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There is so much that is over-hyped to get our
attention. “This is what you really need in order
to have a happy life!” “Buy this to be beautiful!”
“Everyone who is anyone owns this!” Our lives are
filled with noise from numerous sources vying for
our response. The last couple of months are
notorious for the sounds of commerce. It gets so
noisy, often it is easy to miss the greatest
bargain of our lives.
Our congregations offer what
we really need to
have a fulfilling life. It is without price. (And,
of course, we have free parking.) Our Lord’s love
and abundant provision for our needs is absolutely
free! We certainly experience that love and
provision outside the walls of the church, too.
But, we need our parish involvement, Sunday
worship, and community of fellow
Christians to keep us centered for the struggle in
the essentially secular world.
Because
it takes money to operate the parish, and we talk
about budgets, the costs of raising up ministries,
salaries, and other expenses, it could be
misunderstood that there is a cost for belonging
to the church. Some people may even put a couple
of dollars in the collection basket on Sunday as
though it were an obligation for attending,
perhaps even an admission charge.
There is
no charge. Our giving is something that we must do
for our spiritual health. God provides for us
abundantly, beyond our wildest expectations. We
are created to carry out His purposes for us. So
we need to use His gifts as He would have us use
them. And we need to dedicate at least a tithe,
the first ten percent, back to Him as a way of
acknowledging His gracious giving and
acknowledging that His economy is one of
abundance.
For some of us, committing to
tithing immediately could cause disruption and
anxiety. It shouldn't, but it is a matter of
faith and faith is built over time. Commit,
then, to a plan to be practicing a full tithe
within the next two to five years including
increasing the percentage of the income that you
are giving in each of those years. |
