I’ve been so many places where money is obviously the emphasis and the love. And oh, btw, those are offering plates.
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David Hayward is a pastor artistically stripping to the essential.
Show me the money or else:
God can’t bless you.
God won’t love you.
God won’t allow you to enter into Heaven.
Your salvation is in jeopardy.
Can’t reach people for the Kingdom.
And various other “guilt trips” whether spoken or unspoken.
See my blog post: http://www.bignoise-enterprises.com/blog/?p=183
Speaking of which David would you consider adding my blog to your blogroll?
Not to mention the clear words of Matthew 6:3-4, where Jesus urges us to do our giving in secret. And yet in most congregations, offerings are collected in full public view, and we’re encouraged to put the money/checks in envelopes with our names on them.
Years ago, I began giving offerings in cash (untraceable), with no envelope, whenever possible. Some congregational leaders were actually annoyed, because there was no way to record who gave it …
No offering plate at the church where I pastor. One small box in the back.
fishon
Ooooooh, those are offering plates. When I glanced at the cartoon (before reading the title/caption) I thought they were giant condoms being supplied by people finally ready to admit that the “Just Say No” to sex before marriage campaign isn’t as effective as we’ve been led to believe.
Personally, I’ve discovered that a “Just Say No” motto to church intimidation IS more effective than they want you to know. The difficult part is learning to distinguish between the voices of the Holy Spirit and “the church” so that you can say an enthusiastic “Yes” to the former, and a firm “No, thank you” to the latter.
ttm: huge condoms!
I know–There’s not even a reasonable rationalization for the ways my mind works.
Condoms for elephants, I guess…
To return to the serious tone of the cartoon, I really like Kathy’s list of what the “or else” entails. And so many people allow themselves to be imprisoned in this type of manipulative thinking. A lot of people I know are just now starting to shake off the shackles of heavy-handed churches and their staffmembers.
However, my friends and I have discussed this question a few times: What are churches supposed to do? The whole existence of a brick-and-mortar church with fulltime (and parttime) staff who are making programs available to people is contingent upon a budget. It seems illogical to assume that money will flow into the church coffers without encouragement, reminders, pressure, and demands. And what better way to do this than quote Scripture and threaten the loss of God’s blessings for non-tithers/less-than-sacrificial givers.
My friends and I often reach different answers to that question, but it does inspire some lively conversation. So does the “Just Say No” to sex before marriage issue. Good thing we don’t have to have identical beliefs to remain friends!
fishon, Good for you!
And since this form of communication doesn’t allow for body language clues to assist you in discerning the metamessage behind the words, let me help:
I am smiling.
The smile is showing teeth.
The corners of my eyes are crinkled from the smile.
I’m nodding.
My right hand is giving you a thumbs up.
Good for you!
hey fishy our church just has a little thing in the back too. It took a couple of Sundays for me to realize it was there, and I wondered where they got the money for rent
Funny thing about money – I’ve been reading documents from the early christian church, and apparently the president (pastor), took an offering and was supposed to give it to the poor, widows and stuff. But also, firstfruits of food and such could be used to support the pastor, not really money. Actually, there was one place that said if a visiting preacher asked for food it was okay, but if he asked for money he was a false prophet.
Hey I just noticed that the guy with the really long arm isn’t holding a plate – he’s just going straight for the pocket.
I remember sending $5.00 to a ministry, and having that ministry’s mailings follow me for 5 years, through 2 moves. Which wouldn’t have been so bad if they hadn’t belonged to the “disaster of the month” school of fund-raising. So every month (and sometimes twice) I would get a missive detailing the latest disaster that could only be solved if I sent them $10.00, $25.00 or $50.00 (nowadays that would be more like $20.00, $50.00 or $100.00 – it’s been a while).
In spite of some of my differences with the good Dr. Dobson (no, Jesus wasn’t born Republican), I like the fact that unless they have great need they don’t hammer you about money, and even then it’s not a constant barage. Would that more ministries had that mentality.
I’m not usually one for commenting twice in a row, but this one strikes close to home.
Money is seen to be the only thing that can keep a struggling diocese alive, and the reality is we almost wouldn’t care if people never showed up at church, so long as they set up a direct debut and tangibly cared about the future of the church as organisation. The best call for money I’ve ever seen was a RC poster in France. It simply said: “there is a church in my life!”.
A thumb up, fishon. I’ve only seen one church in my area that has the box(es) in the back — but they’re one of the faster-growing churches in the area, and they’re not hurting for $$$ either. And John Donne did it with his congregation, which should be recommendation enough for almost anyone.
Thanks for the thumbs up, ttm.
I might add to the box in the back thing, I have only preached about giving 2 times in 11 years. Now I am not against teaching about giving, but I believe it is a gift from God to us to be able to give, and I believe if the love for God and the love for people are taught, giving will happen–giving for the right purposes.
I have on occasion asked the congregation to join me in giving to a particular need: Tsunami in Indo., Katrina refuges, an orphange in Russian [not a Christian orphange either] those kinds of things. And our small congregation gives generously.
My salary is $19,800, and out of that I pay taxes, State and Federal, and SSI. So I have lost out on the Mansion, big car, and all those other things. Wait a minute, if I had big houses, fancy cars, and all the other perks that some pastor recieve, I wouldn’t have time to go fishing–any time I want to. Wow, I have it great.
There is no doubt that terrible abuses are taking place when it comes to money and the church. I use to get upset with many of the televangelist and the money thing, but not so much any more. They answer to God and their congregation, so it is between them. Me, I have more things to worry about than those snakes–I have rattlesnakes to dodge when I go Steelhead fishing in the summer, and darned if those satans ain’t out in force.
Enough rambling–but the Bible is true–”The LOVE of money is the root of all kinds of evil.”
fishon
Thanks Ray,
The church I was born again in didn’t pass the plate, either. And it grew to be a good size church, but alas, it is failing because of its concerns for self and not the World, but still has plenty of money.
But the church I pastor, cares and loves the hurting of the world and will give at the drop of a hat for the needy–but we are strugging and not growing. Go figure! But oh, we are a joyful bunch.
fishon