JACKIE ALEXANDER, MEMBER
When Reverend Sarah reached out to me to ask if I would share my stewardship story, my first thought was “is not giving at church an option?” In all seriousness, I remember that my mom always made sure that my sister and I had crisp $1 bills to place on the offering plate each Sunday morning as kids. Even if we did not fully understand where the money was going, my sister and I did know that we were doing something important and meaningful with our contribution each week. I learned from a young age that it felt good to orient myself toward community and toward service with my small offering. Giving something, no matter how small, was the norm growing up and it had not occurred to me to question the behavior.
Now, as an adult, I sometimes wrestle with the idea of “is not giving even an option?” There have been times I’ve given reluctantly – like when I’ve been cold called by a fundraiser from my college’s alumni office. There have been times that I’ve given out of guilt – like when the cashier at the grocery store asks if I want to round up the total of my order to give the difference to a local charity. Also, there have been times that I have chosen not to give and regretted the decision later – like when I have walked past someone outside of a store asking for change and I looked the other way. And, of course, there have been times when I have given with joyful, open hands. Those moments were what came to mind when thinking more about what stewardship might mean.
When I reflect on why it is important to me and to my family to pledge our financial support to St. Paul’s UCC, I think that the best question to ask is “can I afford not to?” And I don’t mean that in the financial sense. And I am not asking that from a place of anxiety or scarcity. What I am really asking is, could I afford spiritually, interpersonally, or emotionally to not have a place like St Paul’s UCC in my life, in my children’s lives, or in my city? Absolutely not. The cost of losing this community and losing the good done by this church would be too great to bear. And so, I give my donation with open, joyful hands each week knowing that each of our offerings woven together can create more good than I ever could with just my efforts alone.
This winter, during Operation Metro Surge, we all saw how critical it is that we band together to look out for the most vulnerable and hurting in our community. It gave me great comfort to know that my financial contributions to the church were helping neighbors, stocking food shelves, boosting mutual aid resources, and contributing to greatly needed organizations like the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota. My pledge to St. Paul’s UCC allowed me to channel anxiety and fear into action. The spiritual practice of pledging to St. Paul’s UCC helps me tend my own little flame of hope during a dark time. I can’t afford to lose that.
Hope is something that we all need these days. Like you, I am sitting in uncertainty about what will happen in the coming days as we look toward midterm elections. And while I don’t know what will happen in our country, I do know with certainty that I will continue to show up here, to financially support the good work of this church, and to find belongingness with you all as we navigate these times.
When I think about what stewardship means to me and why I want to pledge to St. Paul’s UCC, I am reminded of a quote from James Baldwin, the Black, gay author and Civil Rights activist. James Baldwin said, “I have never been in despair about the world. Enraged. I’ve been enraged by the world, but never despair. I cannot afford despair… you can’t tell the children that there is no hope.” I give to St. Paul’s UCC because my pledge is an act of hope and a vote for the world I want my children to inhabit. I do hope you’ll join me in offering something this stewardship season. Thank you.