Then there’s Patsy Sherman, a chemist for 3M.  She tried to develop a rubber material that would withstand exposure to jet fuel.  During trials, she accidentally spilled the substance on her shoe.  Over the next few weeks she noticed that while the rest of her shoe became dirty and stained, that one spot remained bright and clean.  She had accidentally invented Scotchguard. 

And finally, there are the unknown workers at the Denver Mint.  in 2004 they minted the Wisconsin quarter.  A batch of them, however, contained an error.  If you’ve never seen a Wisconsin quarter, let me tell you that it depicts a piece of cheese and a cow (like, you didn’t see that coming), and also an ear of corn bursting from a husk.  But on this particular batch of coins there is a little mark on one side of the corn that appears to be an extra leaf on the husk.  A quick search on Ebay reveals that these coins with the error sell for over $1,500 each.

By now I hope you have read the brochure we mailed you last week – the one titled ‘Rooted in Grace’.  (If you didn’t receive it, please let the parish office know.)  Here is part of the highlight reel …

The word “stewardship” comes from two Old English words, “sty” and “ward”.  When run together they meant “keeper of the pigs.” A styward, a steward, is a keeper of someone else’s swine.  In time the word came to refer to anyone who had responsibility for managing another person’s belongings.St John’s biggest financial need at this moment is to expand our number of pledgers.  We have lost (net) nearly ten pledges per year in the last 11 years.  This is deeply challenging.  So, if you have never pledged, and you think of yourself as a member of St John’s, then please prayerfully think about starting this joyous practice.  If you’re wondering how much to pledge, let me tell you that the average is $7,376 per household.  However, the exact dollar amount is less important than the percentage of your income, so please don’t feel obligated to give beyond what is possible for you in this season – we recognize it is tough out there in supermarkets and gas stations.

I also want to invite members of the parish who used to pledge but have gotten out of the habit to begin again.  The parish needs you.

So, take a look around you – at the people, the objects, the stuff.  Look around your house, read your bank statement, and behold the car in the driveway.  These are not your pigs.  These pigs belong to another owner.  God.  How will you use them to grow his kingdom?

But the biblical idea of stewardship is much bigger than just money. It involves how we use God’s creation, the talents he has lent us, and the time he has allocated.  Basically, all we have.  To think of ourselves as the owners of all this money and stuff would be a serious mint error – much worse than an extra leaf on a Wisconsin quarter.