There was a time long ago,
maybe you remember it, when each year the local congregation would publish the
list of names of all those who donated money, along with the amount they
gave. I’ve seen some of those
lists. Can you imagine your congregation
doing that now?
We joke about those “good old
days,” but maybe we don’t really want them back.
On the other hand, maybe they
knew something that we have forgotten? Faith
and Generosity go together.
Of course, what generous
looks like will vary from person to person and family to family. A $20 gift to the church is very generous for
some families. For other families generosity
should look like $200, or $2,000, or $200,000.
Generosity is one measure
of faith. Only one, but a strong
one. No matter how much I read scripture
and study the Bible, no matter how many committees I am on, no matter how many
times I attend worship, if I have not learned to be generous with my money and
my belongings, Jesus still has some work to do with me.
That’s why I believe it’s
important for congregations to teach their members about consistent,
proportional, giving.
Consistent: give
on a regular basis. Likely on the same
schedule as you get paid. Weekly, every
other week, monthly. You decide.
It’s why I’m a huge fan of
PAR (Pre-Authorized Remittance). PAR forces
us to think about our giving for the upcoming year. Then PAR makes it easy to give consistently,
because once a month the amount you have decided to give is automatically (and
painlessly) moved from your bank account to your congregation’s bank
account. Simple! PAR also works for giving to the Mission
& Service of The United Church of Canada.
Proportional: give a
proportion of your income. Biblically,
we’re talking 10%; the tithe. However,
if that spiritual exercise is not where you are right now, then pick a
different percentage. Start with
5%. Ideally calculated on your gross
income, but net after taxes is good, too.
The point of consistent,
proportional, giving is to be intentional.
Make a commitment and carry it out.
You’ll feel good about succeeding.
You’ll feel good about giving.
AND, you’ll learn the spiritual values of generosity and trust.
That’s what I hear Jesus
talking about in the Bible reading we heard today. Jesus knows we all have a little ADD in us. We can’t focus and serve in two different
directions at once. “No one can serve two masters” (Mt.
6:24a - NRSV). The more our trust is
placed in God, then the less our trust can be placed anywhere else. When we learn to trust God more and more
completely, then our need and our desire and our tendency to worship our stuff
becomes less and less a part of who we are and how we live.
After all, it’s really hard
to worship money and place your faith in your bank account, if you’re willing
to give your money away for God’s work.
As our generosity
increases, our trust in God increases.
As our trust in God increases, then we start making different choices
about using the stuff we have; being more focused on God’s purposes.
Remember, your money is the
tool that makes it possible for you to change lives. The money you give to your church, both
locally and to Mission & Service, is the tool that makes it possible for your church to change lives.
And that’s the rub, of
course. And this point is critical!!
The purpose of your church
is not to be a fundraiser. Your purpose
is not simply to cover the budget each year.
That’s not to say that fundraising events are bad, or that you shouldn’t
support the next church dinner. But
raising money is not your purpose.
The purpose of your church
is to change lives; to make a difference in your community, directly and
through the lives of the people who are engaged in God’s work. The church is the one place whose mission is
to bring people into life-changing relationships through Jesus.
That’s what we do when we attach
ourselves to God’s mission. We change
lives for the better. We celebrate God's
presence, live with respect in Creation, and love and serve others. We seek justice and resist evil, and we proclaim
Jesus. We help people, and ourselves, to
grow in the likeness of Christ and to grow closer to God.
How cool is that?!
I think it’s worth
celebrating!! I think it’s worth telling
people about!!
I think it’s worth
supporting with our gifts of money, as well as time and energy. Because without all three (money, time,
energy), it’s much more difficult to be the church God is calling you to be;
the church God needs you to be; for the world that God loves.
Think about it!
1.
How much
money are you planning to give to your local church and the Mission &
Service of The United Church of Canada this year?
2.
If you haven’t got an answer to
question #1, then pray about it and find one.
It’s good for your spiritual health!
3. In your praying or meditating, talk with God about what deeper trust could mean for
you.