By the Rev. Ann Martha Keenainak

I love how God sheds light and gives understanding with that still, small, quiet voice. He’s so merciful and graceful to guide His people so He can share His love. I want to share the revelation He gave to me, about His servants: vestries, parishes, of us dioceses, and how we sometimes get in the way of God’s wonderful blessings.

What was revealed, I say it for what it is. For some time, our diocese had been in financial desert and under a shadow of debt, and I hadn’t been able to understand why. There is so much potential, so many blessings we receive from Our Father, and yet our numbers said otherwise. Then I was led to see the master and the three servants in Matthew 25:14-30.

We all see and acknowledge God’s blessings in communities, and many congregations so gladly give and bless others. Like in the parable of the three servants, they know and trust that God shares His abundance when we invest what He has given us! Being good and faithful servants.

…the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip. “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money…

Now I ask, are we willing to realize that, often, we are that last servant who Jesus described in the parable? It sounds harsh, but haven’t we received from God only to hide away the blessings?

How many vestries receive monetary blessings from God, and instead of investing in the many ministries happening around our own diocese, we immediately run to the bank or the co-op and hide the money away. Some even look for other accounts like the ACW or the Youth Group account just to hide the money deeper so it won’t be shared with other ministries happening around our diocese! Like the wicked servant in the parable, we think we are doing the right thing, but in the end we are getting in the way of the rich blessings God has in store not only for us, but for others.

The diocese and the parishes are NOT in debt. God has given us more than enough for everything we need! Part of the problem is this word “assessment”, often translated as the “bill from the diocese”. This is not meant to be debt. I’m a priest, and I have to admit that until just a couple of months ago, even I had no idea that this money is used for mission! Like in the parable, the assessment is money invested in ministry in other parishes. It helps other parishes, especially those who are struggling, to pay for fire insurance, taxes, and also pays for the many different supports that the office provides if we ask. I recently learned that a third of my stipend in Pangnirtung is being paid from assessments, because the congregation can’t afford a full stipend on their own. Thank you to those vestries who don’t hide away what God gives them!

Part of the problem is the word. If assessment was understood as a Mission Tithe, where our parishes joyfully give to the ministry of the diocese just as our members joyfully give 10% to the local church, it would totally change how we think about money in this diocese.

We know our master Jesus is coming back. He entrusts us to invest and grow and share as we will celebrate with Him when He returns. Let us not be the wicked and lazy servant – we know that’s not who we want to be! Let us not covet and keep to ourselves what He has faithfully given to us. Instead, let us learn to trust Him to provide all that we need and more!

I want to share a picture with you. From the point of view of a parish, at times the Synod Office and Diocesan Bishops have appeard distant. We know it wasn’t that long ago when the office was way down in Toronto, and Yellowknife seems far away from many of our parishes. But really, they are there as servants, teachers, and fellow disciples. The office exists to help the parishes, but especially to help the parishes help each other by taking care of the things that it would be too hard for a single church to do on their own. A small Arctic parish couldn’t do it’s own payroll or manage insurance and legal concerns, but the office helps us by doing that work for us. The office and our bishops are there to help us see the bigger picture of what God is doing outside our communities, and how we can be part of it. And yet, a lack of understanding causes us to stop God’s gift: like the servant, we are storing the tithings in the ground, and the whole diocese suffers because of it! This is not God’s intention for us. I believe this is an important teaching for our diocese.

“Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my decrees and failed to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. “But you ask, ‘How can we return when we have never gone away?’ “Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’ “You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!

Malachi 3:7-12

These are ancient and holy words spoken to Israel, and we know He is the same God yesterday, today and tomorrow. Let us not be wicked and lazy servants any more. Let us not cheat God any more. Let us not be slaves to greed any more. OPEN THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN! Imagine if the whole Diocese of The Arctic became selfsupporting, no longer needing to beg for support from the South? Wow, I know it’s possible, because with God anything is possible. He has abundant, abundant riches that we can’t even fathom. Let us not trick ourselves into thinking we’re the shrewd manager (Luke 16:15) when we have the opportunity to invest in ministry rather than hide our money in the ground! Let us not be content with storing up what we have only for ourselves when we can have abundance that overflows into every community around!