.5 million people in the US population are Black males, of all ages.... The Bureau of Justice Statistics' National Prisoner Statistics Program reports that [in that same year,] 526,000 were in state or federal prisons and, as of mid-year 2013, 219,660 were in local jails, making a total of about 745,000 behind bars."

To give a lens for viewing this data: India is a country of 1.2 billion people, with a total prison population of only around 380,000 prisoners. In fact, there are more African- American men incarcerated in the US than the prison populations in India, Argentina, Canada, Lebanon, Japan, Germany, Finland, Israel and England combined.

Stewardship Activism and Action for 2015

Maybe you don't know how to, or want to, engage in any of these issues at the moment; but if you should feel an urgency to help, please consider at least one of the following ways in which you could be part of the solution:

1. Volunteer at Youth Unlimited (Jane & Finch) to be a mentor for a child in need of a role model. yunorthyork.com/our-team/staff/

2. Visit a young person in prison looking for someone to care.

3. Support or join our mission team to Oneida First Nations Reserve be a part of the healing.

4. Volunteer as a support teacher at my high school alma mater (Calabar High School founded by the Baptist Union of Great Britain 1912) in Jamaica, where the efforts of Baptist missionaries afforded me an opportunity to succeed. calabar.org

5. Speak up and speak out against the Toronto Police Services practice of "Carding" young men of colour in Toronto. ‘

Carding

Carding is a practice in which police officers stop people, primarily young men and take their personal information, even when they are not suspected of a crime. "Black" and "Brown" young men resident inside economically depressed communities, or visiting affluent areas of Toronto say they are frequently and disproportionately targets of "carding". While we must support the difficult effort of the police to keep all of us safe, and to serve and protect all citizens in very challenging circumstances. There must be an alternative mechanism to gather vital information about criminal activity without removing the dignity of the law-abiding.

"The police have implemented a carding system where members of the police forces stop, question and document people during non-criminal encounters on the streets. The information is stored in a database. This in the eyes of many young people, this is the creation of a criminal record. Statistics about carding in Toronto tell us that people who are black or brown are more likely to be carded than whites. Essentially this means that a brown or black person is more likely to be seen as suspicious by the police than someone who is white.

During our meeting on visual minority youth and the criminal justice system, Emma Rhodes of the Canadian Council of Criminal Defense Lawyers told us that "rates of carding are highest in racialized communities, and these youth report that they are often searched during these stops and that they feel criminalized by this process."

Research conducted by Robin Fitzgerald and Peter Carrington suggests that there has been a disproportionate visible minority youth contact with the police. Their paper on the issue concluded that racially discriminatory policing may explain why visible minority youth are more likely to come into contact with the police. The consequence of having a segment of the youth population that is untrusting of the police and other authority figures is that it can lead to feelings of alienation and despondency for young people." Senator Mobina Jaffer March 26th, 2014 - huffingtonpost.ca

Your Questions or Comments?

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Friday, June 21
Reflections by Debbie Ivison

Created by God and Created Equal

I recently had a wonderful opportunity to travel to the Normandy coast in France to visit the island of Mont St. Michel. Set in the bay where Normandy and Brittany merge, the "Mont" is aptly described by one writer as a ‘magical island topped by a gravity-defying medieval monastery'. It is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is visited by an estimated three million plus tourists each year.

In prehistoric times the Mont was on dry land. As the sea levels rose, erosion reshaped the coastal landscape and several outcroppings of granite emerged in the bay, one of which became known as Mont St Michel. According to legend, the Archangel Michael appeared in 708 to St. Aubert, the bishop of nearby Avranches, and instructed him to build a church on the rocky islet. Aubert repeatedly ignored the angel's instruction until Michael burned a hole in the bishop's skull with his finger. This apparently got Bishop Aubert's attention!

The abbey on the Mont was built by Benedictine monks starting in 800, and became a place of Christian pilgrimage and a renowned centre of learning for many centuries. Due to its unique position only 600 metres from land, the Mont was readily accessible at low tide to many pilgrims. Its unique position also made the island highly defensible as an incoming tide could literally wash away any would-be assailants. The tides today continue to vary greatly, and still pose dangers for visitors who choose to walk across the sands to the Mont versus across the modern causeway.

