Of Dumpsters and Stewardship

Image: photo of the cluttered inside of a closet space. Boxes and baskets
and bags are piled on top of each other. Text in image: "We can look at the
inevitable entropy and clutter in church closets and basements
as signs of inertia and neglect, or we can see them as a sign that the church
has been so busy in ministry, so busy putting first things first,
that cleaning up after ourselves falls out of mind."- The Rev. Jarrett Kerbel
Of Dumpsters and Stewardship, 10.17. 2019

Among my earliest church memories is helping my mother clean out the Sunday School closet at my home church in New Brunswick, NJ. Mom was the new volunteer leader of Sunday School and the first task was to clean up, put the rooms in order, and even paint a wall-sized mural of Noah’s ark in the room for the youngest grade. The giraffes carried umbrellas!

That closet was full of detritus from the previous 50 years. There were crayon fragments and chalk nubs from the 1930s. There were pamphlets extolling thrift and the donation of metal for the war effort in the 1940s. Rolled up and molded felt banners, popsicle sticks galore, and an endless supply of lapel pins for every church activity imaginable. 

To me this was utterly fascinating; the archeology of an active church ministry spanning the 20th century. We can look at the inevitable entropy and clutter in church closets and basements as signs of inertia and neglect, or we can see them as a sign that the church has been so busy in ministry, so busy putting first things first, that cleaning up after ourselves falls out of mind. 

St. Martin’s is incredibly active and abundant in meaningful and impactful ministry to such a degree that we forget some forms of stewardship needed to make that work thrive. Every plant needs to have the soil tended to grow to its potential. Every worker needs a lunch break to refuel and relax if afternoon work is to be productive. Every Christian needs Sabbath on Sunday to turn to God and revive our souls so we may live in grace in all we do. 

We are stewards of our own wellbeing; physical, spiritual, relational, and emotional. While the call of Jesus Christ can pull us out of balance at any moment for service to the Kingdom of God, Jesus is also the one who heals and restores our balance and well being for a ministry that requires endurance, persistence, sweat, tears, and sacrifice.

St. Martin’s is here for the long dure; we are here for the long run work of God’s steadfast love. To be here for the long term means we steward our abundant gifts for witness, ministry, and results with multiple generations in mind. We clean out closets and basements to make room and free up space for future ministry. We give generously to underwrite our transformational ministry for years to come.

Please join us for Dumpster Days (see below). I guarantee the church will feel like it is levitating this Sunday after we pitch so much ballast overboard. Be sure to join in on St. Martin’s Day as well and bring your pledge card!

Blessings,

The Rev. Jarrett Kerbel

Rector

Dumpster Days October 18 and 19
The properties committee invites members of all ages to help us clean out the basements, crawl spaces, closets, and attics of St. Martin’s! Over our 130 years we have accumulated lots of junk. In preparation for planned repairs and improvements to the property, we need to get a clean, well organized facility! Please come to the church from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, October 18 or during the same hours on Saturday, the 19th! For more information talk to the rector, Carol Horne Penn, our properties chair (ckjj616@gmail.com), or Debra (debradroberts@comcast.net) or Ike (ikeroberts@comcast.net) Roberts.