In his chapter, “Developing Stewards in a Parish Setting” (The Parish Management Handbook), Charles E. Zech says one key to cultivating Christian stewardship is to focus on an attitude of abundance, not of scarcity.
 
 
 

Assuming a world of scarcity does dreadful things to people. They become afraid. They focus on their own survival. They become selfish, competitive, and protective of their own narrowly defined interests. These practices destroy community. The biblical traditions pose a radically different assumption: if we seek first the reign of God, all that we truly need will be provided. There was enough manna in the desert. A few loaves and fishes were enough for Jesus to feed the multitudes. By affirming the whole of life as a gracious gift and a sacred trust Christians assume abundance and exercise the gift of giving.

I believe this in spirit, but the flesh is weak, as St. Paul says. I haven’t cut back on my contributions to my parish during these difficult economic times, but I have deferred gifts to a few other charities I usually support until my finances are more certain. I’m wondering how you are doing with envisioning a world of abundance in the face of daily reports of high unemployment, a weak housing market, and a ballooning national deficit. Are you able to focus on living in a world of abundance? And how do you help your parishioners to overcome the dreadful things that assuming a world of scarcity does to us?