He may a look a little strange in this photo, but Central United Methodist member Don King finds his stewardship mission in helping to build trails. Don says, "When in the peaceful beauty of the mountains, I can feel close to my God. The stresses of the everyday world melt away, and I am renewed. Trails are about the only way to enjoy the back country, where wheels cannot go!"
Don volunteers with The Pacific Northwest Trail Association, which is a private, non-profit agency responsible for maintaining the Pacific Northwest Trail, which cross seven national forests, three national parks, and a checkerboard of other public and private lands.
We show Don here, not exactly on a real trail, but in his authentic "trail garb"---hard hat, pulaski, protective glasses, and backpack with necessary tools and probably food and water for working far from settlements.
He loves this work, obviously, and this love fits so well into his church's theology of environment and stewardship. Methodists affirm that all creation is under the authority of God and all creation is interdependent. Our covenant with God requires us to be stewards, protectors, and defenders of all creation. The use of natural resources is a universal concern and responsibility of all as reflected in Psalm 24:1: "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof."
In the Bible, a steward is one given responsibility for what belongs to another. The Greek word we translate as steward is oikonomos, one who cares for the household or acts as its trustee. The word oikos, meaning household, is used to describe the world as God's household. Christians, then, are to be stewards of the whole household (creation) of God. Oikonomia, "stewardship," is also the root of our word "economics." Oikos, moreover, is the root of our modern word, "ecology."
You can read more about these concepts here.
But, meanwhile, we are reminded of fragments from the lovely hymn ...
For the beauty of the earth,
For the beauty of the skies...
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon, and stars of light.
Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
This our hymn of grateful praise.
