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We are at war. The economy is in turmoil. We
still mourn the loss of lives and the loss of our
sense of security September 11. Bleak news pummels
us from the media each day. So much has changed.
What can we count on?
Anyone reading this already knows the answer,
though perhaps the volume of the dark news
occasionally drowns out The Good News. God is
unchanged. As always, we can count on Him. The
more we demonstrate our faith in that truth, the
more we will experience it.
Faith has that interesting dimension to it; the
more that we live our faith in our daily actions,
the more that we experience the fruits of our
faith. In living out our belief in God’s gracious
giving, the more we open ourselves to receive His
blessings.
Bring the
full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may
be food in my house, and thus put me to the test,
says the LORD of hosts; see if I will not open the
windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an
overflowing blessing. (Mal. 3:10)
Tithing demonstrates both our faith and our
gratitude. In dedicating 10 percent of our income
to God’s work, we thankfully acknowledge that
every single good thing that we have and
experience comes from Him. We clearly state our
belief that God will provide all that we need. The
10 percent given from the top is God’s for us to
pass along to those people and organizations, like
Christ Church, that need it to cover the expenses
of doing His work.
Why doesn’t God just provide for His work
directly? Because we would then be deprived of the
privilege of proclaiming our love and gratitude to
God by accepting our responsibility to use His
part of our affluence to accomplish
His work. And it would deprive us of the
opportunity to experience the blessing that comes
from giving to God first.
In 1997 the General Convention of the Episcopal
Church affirmed the tithe as the minimum standard
of individual giving for Episcopalians. If you are
not currently tithing, prayerfully consider
increasing your pledge by a percentage each of the
next three years that will result in your tithing
by the end of that time. As a start, the Covenant
Committee requests that you consider a 20 percent
increase in your pledge for next year. Such an
affirmation of your faith is truly a gift to
yourself, freeing your spirit from doubt about
God’s generous provision. |
