Stewardship: One Family’s Story

C.J. Joplin-Jack’s Stewardship talk October 23, 2022

I’d like to share a story of stewardship that began in 1935 with a 14-year-old girl, named Virginia. She was a lonely young girl, who shied away from social interaction because she was embarrassed by her family’s circumstances. Virginia’s family was poor, even by Depression-era standards. 

However, one Sunday morning a classmate invited her to attend St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral; and Virginia agreed to go. It was an experience that would change her life in ways she couldn’t even imagine at the time. As she entered the Cathedral, she was awestruck by the beauty of the building, the music and the message of hope and God’s love. When she shared in the Eucharist for the first time, she knew she had found her spiritual home.

The next Sunday she took her 3-year-old brother with her. The two of them continued to attend services every Sunday and eventually both were confirmed. Virginia was an active member of the Cathedral for the rest of her life.

You might be wondering why Virginia’s mother didn’t go to church with her children. Her mother, Gertrude, was a loving woman of strong faith but, unfortunately, her experience with the church had not been positive. 

Gertrude also was struggling to keep her shaky marriage together and was caring for her ailing mother. 

When her mother died, Gertrude received a small amount of life insurance. She took a leap of faith and invested all of the money in a beautiful little bungalow.

But, shortly after her family moved in, their life began to unravel. Gertrude and her husband separated, and he lost his job. Just as Gertrude was trying to figure out how to support her children, she learned her husband had accumulated a massive amount of debt and declared bankruptcy. His creditors were going to seize her house unless she could pay them. The first payment of $25 was due the next day.

Gertrude felt a wave of panic engulf her. The only money she had to her name that day was literally one dime. How could she tell her children they were soon to be homeless? Where would they go? She really needed a miracle.

Then Gertrude had a thought. She could go to the Cathedral. “That’s crazy,” she told herself. “Why would they help me?  I don’t even go to church with my children. Well, I’m out of options. It’s worth a try.”

So, Gertrude swallowed her pride, got on the streetcar, dropped her last dime into the fare box and rode to the Cathedral. 

The Dean, Fr. Paul Roberts, agreed to see her and listened as she poured out her story. Then, without hesitation, he wrote her a check for $25. In addition, Fr. Paul called an attorney from his congregation, and he agreed to help Gertrude at no charge.

Gertrude was overwhelmed with gratitude and wept tears of joy. She knew she just had experienced a miracle.

After this amazing day, gifts and opportunities somehow continued to come right when they were needed. Life was not always easy, but Gertrude and Virginia spent the rest of their lives in their beloved home. In time, Virginia married and gave Gertrude a granddaughter, named Carol Anne.

I am Carol Anne, and I lived in that little bungalow until I went to college. I still have my grandmother’s purse that held her last dime and her bracelet that holds a mustard seed, a symbol of her faith. I grew up hearing this story lovingly repeated, and learning about faith and gratitude. I watched my family generously contribute to the church that had rescued them from homelessness, and I learned it was my responsibility to pay this gift forward.

My vision for St. John’s Boulder is that 85 years from now someone will be speaking to a congregation yet unborn about how our church changed the course of their family’s history.

May God bless all of you with abundance and generous hearts as you make your pledge to sustain our ministries well into the future.

Amen.