Last week I did something that I had refused to do for years and years. Ever since I entered the ministry I never wanted to know how much people were giving. I was afraid that it would affect the way I thought of them and treated them. I’m just being honest. I didn’t trust that I wouldn’t get frustrated with those who didn’t give much or nothing, and appreciate those who did. Especially when the church might be going through a hard time and my pay might be affected, I didn’t want my knowledge of who gave what to tarnish my opinion of them, either for better or worse.
Anyway, last week the treasurer came in for me to sign all the charitable giving tax-receipts for anyone who gave in our congregation. I felt I could handle it. I was right. I did handle it. I think giving is important, but I no longer judge people according to their giving. I could handle the delicate knowledge with maturity, objectivity and indifference. I know people well enough that some people give more with bad motives, and some people don’t give because they are really wrestling with the issue. But this is not my point.
My point is that as I went through the receipts and saw who gave what, my heart started to swell with amazement and gratitude. Generally speaking, I can say that our people are generous. I was astounded at what some of the people were giving: far more than I figured they could. It broke my heart to see how so many people, people who are struggling and suffering on such a profound level, can at the same time be so generous. Even while people are in the middle of so much pain, they continue to give and give and give. And what I saw on those papers was only a fraction of what actually changes hands from week to week in our community… money, food, furniture, help, cds, gift certificates and coupons… you name it. In spite of the pressing darkness of our time, these people still manage to shine.
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David Hayward is an artist trapped in a pastor's body, stripping to the essential.
I don’t think I would want to find out if I could handle it or not. I’ll just stay in the dark and let the money people handle it.
Really interesting and thought provoking, especially given our usual cynicism about churches and money! thanks for your honesty, really refreshing and liberating. am still pondering on the Shakleton piece from last week.
A sweet, telling post. Thank you.
Shirley Buxton
http://www.shirleybuxton.wordpress.com
David,
It’s our giving that’s part of the strength in our lives. It’s part of the furniture, part of the fabric of our livs. We have to do it. We want to.
That’s part of community.
Sas x
Unfortunately I just read another post the other day from A Broken Pilgrim (http://brokenpilgrim.wordpress.com/) and here is what his pastor did with the information in a year end letter of the givers to his ‘church’:
“Along with my thanks and encouragement I would also like to challenge you. As Christian we are commanded to bring our tithe into the storehouse. The Church you attend is a your storehouse and you tithe is 10% of your first fruits or income. Many times I will hear people say “I’m just not sure what God wants or expects from me†In the principle of tithing God makes it very clear, your tithe is 10% and he wants it given to the place where you worship.
At the bottom of your tithing statement you will see a total amount. This represents all the monies you have given towards General giving, building funds, missions, etc. When you receive your W-2 you will also see a box that says total wages. If your total is not 10% of the amount then your giving is not at the level the Lord commands. If this is the case then I ask that you make it a matter of prayer and fulfill what the lord mandates in His Word.”
I like your response instead.
I’ve been in churches like Former Leader describes. In fact, too much of my Christian life has been in churches where the leadership has clubbed and guilted “their” 10% out of their congregants. There is no cheerful giving – or receiving – going on. Just a lot of fear and manipulation.
I have been trying to relearn how it feels to be a cheerful giver once again. Though I am not attending churches run by those manipulative leader types any more, the memory of it lingers long in my life.
Humility, honesty and gratitude (like you expressed so well in this post) are necessary for giver and receiver. Thanks for sharing this. It gives me hope.
David, back when I was a Christian, and in church, I regularly gave (by personal check) at least 10%. I was a good Baptist. Disillusionment set in after a few years, and I decided that what I gave was between me and God, and not the business of the church treasurer, so I started putting cash in the plate, still at least 10%.
After a couple months, a member of the church leadership, and a very good friend of mine, approached me on “…behalf of the pastor, who was concerned for my spiritual well-being.” and asked why I was no longer giving. I couldn’t believe my ears. I explained to him what I just told you.
From that day on I no longer gave to the church, but instead, I set cash aside, and when someone in the church had a need, I bypassed the middle man, who seemed, (more often than not) to neglect those in need.
Just my story.
wow. that says a lot bob.
As a manger of people, I look at my team and see what they are not doing much more often than what they are doing. That is when I get depressed. I run a restaurant. Lately, I have been depressed. Then they do something like on Sunday. out of a staff of 54, 14 did not come to work. In the bible belt, going out to eat after church is very popular and it is our busiest time of the week. My people kicked it into high gear and made it happen. I am only one person, they did the heavy lifting. Also, they did it for me. that made my heart swell again with love for them. I am a blessed man to be working with such people.
That’s nice Nate.
Sas x
Bob, I’m glad you bypassed the middle man. That “church” sounds bloody horrendous.
Sas x
The church needs to recognize that money doesn’t come from people; it comes from God.
People need to give; not to the church but to God.
a couple of months ago, we saw a video in church as part of “Thanks Giving” series…
“God’s Pie” this guys opens ‘God’s Pie’ and starts dishing out the pieces – mortgage, cars, fashion, hobbies, education, etc., etc. finally gets out to the end of the table and there’s God sitting with an empty plate in front of Him.
So the guy looks at his slice, looks back at God – who never ceases to smile at him – looks back to the pie, and then sits and brings his hand up to shield his face so he doesn’t have to look at God as he eats his pie…
and the rest of the table looks down at him and the German car guy says:
“Dude. He brought the pie.”
For me, tithing comes down to this: Do I trust God to provide? Sarah, you absolutely hit it – it’s part of the fabric of life, given in gratitude to a God who provides.
A Dutch friend once told me about their church at home where you put into the collection plate when you had money and took out of it when you had need. I liked the simplicity of that idea…which also ‘cuts out the middleman’ – but have never encountered it in practise myself.
When the woman threw in her last two thin pennies, Jesus said something along the lines of, “now that’s a true gift!”
Anything less than everything we’ve got condemns us for the unbelievers that we are.
Jesus says in Luke 14:33 that “whoever does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.”
That’s the law…on steroids! The law properly used by the preacher, whether he be Jesus, or you or me, is to kill the hearer, and leave no one standing…but Jesus.
Then Jesus says, “your sins are forgiven..go your way and sin no more.” We go our way, continue to sin (He leads us to repentance), and he continues to forgive us.
I don’t know anyone that couldn’t give a little more, and I’m on top of that list. But giving according to some calculated, prescribed amount is to place people back under the yoke of slavery. You might as well ask them to get circumcised and go to temple.
For freedom Christ has set us free, and that includes our giving as well as every other prescripted rule or principle.
Giving to the Church is good, and we should give whatever we can…without being goaded to do so, lest we become Protestantized Jews.
That’s my story (actually God’s story), and I’m stickin’ to it!