By Rev. Dr. Carla A. Romarate-Knipel
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord for he is good! For his mercies endure forever.”
– Psalm 107:1
“We don’t own it,” … We steward and share it.”*
– Lady Fiona Carnarvon, who with her husband, the 8th Earl of Carnarvon George Herbert, oversee Highclere Castle, the setting for the popular tv drama “Downtown Abbey.”
An article in the September/October 2023 issue of Victoria magazine caught my eye because it featured Highclere Castle which was the setting of one of my favorite British television dramas, Downton Abbey. One of the beautiful pictures of this family estate located in Hampshire, England, showed Lady Fiona Carnarvon, the estate’s chatelaine, holding a basket of flowers and salad greens with the huge country house looming in the background. With a smile on her face, she seemed undaunted by the enormous responsibility of taking care of this vast estate. In the words of the article’s author, Melissa Lester, “Although she [Lady Fiona] is knowledgeable of the heritage of Highclere Castle, as well as the technical details of the historic preservation, the Countess of Carnarvon is ultimately guided by a greater sense of mission for cultivating joy in the present while connecting people to the estate’s storied past.”**
Lady Fiona’s view of her mission of “cultivating joy” gave me a fresh, new perspective of gratitude and how it relates to stewardship. In addition, her understanding of their family’s role with regards to their estate is, “We don’t own it…We steward and share it.” I think this is very much in keeping with the biblical teaching on stewardship: everything that we have, our very lives is not our own, we are just stewards, trustees. God owns everything and we are just stewards. Inspired by Lady Fiona’s mission of stewarding Highclere Castle that she shares with her husband, I invite you to consider moving forward to a new church year with the mission of “cultivating joy in the present” while connecting people to Central Baptist Church’s storied past.” We don’t own the church. God does. We steward and share the spiritual gifts and heritage we have received from God as a church family with those in our community and trust they may find the source of true joy and meaning for their lives in Jesus, the Lord of the Church.
I thank each one of you for being faithful gratitude stewards in the past and the present. Our mission of being gratitude stewards is not only in the month of November but throughout the year and the years to come. May God continue to bless you and your family as you give thanks, give back and give glory to God, and move forward together in union with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, as stewards, and share what God has given us.
Have a joyful and meaningful Thanksgiving!
Yours in Christ’s Peace,
Pastor Carla
*“Leading Ladies,” by Melissa Lester, Victoria Magazine, September/October 2023, p. 63.
** “Leading Ladies,” by Melissa Lester, Victoria Magazine, September/October 2023, p. 61.
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