Admittedly it has been some time since I have posted my last blog. It seems that my mind works much like the weather. When it is sunny and bright so is my mind and I am able to think as clearly as the sky (Ha!). But alas, we do live in Canada and I am stuck in my winter rut like so many others I know. In light of this, if my thoughts are not coherent or productive, assume it is the weather controlling my weekend state.
As a young minister I have had to think about how to approach the issue of tithing and/or giving to the church. It is a less than pleasurable topic and seems almost as if I am seeking some kind of personal gain through teaching it. After much thought and wrestling about the matter, I would like to make a comparison that I hope will find useful.
There is a commercial on television right now for "Europe's Best" where a family sits down to dessert. They are a well off, distinguished, proper family who seem to practice appropriate table manners. With classical music playing in the background the family begin to eat their bowls of ice cream and fruit. The son dives into the bowl eating only the fruit as the parents watch on horrified. After finishing all his fruit the boy plays with his spoon, poking at the ice cream with an obvious expression of distaste for the treat. After a moment of watching this silently, his mother says quite sternly, "Max, eat your ice cream".
You will hear many try and tell you that it is your responsibility to give to the local church. They will say that it is a command from God. I would agree, however, I think that we may have unintentionally diverted our focus from what is truly important. For a preacher to try and tell you that it is your responsibility to give freely to the church is like the mother telling her son that he must eat his ice cream. It simply makes no sense! It may be our responsibility to give, but clearly the focus must be shifted. God has asked us to give and this is a privilege, not a burden. It is freeing, not restricting. It must be done with joy and adulation, not with pain and suffering.
In the old testament there were occasions when the Israelites would be asked to give, often in regards to building, re-building or repairing the temple. There were times when the leadership of the day would have to ask the people to stop giving. They had exceeded what was asked of them. Your money and your gifts do not simply go into the pocket of the minister. It does not go into elaborate building plans and expanded parking lots. The money you give is used to advance the kingdom of God, to feed the hungry, to teach our children, to spread the gospel and to support the church God has blessed you with. I will not tell you to eat ice cream and I will not tell you to give your money. I will however say I have tasted ice cream and it is delicious. Delight in what you give and rejoice that God has chosen to use your gifts to spread His Good News.
