It was eerily quiet as I stood on Cemetery Ridge, Gettysburg National Park, waiting for the sun to rise over the battlefield.   The battlefield was shrouded in a heavy pre-dawn fog. As I gazed upon that sacred landscape I couldn’t help but wonder what it must have been like during the three days of the battle of Gettysburg 150 years ago. What would have caused tens of thousands of soldiers to fight against overwhelming odds, in the face of withering enemy fire to keep trying and trying to win the battle? When that question was posed to the men who landed on Normandy Beach on D-Day in WWII they responded with two very clear reasons: They had a great belief in their cause and an equally strong commitment to those they were fighting next to.

Not to push the military imagery too far; I can’t help but wonder what our congregations, churches, conferences, and denomination might be able to accomplish even against sometimes overwhelming odds and withering enemy fire if each and every one of us had an irresistible belief in our cause of making disciple of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world and an absolute commitment to those with whom we share that belief. Stewardship begins with each and every one of us and all of us together making the decision and determination that making disciples, making a difference in the world for the sake of Christ, and giving ourselves to God’s work in the world will, in fact, be our life’s work.