Give 'till it Hurts
I'll come clean, other than marriage, I'm not much of an institutional guy. That won't surprise too many who know me. Actually, those who know me would probably say I belong in an institution. But that is another story.
I'm not on staff at any church. I never have been. I don't have any problem with churches having staff. I attend a large congregation, 1000+ members if you asked the pastor. (Which means it is more like 700-750.) We have a nice, new building and some fantastic resources. I realize that all has to be paid for and that comes from the contribution given by the congregation. Our church also does some fantastic mission and benevolence work. I'm for that too.
What I have a problem with is how we (churches in general) view giving. When someone mentions giving it nearly always refers to money. When you hear "We need to increase our giving," that means shell out more dough.
My tradition takes communion weekly. The contribution is always taken just after it. Again, I don't have a problem with giving to the institution. I just feel funny about passing a plate around and associating that with giving. I know, it is a convenient time to collect money and an easy way to get it.
There is also the guilt factor that goes with it. The plate coming down the aisle and you sit there wondering who is watching, seeing who doesn't put something in. I know I'm not alone on this one! And the funny thing is we precede it with the verse of how God loves a cheerful giver! I keep thinking, I wonder if he loves a guilty one? I can't seem to locate that verse.
Some would say you are not giving to an institution, you are giving to God.
In our culture (and many others) money is power.
I heard of a pastor stating that if all of the congregation would just give a tithe (10%) of their income, they could do so many wonderful things. I have a problem with that.
I have a problem with that unless in the same breath you mention if only folks would tithe (or give 10%) of their time during the week.
What is there, 168 hours in a week? 10% would be 16.8 hours or two full work days. Let's start at something easier, 5% of 168 is just over 8 hours. What if everyone gave, dedicated themselves, to 8 hours a week serving others, whether it was at the church building or out there. What about taking food to shut-ins, visiting the sick, helping someone out, going to visit the jails, hospitals, homeless not just telling folks about Jesus, but showing that love...just serving. Talk about making a difference!
What would that church look like? What would the world look like?
Now imagine coming together on Sunday (or whenever) for worship time. And after communion they said, we are going to pass around the collection plate and we want you to fill out a questionnaire and put it in so we can see how many folks you told about Jesus this week. Did you reach the number you 'purposed' at the end of last year? Are you taking your telling others about Jesus to the next level? We just want to know and encourage you to give more. We will track it over the year and compare it with years previous. We will break down giving by families and so on. We need to increase our giving.
"Remember," they would say, "God loves a cheerful giver."
posted by Bart at 1:22 PM
10 Comments:
I'm with ya' Bart.
10% was given when 1/12 of the nation of Israel was living off of it. The whole tribe of Levi was supported by that tithe.
Today, we all show up at church each week to be reminded that we all just want to "get" from the church, and nobody wants to give. But, the only giving they facilitate is financial. The rest is our problem.
Always enjoy your perspectives Bart. This one in particular. Why is it that Institutions are so... oh, so uncomfortable?
Haven't been "attending" church regularly, and seems like when we do go there is always a Special Collection going on and a topic-specific-sermon to go along with it = the guilt factor. Maybe the sermon's supposed to inspire the giving of the cash, but it always feels like the giving is tinged with guilt or concern over who's watching.
Also, the giving of time is so much bigger. Outside of "church" on Sunday, that is. Giving freely, unquestioningly, clandestine-giving, anonymous giving, giving your water bottle to a thirsty dirty little kid at the ballpark and seeing the thank you light up in their parent's eyes, is so much much bigger :) if you ask me.
Bart, I agree--the subject of giving is way, way under-emphasized. I hate talking about giving--almost as much as people hate hearing about it. Yeah, I'm a pastor in a local church. We take communion every week too, and have just changed the mode of giving from passing trays after communion, to receptacles in the foyer that can be contributed into at anytime.
While many churches I grew up in never talked about tithing time or talent, (they didn't even talk about the tithe--since Jesus died we were freed from that dreaded law and now I suppose we could give less!) there are some (my church for example) where we try to elevate any cup of cold water given in Jesus' name is blessed.
At the same time, our nation is so greedy (I almost put materialistic but that doesn't seem to communicate) that money MUST be talked about--not to the deteriment of time or talent but it is an 'idol'. (I struggle too as I type on my Dell Inspirion laptop connected wirelessly to my DSL at home!)
While there are legitimate gripes and complaints about poor motives some churches may have when seeking money, they can often be illegitimate complaints from people who don't give their time, their talent, or their treasure (Donald Miller might add another word, they don't give a d**n) TO ANYTHING--but only complain when God promises to bless us--WAY beyond our tithe. It's a scam invented to soothe my guilt over not giving anything or not paying attention to what I'm giving--because nothing is legitimate so I'll just give to myself.
