It happens in cubicle after office cubicle throughout Corporate Canada - notes from managers, directors and whoever calling, urging, challenging their staff to ever greater levels of productivity. Perhaps through higher levels of production demanded. Perhaps through reduced support staff with static product targets. Perhaps both.
Push it out.
Make it better.
Always improving.
Cutting edge.

That cutting edge seems to become razor thin in some sectors. Standards become ever tighter, it seems. Used to be that simple quality assurance was sufficient. Then along came Continuous Quality Improvement. Now you have a growth industry revolving around standard setting - factory after factory is unfurling banners proclaiming themselves approved according to ISO 9000 standards. That's a rigid international set of standards that a company must adhere to throughout its operation - regarding quality, production, consumer relations and the like.
Very exacting.
Demanding.
Bringing pressure and challenges to the work force.

And then we wonder sometimes why people are tired when they get home. Why they are experiencing stress in greater levels than ever before.
Why getting folks to volunteer for just about anything is tough.

Let me ask you - What kind of taste does that leave in your mouth?
While you don't necessarily mind putting out to the best of your ability, have you ever found yourself feeling used?
As though you were no more than a cog in some great industrial machine?
Where you - all of you - really didn't matter?

There's something missing in this great push for ever-increased productivity, isn't there? Something has been left out of the mix.

We're into the third segment of a four-part series on stewardship. In our first session we considered our mandate to explore and develop creation.
Last time we were reminded by God's Word about the non-negotiable need to share the good news of Jesus with those around us......
By the way, how did you do with your assignment for this past week? Remember, in response to 1 Peter 3.15's command, we were all challenged to consider our personal spiritual story - that we be able to tell to anyone who asks about the difference that Jesus Christ makes in our life. As much as we are called to refrain from adultery, and not murder or steal or blaspheme - so much we are called to be able to articulate our hope in the Lord. Did you manage to get some thoughts pulled together?

Stewards. Today - part three. And for that I'd like us to consider the abilities, talents and gifts that God has placed before us. Some of us are gifted hosts. Others are terrific at quietly lending a hand to someone in need. There are those here today who have an amazing knack at lifting the spirits of people who are down. And then there are you who can carry along a group with your deep, unshakeable faith in God's ability to provide. Some can administer. Others can sing. And there are the ones with special ability to pray. A few of you have an almost prophetic sense of God's will and direction.
You get the idea.
The Bible says in a variety of different places that everyone who is a believer in Jesus has something special that God desires to work through them for the betterment of His Kingdom here on earth. That something special is called a spiritual gift.
Something you have that is dedicated to the glory of God.
Everyone has at least something to offer.

God has given you your spiritual gift.
And He calls you to use it. Wants you to use it. Demands it be properly used.
You - me -- we're the stewards, the caretakers of these gifts.
Responsible for them.

Question is - how??

I suppose we could say that you have your gift and I have mine. Therefore, you do your thing and I'll do mine.
If we meet along the way, fine.
If not, that's also fine.

We could say that. But then we'd end up with Bible passages like 1 Corinthians 12 or Ephesians 4. And they have this stuff about being a body.
About every part needing and depending on the other part. About being connected. Together. That what you do affects me, and vise versa.
Hmmm. OK - so the individual thing won't work.

Perhaps then we ought to become like the corporate sector. Register with the ISO people and work towards accreditation for standards they have set for service sector groups and industries. Perhaps we need to apply that, and unfurl our banner here on Merivale Rd. "Calvin Church - ISO 9000 approved."
What do you think?

Doesn't sit right, does it. If that's how we operated, there'd be something missing in the equation, me thinks. Agree?
Know what'd be missing? Let me tell you. It's a secret ingredient, one that the Bible describes for us. You spell the ingredient: h....e....s...e...d
hesed. Gotta get good and guttural on that "h". Let 'er roll around.
A church without hesed is an off-base, out of whack church.

Let me describe hesed to you by way of a few examples.
A young widow woman in ancient Moab leaves native country and accompanies her mother-in-law, also a widow, back home. She settles in with her and cares for the ageing mother - even though there is no legal or moral obligation to do so. She sticks with, loves and cares for this woman. (Ruth 3).
That's hesed.

The king of Israel is defeated in battle. His body is dismembered and hung on the city wall of the victors. Some of his soldiers sneak over enemy lines in order to retrieve the body and give it a decent burial. Even in death they are going to stand by and stick up for their king (2 Sam 2:5). They don't turn and run when things get hard or the chance of personal gain is zero.
That's hesed.