My friend and I were very grateful for the advice given us to stay overnight at one of the small hotels on the Mont instead of staying on the mainland. It was wonderful to be able to fully explore the Mont in the early evening and again the next morning with only a few fellow overnight travellers. When walking along the outer stone walls, I was struck by the silence - there was only the sound of the wind, the seagulls, and the faint noises of the sheep grazing along the nearby coastal pastures. What must it have been like as a Benedictine monk to live and study on this isolated place, hundreds of years ago, and literally in the middle of the ocean?

Mont St Michel is a stunningly beautiful place - and all the more so given the constant ‘push and pull' over the centuries between ‘man' and ‘nature'. Arguably man assumed responsibility for the stewardship of this amazing naturally created island as soon as Bishop St Aubert decided to build a church on it. The forces of nature continue to "push" in such a way that man has to continually develop new ways to protect the site while continuing to enable so many people from around the world to visit the Mont and experience its magic - truly an ongoing stewardship challenge.

Your Questions or Comments?

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Friday, June 14
A Reflection from Phaby Utomo & Rick Hariman

Created by God and Created Equal

The Holy Land is a special place in so many ways and on so many dimensions. For Christians, it is the place where we can deepen our faith and walk in the footsteps of Jesus.

In the 12 short days during our recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land, we learned a great deal about ourselves and our faith. Being in the Holy Land, we were often and easily overcome with emotions and experienced many moments of profound spiritual connection with God. And throughout our journey, we realized that our pilgrimage experience was that much more enriched by being in the fellowship of believers, those within our own group and especially the many others who had come from all over the world. Most of us shared a common purpose - we were on a spiritual journey to discover the Land where our Lord Jesus once walked, ministered, healed, died and was resurrected.

Many traveled from far and near to visit the Holy Land - we identified groups from Brazil, Portugal, Spain, Eastern Europe, India, Philippines and Indonesia to name a few. Like us, they too had come to see the Sea of Galilee, to visit the Mount of Beatitudes, to walk the Via Dolorosa and to pray at the Tomb of Christ. Each time we visited a sacred place we would have a time of devotion and sing hymns, as would the other groups of pilgrims.

While we realized that not everyone was on a pilgrimage, we nevertheless felt the unity of being together in this special place. Though we might have spoken in a different language, were of a different nationality or skin color, or had come from a certain economic or educational background, suddenly those differences did not matter. Being in the land where God showed His love for us through Christ, and seeing the faces and hearing the voices of the people around us reminded us that we are all His creation and we are created equal in His eyes.

Galatians 3:28: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

"For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile - the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him" - Romans 10:12.

It is human nature to identify with some people more than others based on a number of things including preconceived notions and first impressions. We all struggle with a tendency to judge others. Yet such behavior is incompatible with our faith and our profession of love for Jesus.

We visited Abuna (Father) Chacour in Ibillin on our second day in the Holy Land. He welcomed our group and another from Australia. In his hour long presentation, he gave us many moving stories about his life as an Arab Christian living in Israel and the Middle East. One thing he said that stuck with us was, "I tell people I am a Palestinian and immediately they think I am a terrorist."

Sadly, our views are often shaped by the things we see and hear around us. Even in our own community, we sometimes find ourselves passing judgment on someone or have prejudices against another because he or she dresses or speaks differently. But Jesus taught us, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you"- Matthew 7: 1-2.
The equality we refer to is our mental and spiritual attitude of love and acceptance toward one another. As we desire to walk more closely with God, may we also learn to see the world through His eyes and remember that God shows no partiality (Acts 10:34).

Let us also remind ourselves that each person we meet, no matter their background, is someone whom God created and whom Jesus gave His life for. Since God went through such lengths to offer his love to everyone, how then can we favor one over another or view anyone else to be than anything less equal?

Your Questions or Comments?

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Friday, May 22

Aseltine Poem
WHAT IS THAT IN THINE HAND?
By Hershel Aseltine, B.A., B.D. (McMaster), Ph.D. (Southern Illinois)

"What is that in thine hand" to Moses did say
The Lord of Creation one long ago day,
The message rings out down the ages ‘til now
To those who would serve, but say "When, Where and How"

"What is that in thine hand" Jesus now says to you
Who are seeking to serve Him but have nothing to do.
For the world's full of preachers; beside, you can't preach
So there's little that's left within your short reach.

If that in your hand you should find is a broom,
Then settle right down and sweep out the room!
If you find you've a shovel, a hamper or pail,
All these can be used and for God they won't fail.

Did you ever consider that the thing in your hand,
And your talents, relations and place in the land,
Were given by God and can be used for Him too,
If you really would serve, it is all that you do.

