10-5-25 Stewardship Month #1: “Gratitude as the Foundation of Stewardship”

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Stewardship Month #1: “Gratitude as the Foundation of Stewardship”

I want to start with something funny I found on an internet site:
A pastor asked a farmer, “If you had 100 cows, would you give 50 to the Lord?”
The farmer said, “Of course!”
The pastor continued, “If you had 10 cows, would you give 5 to the Lord?”
The farmer nodded, “Absolutely!”
Then the pastor said, “If you had 2 cows, would you give 1 to the Lord?”
The farmer frowned and said, “Now, hold on, Pastor—you know I actually have two cows!”

Today is a special day—World Communion Sunday. Around the globe, Christians of every language, every culture, and every tradition gather at Christ’s table. Some will share rice cakes, some corn tortillas, some naan, some sourdough, some simple crackers. Here at our table today, you see many kinds of bread—breads donated and baked by your loving hands.

Each one is different, but together they remind us of a deeper truth: in Christ, we are one body. And today, we also collect bread for the local food shelf. Bread for us, bread for our neighbors. Bread that becomes a sign of God’s abundance and love.

World Communion Sunday is also a day when United Methodists join together for a special offering. This offering helps support education, leadership, and scholarships for students around the world. And I want to pause here for a personal testimony: I myself was once a recipient of this scholarship for several years. Your giving made it possible for me to pursue ministry and studies. I am standing here today, in part, because someone, somewhere, gave out of gratitude.

When a pastor at my home church in Korea recommended that I attend seminary, I had deep financial concerns. But the pastor said to me, “Don’t worry about finances while you are studying. Because God has called you, God will provide everything you need.” Hearing that, I assumed the church might support my tuition. But they didn’t support me financially—they supported me with prayers. And their prayers worked, because I never had to worry about tuition or living expenses all the way through my Ph.D.

The United Methodist Church has a strong scholarship system through the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM). They support Methodist college students, seminarians, and doctoral students with funds gathered through local church offerings and donations. I was one of those blessed by their support. If they had not helped me, I might never have completed my studies, and I honestly don’t know where I would be or what I would be doing today.

So when I say stewardship begins with gratitude, I don’t mean it as just an idea—I mean it as a lived reality. I carry in my heart the call to always pay it forward. We all have moments in our lives when we deeply appreciate someone who helped turn our lives around. For me, World Communion Sunday and Methodist Student Day are among those moments. I am proud to be a Methodist.

World Communion Sunday reminds us that all Christians belong to one body—the body of Jesus Christ. It invites us to reflect on how we live out our faith each day and how God so loved the world that He gave His Son for all people. We know that life goes up and down, but we are never alone. Jesus, who loves us, is always there. And around the world, Christians are praying together in Jesus Christ.

 

The Apostle Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, says: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Notice he doesn’t say, “Give thanks only when things go well.” He says, “In all circumstances.” Gratitude is not just a feeling we wait for—it’s a posture, a way of life, a discipline of faith.

The psalmist in Psalm 100 echoes this: “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name.” Thanksgiving is the doorway into worship. Before we ask, before we confess, before we receive—we begin with gratitude.

And the Letter of James reminds us why: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17). If it is good, it came from God. Our breath. Our families. Our daily bread. Our salvation. Every good and perfect gift.

When we come to this table, we are reminded of the most perfect gift of all—Jesus Christ himself. The bread and the cup are not things we earn. They are freely given—gifts of grace.

That’s where stewardship begins—not with our giving, but with God’s giving. Not with our efforts, but with God’s generosity. We are recipients before we are givers. And gratitude is our response.

Today, our gratitude takes the shape of bread. We will collect bread for the food shelf. Someone hungry in our community will eat because you brought bread today. That is gratitude in action. And beyond our community, students across the globe will be supported through the World Communion offering. I can still remember how much it meant to me to receive help when I needed it—help made possible by people I never met. Their gratitude became my blessing. And now, my gratitude becomes part of your blessing. This is how stewardship works: God’s gifts multiplying through grateful hearts.

Dear family in Jesus Christ, stewardship is not about fundraising. It is not about obligation. It is about gratitude.

We give because God first gave to us.
We love because God first loved us.
We share because God has already shared everything with us in Christ Jesus.

When gratitude becomes our foundation, giving is no longer a burden—it is a joy. It is no longer about scarcity—“Will I have enough?”—it is about abundance—“Look what God has already given!”

This October, we will walk together through a stewardship series. But I want you to remember, from the very beginning: it’s not about budgets or numbers—it’s about gratitude. Gratitude that begins at the communion table. Gratitude that flows into our lives. Gratitude that blesses our neighbors.

Our ancestors in the faith gave thanks to God in all circumstances, prayed without ceasing, and rejoiced in Christ Jesus. That is why we are here today. So, as we come to the table and receive the bread with gratitude, let us also share the bread with generosity. The bread is a symbol of Christian life, for Jesus said, “I am the Bread of Life.”

So let gratitude be the foundation of your stewardship, your life, and your faith.
Thanks be to God. Amen.