I am OPPOSED to giving by guilt! I'm trying to preach the Good News of giving--giving to the Lord through time, talent and treasure because of the incredible gift we have received in Jesus Christ! Not so our building fund can grow. Oh, and, our church does struggle financially--but God has always provided. I would bless everyone who is giving a tithe of their talent and time even over or over and above their treasure.
On behalf of the 'institution' from one uninstitutional rebel caught IN one, may I ask forgiveness for all of us who have grossly prostituted the tithe for selfish gain? In Jesus' Name, I beg of God for forgiveness so that the storehouse might be full and blessings would pour out onto His people.
Thanks for the post. I pray God's blessings on you.
I am just not sure that this is an either/or proposition. I don't see where I can say to God "I'll give you my time, but not my money". How do you say "I'll give you only partial control. I'll keep the rest"?
When I give to the church, I am not giving to the church per-se, I am giving control of my finances to God. I am giving up control of the most worrysome, hard to manage and the thing that I (and most of us) spend a great deal of time on (i.e. jobs, budgets, investing, etc.) I depend on His promises that he will take care of it.
For me, it's not a matter of giving, it's a matter of giving-up my control.
I feel conflicted on this subject. I do think it is critical that more time should be spent on discussion of giving time and talents in other ways.
On the other hand, there have been times in my life when I did tithe and I will say that I felt more connected and commited to the group of people. There was something about doling out hard cash that made me want to know what was going on and be a part of the work.
Now, I have to add that it scares me that the financial details of most churches are held closely by the leadership. So much is spent on facilities and the like that I suppose it might not meet the scrutiny of many eyes.
I have found that for me, cheerful giving means writing a check to the orphanage that I was in or looking for needs in my community of people, rather than throwing it over the church wall.
Codepoke – I love it when you drop by and raise the level of conversation here!
“…the only giving they [the church] facilitate is financial. The rest is our problem.”
You are right. But, we are “they.”
Steph – I notice when folks are nice to me. But I really feel it when they are nice to my kids.
The kind of giving you are talking about, that’s what I love to hear more of on Sunday mornings.
Jbrent – Your church and our world is a much better place with you serving it. Thanks for your words and honesty. And I pray God’s blessing on you, as well.
“they [churches you grew up in] didn't even talk about the tithe--since Jesus died we were freed from that dreaded law and now I suppose we could give less!”
I laughed out loud when I read that.
When I googled tithe, many of the links that showed up where talking about how we don’t have to tithe anymore, that it went away with the old law when Jesus died. I believe that but it left me feeling the same thing. It was as if they were saying we were off the hook for having to give 10 percent. Some even debated whether we should give 10 percent of our gross or net income.
I’m not advocating tithing. I think we should give it all. I struggle writing that because I don’t even tithe very well, whether it is money, time or talent.
Seph – You really put it in perspective for me. I can’t count how many times I’ve heard that time is money. But it is so much more than that. Yes, great things can be done with cash, but like you wrote, “How much is it worth to make a difference to a person by showing them you care…?”
There have been times I’ve found myself dismissing someone with cash instead of serving him or her more completely.
Anonymous – I so agree that it isn’t an either/or proposition. Give it all and give up all control.
Andreia – I think too many details, (financial or otherwise) are held by the leadership without any transparency. We, the laity have accepted the slacker role and turned it all over.
Bart
Are you suggesting that the rest of us (seph, did you get this)dont raise the bar? ; )
always your friend in crime
I don't know about raising the bar, but I'd rather be at the bar!
Anyone want to start a bar ministry with me?
Dude, we have one...come to the Harbour again!! Too bad we are so far from you!
seriously...I remember listening to a dear friend of mine talk about how little money her family could give to the church...yet she was always volunteering to watch children, paint anything from walls to sets at the church, and generally serve in so many ways. There were those who I saw give and give financially but you only saw them on Sunday occasionally. I believe they were both tithing.
The first believers didn't have buildings to keep up so their giving wasn't to the electric bill that month but rather those in need within their community. So...I guess I think both service and money are a tithe.
Bart,
I know what you mean about feeling pressure to donate when the collection plate comes down the aisle. It took me a good while to get over it, which I eventually accompished by reminding myself of what we do outside the church when I hand off the plate to guy
sitting next to me. Now I smile when I do it.
Like other posters we prefer to give directly to the needy and by doing so get comfort in knowing we contributed to the lord's work.
Quite honestly we didn't want to think our contribution might be used for purchasing a helicopter, buying ad time on TV, or fronting a book deal. We don't believe that's what God meant when he referred to a "cheerful giver."
We prefer the immediate feedback that comes from helping a needy family, such as a Katrina victim.
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