|
Wor(th)ship
If you have not received a letter from our council president, Rob Finelli - you
soon will. He tells us that this has been a lean year financially and I know that this
is true insofar as Ginger our secretary and I go over the payment of bills each
month. We are not alone in this problem, many of the pastors I talk to are saying
the same thing.
There are all kinds of ideas out there as how to confront the problem. The most
popular seems to be the idea of instilling fear into everyone: would you like to
worship in a cold church, would you like the mortgage company to foreclose and
sell your church to a branch of Scientology? I know it sounds silly but somehow
the idea that one needs to whip up an emotional frenzy seizes the minds of some of
the clergy. They all know that times are tough but somehow they get the feeling
that there is more money out in the pews and they are duty bound to help those
folks loosen up and give more.
But the truth is there is much confusion about how people look upon their church giving. The idea that there
are bills to be paid to keep afloat panders to the lowest common denominator about our life as a community of
God. The reality is this: making a pledge is an ACT OF WORSHIP. Yes. I know, the idea of worship seems
more connected to the other things we do at church, sing, read the scriptures, hear a sermon, receive Holy Communion.
But when you think about it, other than singing, everything is done to and for you. A real act of worship involves
an action that you make that binds you to God. There is no question that the early Israelites saw worship
as an act of sacrifice - the giving of what they had in honor of the God that they knew loved them..
Now a word about tithing. I know that many of you have heard that tithing is the ultimate level that everyone
should be aiming for - 10%. However, I have found that this idea only creates either guilt - I just can't do it - or
resentment - all the church talks about is money. One cannot compare the realities of when this idea was formulated
thousands of years ago, with what are contemporary realities.
So, I would like to present the idea of financial giving as an act of worship. As a matter of fact, what we
place in the offering plate may well be the ultimate act of worship or wor(th)ship that we do. Since coming to
Bethlehem, Lesley and I have always raised our pledge each year. We are now giving 8% of my church salary.
Yes, yes I know - I said that tithing isn't the ultimate goal. But for us it is a benchmark of doing what we say we
believe.. I do not know nor do I want to know what others are giving but I do believe that any pastor ought to be
able walk the walk as well as talk the talk.
I hope that many of you will ponder the idea of wor(th)ship rather than filling out your pledge card with the
idea of 'getting the bills paid'. Once you get into that habit, the check you write out to Bethlehem Lutheran
Church will give you a sense of who you really are - something that just doesn't happen on the check you write
out to Nationgrid.
Pastor Fred
|