David becomes king of Israel. He had been best friends with Jonathan. Jonathan, former heir to the throne, was killed in battle. David, after assuming the throne, goes out of his way to care for any remaining descendants of Jonathan. He wants to honour his friend, and stand by vows to care for each other and each others' families. He'll hold that pledge to the end. (2 Sam 9)
That's hesed.

Open your bibles, please, and let's read Deuteronomy 7.6-9 (p.207).
It's about God and His people. God's loyalty to them. God passionately loving them, being faithful to them, bringing them to freedom.
If you were able to read Hebrew, the original language of this passage, know what word you'd find being used there to describe God's attitude?
Right! (Did you remember to be guttural with that "h"?)

If you could only use one word to describe how God views His relationship to His people, the word is hesed.
We translate it in English as something like lovingkindness.
It is a deep love that hangs in there; loyal love; selfless care; passionate interest in the other's well-being; firm support; merciful and forgiving.

If you were to read Exodus 34.6-7 you would hear God describe Himself as hesed. "Look at me" says the Lord "and you will see hesed." Which is the Old Testament equivalent of the New Testament passage, 1 John 4:8 -
God is........ (anyone remember??)
Love.

Not the cheap, emotion-driven, fall-in and fall-out flighty mush of the Hollywood myth. But a strong, sacrificing, stick-with-it, passionate desire for the well-being of the other. The willingness to serve, to give up so that the other might benefit - no matter whether that one deserves it or not.
Love - Because God is hesed He sent His one and only Son so that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

Given all of that, then, we've got one more bible passage to read:
 
 

Remember - we're talking about stewardship of our talents, resources and spiritual gifts. Some of these gifts and talents are listed here as examples.
Use them, and use them well, writes Peter. Use them as though you were serving God Himself (which, in the long run, you are!!). No slouch attitude. We want to serve in a way that brings real glory and credit to our Lord Jesus. And only the very best we have to offer is good enough for Him. Half-hearted partial efforts don't cut it.
Do you really want to wimp out, and slack off and then claim that this is your glorifying service of the God who sacrificed His life on the cross for you?
Of course not!!

But notice what's mixed in, woven throughout this passage.
Read verse 8 again. Notice the first two words:
Above all.......
Ah - so what's coming is what matters the most.
Above all....... ready?...... love each other deeply because love covers over a multitude of sins.

There are times when we blow it, or only put out half, or end up way off the mark, thoroughly mistaken, let others down, even behave in downright self-serving ways with the gifts and talents God has to offer.
But if, down underneath like an aquifer that nourishes the deep roots of plants and trees, there is a reservoir of love --
hesed
a lot of making up and healing and new beginnings can happen.

Hesed love builds bridges where sin creates chasms.

With God-like love, hesed love, I can learn to allow another person to serve me with their gifts. I can learn to give my flat-out best in serving them. I can contribute my share of gifts and talents to the communal church good
because I care.

And I then have an interest in how you use your gifts, talents and resources. I can see that it is detrimental for you to slack off or give God second-rate stuff, so I, with a hesed love-based attitude will call you on it.
I will challenge you to stretch and grow, and rejoice when God does special, wonderful things in and through you.

Because God gave His life and loyal love to us, we can do the same with each other. We can become not just stewards of our gifts.......
but stewards of each other.

In full ways -
Making sure that we include each other in friendships and activities
Being careful of how we speak about each other
Striving to make things safe for each other
Encouraging growth in each other
Giving support in weak, pain-filled seasons to each other.
 
 

Not fickle.
Not giving up.
Not demanding deservedness before getting involved.

If 1 Peter doesn't click with you, let me encourage you to open your bibles to 1 Corinthians 12 (page 1295). It's a chapter that's very blunt and up front about our use of gifts. Use them, well; use them together, for God's glory and honour, says the chapter.
Flip ahead to chapter 14 and you find more stuff about stretching, growing and developing as a church community with the particular gifts and opportunities that God grants. In that chapter it's more specifically in the area of worship.
Both chapters 12 & 14 are about doing kind of stuff.
But notice what's sandwiched right smack between them.
Chapter 13 - with the theme being...................
love.

And the Greek word used there is the equivalent of our friend hesed.
Loyal, self-sacrificing, in it for the long haul, seeking the well-being of the other kind of love.....
That is patient and kind; that does not envy, or boast. Is not proud, or rude, or self-seeking, or easily angered; that keeps no record of wrongs; That does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth; Always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Cor 13: 4-7)

And that's not the stuff of emotion. That's something of will and decision.
You decide to love this way. You work on loving like this. You intentionally develop an attitude in this direction. You mould relationships and community activities after this pattern.
Overt and very, very deliberate.

Which is something that ISO 9000 doesn't say anything about.
But is the key to good stewardship in the eyes of God - stewardship of talents, church programming, activities......
stewardship........ of each other.