Stewardship

Stewardship

Honest Abe

At the age of twenty-four, Abraham Lincoln served as the postmaster of New Salem, Illinois, for which he was paid an annual salary of $55.70.

Even then, twenty-four years before he entered the White House, the rail splitter was showing the character that earned him the title of "Honest Abe."

The New Salem post office was closed in 1836, but it was several years before an agent arrived from Washington to settle accounts with ex-postmaster Lincoln, who was a struggling lawyer not doing very well.

The agent informed him that $17 was due the government. Lincoln crossed the room, opened an old trunk and took out a yellow cotton rag, bound with a string. Untying it, he spread out the cloth and there was the $17. He had been holding it untouched for all these years.

"I never use any man's money but my own," he said.

Freedom

Freedom

For many years the license plates of New Hampshire, bore the slogan, made famous by Revolutionary War general John Stark - live free or die. The irony is that those great words were printed onto the license plates by inmates in the state prison. They could not leave their prison, but many of us stay in our prisons when we have the power to leave. We want to live free, but we do not want to do what the gospel says we need to do to be truly free.

Christman Bells

Christmas Bells


"I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!


And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!


Till, ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!


Then from each black accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!


It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!


And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"


Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Christmas

Christmas


In a Native American community, they have an interesting custom. After midnight service on Christmas Eve, one family takes the doll from the manger home with them. They keep the Christ child in their home for the 12 days of Christmas. It is
considered a great honor to be the family chosen to do this. They take the Christ child home with them. That is really the dream we all share?to take Christ home with us.

Messiah

Messiah

The December 16, 1997 issue of the tabloid The Sun carried this headline on the front page: New Messiah to Be Born in Holy Land. Inside the story says that on the eve of Christmas and Hanukkah a strange meteor would appear over Bethlehem. (The two festivals coincided in 1997, an event that occurs about once every ten years!) It should be obvious by now that the prophecy failed to come true, but no doubt it sold lots of copies of the Sun.

One has to ask, "What would a new Messiah do that the old Messiah has not already done?" The Messiah we have known lived a sinless life, served in a selfless way, showed uncommon compassion, died a sacrificial death, and came back to life in a triumphant resurrection. What would a new Messiah do that Jesus has not already done?

Human compassion

Human Compassion

Arthur Gordon in an article entitled "The Rewards of Caring," tells the story of how once, as a small boy, he was witness to a near tragedy. At the beach, a woman stepped off a sandbar into deep, swift water and panicked. At least 20 adults in bathing suits watched, apparently paralyzed, until suddenly a young man ran up, plunged in full clothed and brought the woman out.

As Arthur Gordon described the episode later to his parents, his admiration for the young man was matched by the contempt he felt for those who failed to act. She was drowning, and they didn't even seem to care.

His father looked at him thoughtfully and said, "The world often seems divided between those who care and those who don't care enough. But don't judge too harshly. It takes courage to care greatly."

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Acceptance , Compassion

Acceptance, Compassion

A number of years ago, Newsweek magazine carried the story of the memorial service held for Hubert Humphrey, former vice-president of the United States. Hundreds of people came from all over the world to say good-bye to their old friend and colleague. But one person who came was shunned and ignored by virtually everyone there. Nobody would look at him, much less speak to him. That person was former president Richard Nixon. Not long before, he had gone through the shame and infamy of Watergate. He was back in Washington for the first time since his resignation from the presidency.

Then a very special thing happened, perhaps the only thing that could have made a difference and broken the ice. President Jimmy Carter, who was in the White House at that time, came into the room. Before he was seated, he saw Nixon over against the wall, all by himself. He went over to [him] as though he were greeting a family member, stuck out his hand to the former president, and smiled broadly. To the surprise of everyone there, the two of them embraced each other, and Carter said, "Welcome home, Mr. President! Welcome home!"

Commenting on that, Newsweek magazine asserted, "If there was a turning point in Nixon's long ordeal in the wilderness, it was that moment and that gesture of love and compassion."

Christ compassion

Christ's Compassion

The Pit

A man fell into a pit and couldn't get himself out.
A Christian Scientist came along and said: "You only think that you are in a pit."
A Pharisee said: "Only bad people fall into a pit."
A Fundamentalist said: "You deserve your pit."
An IRS man asked if he was paying taxes on the pit.
A Charismatic said: "Just confess that you're not in a pit."
An Optimist said: "Things could be worse."
A Pessimist said: "Things will get worse!!"
Jesus, seeing the man, took him by the hand and lifted him out of the pit.