A Letter from Rev. Wood
Dear Good Shepherd Family,
Each week, in the Prayers of the People, Rite One, we ask God to shape us as “faithful stewards of thy bounty.” Those prayers have been answered many times in you at Good Shepherd, so I have to start by saying thank you for all the times you have answered God’s call to generosity. You are faithful stewards, so hear the words of praise from Matthew 25:21—“Well done, good and trustworthy servant.”
That parable of the talents from Matthew 25 is one of the many times Jesus taught about money—not so much from an economic point of view (how to make or spend), but from a spiritual point of view (how to prioritize, balance and share)—what we now term ‘stewardship’.
We have other parables where people put themselves first, like the rich man who neglected sore-ridden, thirsty Lazarus on his doorstep (Luke 16), or the man who built a bigger barn instead of sharing (Luke 12). From Matthew 25, we also have the servant given one talent who did nothing but bury it was roundly chastised (to say the least). The message: holding, clinging, burying—not good stewardship.
Transformation and good stewardship are seen in the life of Zacchaeus, a repentant tax collector who changes his ways and pledges to give away half of his possessions (Luke 19). In the story of the Widow’s mite, Jesus praises the faith of a poor widow as she gives all she had at the temple (Luke 21). Even though her financial bounty was little, her bounty of faith showed her faith in God shaped her money choices. I’m certainly not asking you to give all that you have, but these examples do shed light on what being faithful stewards of God’s bounty looks like.
As we begin looking to our life together at Good Shepherd in 2027, please continue to be a good and faithful stewards who are faithful with the bounty God has given us. I hope you will pray about your 2027 giving and return that card by August 30, 2026.
God’s Peace,
The Rev. Rob Wood
Each week, in the Prayers of the People, Rite One, we ask God to shape us as “faithful stewards of thy bounty.” Those prayers have been answered many times in you at Good Shepherd, so I have to start by saying thank you for all the times you have answered God’s call to generosity. You are faithful stewards, so hear the words of praise from Matthew 25:21—“Well done, good and trustworthy servant.”
That parable of the talents from Matthew 25 is one of the many times Jesus taught about money—not so much from an economic point of view (how to make or spend), but from a spiritual point of view (how to prioritize, balance and share)—what we now term ‘stewardship’.
We have other parables where people put themselves first, like the rich man who neglected sore-ridden, thirsty Lazarus on his doorstep (Luke 16), or the man who built a bigger barn instead of sharing (Luke 12). From Matthew 25, we also have the servant given one talent who did nothing but bury it was roundly chastised (to say the least). The message: holding, clinging, burying—not good stewardship.
Transformation and good stewardship are seen in the life of Zacchaeus, a repentant tax collector who changes his ways and pledges to give away half of his possessions (Luke 19). In the story of the Widow’s mite, Jesus praises the faith of a poor widow as she gives all she had at the temple (Luke 21). Even though her financial bounty was little, her bounty of faith showed her faith in God shaped her money choices. I’m certainly not asking you to give all that you have, but these examples do shed light on what being faithful stewards of God’s bounty looks like.
As we begin looking to our life together at Good Shepherd in 2027, please continue to be a good and faithful stewards who are faithful with the bounty God has given us. I hope you will pray about your 2027 giving and return that card by August 30, 2026.
God’s Peace,
The Rev. Rob Wood
Pledge of Treasure
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1-2)
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:1-2)