How does a good steward react to and manage change?
At first, it might seem that stewardship would be mostly concerned about protecting and conserving what was – taking good care of what had been given, developed, and shared generously in the past. But stewardship is also about recognizing and welcoming the new gifts of God, however strange or unfamiliar. We are often most comfortable with the status quo – with what is and has been in our lives and environment. We cling to what we know and are sometimes fearful of change, however necessary or beneficial. New pastors, new building plans, new translations of the liturgy, new ideas, new ways of doing “what we’ve always done” – all threaten our safe and familiar ways of thinking and acting and keep us from receiving gratefully whatever new possibilities an unavoidable change brings with it.
So, what’s a good steward to do? In most successful stewardship parishes, hospitality is a distinguishing characteristic, with parishioners blessed with the gift of welcome, front and center, ready to greet arriving strangers and eager to make them welcome and help them become a part of the parish by contributing their unique gifts and talents. When a planned or unexpected change can be greeted with similar openness and a willingness to embrace gratefully the possibilities it offers, instead of with dread and anxiety, good stewardship is made even better. It’s an opportunity to examine and evaluate the good gifts a parish already receives, cultivates, uses and shares – and the tried and true ways the parish operates – and to retain what is best while simultaneously seeking to adapt positively to the impending change. It’s not easy! It requires radical openness, a willingness to see the potential good hidden in the invitation to grow and change, and a deep trust in the goodness of God.
Parishes all over the country are coping this summer with the changes and challenges brought about by the arrival of new pastors and new associates. May God bless them as they seek to be good stewards of change!
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