Stewardship of the Infinite

November is Stewardship Season in many churches. It is a time for pledge cards, budget spreadsheets, and sermons about talents (Matthew 25:14-30). A church may have even had a speaker from the Presbyterian Foundation come to talk about planned giving and expand the conversation beyond present needs. In some churches, stewardship will have been addressed at other times of the year and/or in a more holistic, rather than one-time, way. In still other places, the context of stewardship will be our “time, treasure, and talents.” Everything we have belongs to God, so we are stewarding quite a lot.

While stewardship tends to be more financially focused in the church, stewarding our time and talents may be more impactful on the church's longevity. Our pledges sustain the church, but our presence and activity make it a community of active believers. As much as keeping a roof over the building and the lights on matters, having people actively participate in the life and witness of the church matters more. 

There is a fascinating scene at the beginning of the series finale of the recent Disney+ show Loki. Loki, the complicated villain in many other Marvel productions, becomes the hero in this series as he saves the multiverse from destruction. Before his final saving act, Loki works with others to try to repair the sacred timeline with a device that he creates. They try again and again without success until one of their attempts appears to be successful. The universe is safe, they think, only to discover a moment later that they just postponed the inevitable destruction. Then the characters make a devastating realization. “The Loom will never be able to accommodate for an infinitely growing multiverse,” Victor Timely says, “You can’t scale for infinite.” (Loki, Season 2, Episode 6)

That line, “You can’t scale for infinite” has stuck with me. In so many of our churches and with so many of our members, in Stewardship Season and other times, we ask them to do just that, don’t we? Can you take on one more commitment? Can you work on one more committee? Can you serve one more term on Session? Can you do just a little more to help us address the infinitely growing needs of this church and our community? Can you do just a little more to heal and save an infinitely broken and fractured world?

Perhaps this Stewardship Season, the best stewarding of our time, talents, and treasure is recognizing the limits of what we can do. “You can’t scale for infinite,” but you can do the smaller tasks that you are called to do. Maybe the greatest relief is realizing that you do not have to save the world or the church by your stewardship, but only by your small part.

Blessings,

Rev. Tim Blodgett

General Presbyter

Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery