To Encourage Faithful Teaching of Stewardship to People in Their Daily Vocations
RESOLUTION 10-04
Report R6 (CW, pp. 32, 62–63); President’s Report, Part 2 (TB, pp. 21–31)
WHEREAS, “Christian Stewardship is the free and joyous activity of the child of God and God's family, the church, in managing all of life and life's resources for God's purposes” (1998 LCMS Convention); and
WHEREAS, Growing in our Christian life, into the freedom and “joyous activity of the child of God” is called sanctification (1 Thess. 4:1–12); and
WHEREAS, Understanding sanctification through the various vocations (callings, holy orders, positions) God has given to each Christian in the home, church, and community is a prized rediscovery of the Lutheran Reformation; and
WHEREAS, Martin Luther placed Scriptures that exhort Christians to faithful stewardship of financial resources (1 Cor. 9:14; Gal. 6:6–7; 1 Tim. 5:17–18) within the section of Luther’s Small Catechism 1 (Section 3, Table of Duties) that deals with “various holy orders and positions”; and
WHEREAS, The entire Table of Duties narrates our sanctification and living out of the Christian life through the vocations of clergy, hearers, civil government, citizens, husbands, wives, parents, children, workers, employers and supervisors, youth, widows, and every Christian; and
WHEREAS, The Apology to the Augsburg Confession XV narrates the preaching and teaching that is characteristic of the Lutheran Church in this way: “On the contrary, in our churches all the sermons are occupied with such topics as these: of repentance; of the fear of God; of faith in Christ, of the righteousness of faith, of the consolation of consciences by faith, of the exercises of faith; of prayer, what its nature should be, and that we should be fully confident that it is efficacious, that it is heard; of the cross; of the authority of magistrates and all civil ordinances [likewise, how each one in his station should live in a Christian manner, and, out of obedience to the command of the Lord God, should conduct himself in reference to every worldly ordinance and law]; of the distinction between the kingdom of Christ, or the spiritual kingdom, and political affairs; of marriage; of the education and instruction of children; of chastity; of all the offices of love”; and
WHEREAS, The Rite of Ordination requires our preachers to promise to “admonish and encourage the people to confidence in Christ and holy living”; therefore be it
Resolved, That the pastors and congregations of the Synod be hereby encouraged faithfully and forthrightly to teach the people their vocations in home, church, and community from the Table of Duties in Luther’s Small Catechism, which includes proper stewardship; and be it further
Resolved, That the Synod in convention hereby encourage each and every member of our congregations to live out the calling God has given to each one, in the sure and certain confidence that it is “God who works in us” (Phil. 1:12–13).