Whether everyday task, or in preaching with fame,
If it's done for God's glory, the results are the same,
God gives to His workers all the tools for the trade
And expects not an artist in the man with a spade.

"What is that in thine hand" if you ere use it well,
He will bless it and use it as time soon will tell,
It is not far away in the lands ‘cross the sea
But it's here in His vineyard God wants you to be.

If that in your hand is a shovel, your task
Is not in a palace so why should you ask
For a soft cushioned chair and fancy white shirt
God meant that His shovel be used in the dirt!

Use the thing in your hand to the glory of God,
And men will see Jesus in paths where you've trod. 

Your Questions or Comments?

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Friday, May 15
Submitted by: Esther Barnes

Steward of the Story

Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us. They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples. Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write a careful account for you, most honorable Theophilus, so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught. –Luke 1:1-4, NLT

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name. – John 20:30-32, NRSV

During my twenty-plus years as editor of the Baptist women's magazine then known as The Link & Visitor (now live), I tried to ensure that every story was told accurately and well. But every once in a while I was entrusted with an exceptional story that had the potential to change a reader's view of herself, her world, and her call to mission in that world. As steward of that story, my task was to present it in a way that would do it justice, engage the reader's mind, stir her heart to prayer or action, and honour God-the ultimate Author of the story.

Yet none of those stories was as precious, or as important, as the Story entrusted to the first followers of Jesus-and to all of us who claim to be Christ-followers.

I'm no longer a magazine editor, but I'm still a steward of the Greatest Story Ever Told. As a volunteer teacher of English in the Czech Republic, I've been able to build Christmas and Easter lessons around the Gospel accounts of Jesus' birth, death, and resurrection. But I could not cross the language barrier without the help of some other stewards of the Story-my students who are believers. Their joy resonates in telling it to their classmates who have little knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Like Luke, these Czech Christians are eager to give a careful and accurate account of the life and work of Christ, so that those who hear will be convinced of the truth. Like John, they desire that those who hear will "come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing [they] may have life in his name."

Prayer: Gracious God, forgive us for the times when we have been unfaithful stewards of the precious Story of your love revealed in Jesus Christ. May your Spirit of Truth open our eyes to the opportunities and give us the words to tell those who know little or none of this Story, so that they might believe and have life in the name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen

Your Questions or Comments?

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Friday, May 7
Submitted by: John Fenton

Stewardship of our Body

Never too late! My first thought on this subject was to consider what stewardship means. In its broadest sense it is the act of being entrusted with the care and management of someone else's property. I believe that the Christian understanding is, everything we have actually belongs to God.

Over the years in service to churches and Christian charities, I have been on many stewardship committees and the dominant theme almost always embraced the 3Ts - Time, Talent and Treasure. In churches the emphasis frequently moved to treasure, a subject on which I am intimately familiar as a professional accountant involved in various financial functions.

It may therefore come as a surprise that I will put forth a case for stewardship of one's body. I confess that this comes from my neglect of care for my body until at 82 I woke up somewhat suddenly. I grew up in a totally medical domain, father and two brothers all doctors, twin sister and wife nurses. Not a day went by without hearing about illness, poor health death etc. So I tuned out. Being a risk taker only added to a journey of negative health consequences such as a spinal injury and diabetes (the most serious), all preventable if I had been a good steward of God's gift to me.

What changed? Two things: (1) Having a neurosurgeon explain the damage done by diabetes, and, (2) Being introduced to "Nordic Pole Walking", a transformation from no walking for years to walking most days now from 2 to 10 kilometres. I am not proud that it has taken me so long to admit the importance of health in the context of over-all stewardship. The improvement of my health over just a few months have impressed doctors and brought encouragement from family and friends who have noticed a difference. The reality is my previous (natural) thoughts about stewardship of time, talent and treasure, all of which are important when thinking about stewardship, now embrace the stewardship of health.

I understand that Jesus talked more about money than any other subject, and as an accountant I think I know why. However, after a little research, scriptures have much to say about the stewardship of health as important.

• Paul exhorts us in 2 Corinthians 4:10 to care for our bodies "so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our body".

• Romans 12:1 "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship".

• 1 Corinthians 6:19 & 20 "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body". Surely this is another exhortation from Paul to care for our bodies.

There are other scriptures that underline the importance of being good stewards of our bodies. The lack of proper stewardship of our health affects our time, talents, treasure - our who

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