Service Witness Talk
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2019 Stewardship of Service Witness Talk - Christian Davey
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Stewardship of Service Witness Talk/Homily
May 18/19, 2019
Given by: Christian Davey
Good evening/morning/afternoon, my name is Christian Davey. My wife, Lori, and our two boys have been members of St. Pius since Father Bill arrived. When Fr. Bill asks you to do something for the parish it’s hard to say anything but “yes,” which is why I am here today to talk about my experience with stewardship at the parish.
Truthfully it isn’t easy to always answer the call to stewardship. With the typical responsibilities of family and work there are many reasons – a few very good – that make it not always easy to dedicate the time to serve. Yet, what I have found over the years is there are as many ways to serve at St. Pius as there are seasons of life.
When our family was younger serving in Christ Renews His Parish was a fit with evening meetings and a two day retreat. As our children grew older serving as a family on Sundays as Parish Ambassadors made the best sense. Serving as a lector at Mass, adorer on first Tuesdays, and a coordinator for one of the senior living centers in our parish are my current opportunities for stewardship all matching our more independent family these days.
While these different seasons of stewardship were and are challenging at times, there is much more reward than sacrifice. The fellowship and spiritual growth experienced with the men I served with on my teams with Christ Renews His Parish changed my life. The opportunity to welcome a stranger or connect with those I saw every Sunday as an ambassador of the parish made St. Pius a more intimate community for me and my family. In my role as a lector I have come to experience the Word of God and further my relationship with Christ. Serving the elderly at The Waterford has exposed me to a holy group of people who pray for me, my family, our priests, and our parish - showing the great worth of those members of our society in the later stages of life. Finally during adoration I have come to understand the value of spending time with our Lord in silence – silence a rarer and rarer commodity in our world.
While placing our envelope in the basket on Sunday is a constant for our family there are truly more needed ways to be a steward at St. Pius. There are more opportunities to serve at our parish than one can count and nobody has to be perfect at serving. From forgetting to serve on my scheduled day at the Waterford, to missing my cue during Mass to read, to falling asleep during adoration, which I affectionately call “resting in the Lord” I am the posterchild for the imperfect servant.
Regardless of your talents or shortcomings there is a place for you as a steward at St. Pius. It is truly as St. Frances of Assisi says “it is in giving that we receive” and even more truly who could turn down whatever Fr. Bill asks of him or her… I don’t know a better model of stewardship to inspire us.
Thank you and God bless you all.