Thinking about giving
Saint Markers and Friends, This is only my second post, and it seems a little awkward to talk about giving so quickly. But this Sunday is Commitment Sunday at Saint Mark, so it seem s timely to share a little on a topic that is sometimes difficult for us but seems to have been very important to Jesus.
Julie and I have always supported financially the ministries of the churches we have served. Our base line has always been the tithe. You could assume that we feel some obligation to support the church, and there is some truth to that. It would be very hard for me to stand before you week after week if I knew I was not supporting the church. In my case there is also a habit that goes back to when I was a boy getting my first allowance and I was instructed by my parents to be sure 10% went to God. So those dynamics are at work. But I believe - I hope! - that there is more to our giving than that.
Our giving is a spiritual discipline that helps us grow in our trust in God and God's provision. The first check I write every pay period - yes, I still write checks. I'm old. - is our gift to the church. Some months I don't want to do that, but I do. We think this systematic giving helps the church, but we know it helps us. It is a way each month of saying that we trust we have enough and will be provided for. It is a way of trying to put our hearts in the right place, given Jesus' statement that our hearts wind up where we put our treasure. Sometimes, of course, it doesn't feel so spiritual. I write the check, put it in the offering plate, and don't think much about it. But at its best..... And I find that without fail, even in the months when things feel a little tighter, we always have enough for what we need. I have come to believe that how we handle our treasure is closely linked to our trust in God, and is a spiritual matter of the first importance.
Our pattern may not work for you. We are all at different places on the journey. But I hope as we come to this Sunday you are giving prayerful consideration to your giving for 2007. Your gift is important for the continuance of the ministries of our great church. It is even more important for your spiritual life.
Jimmy
Julie and I have always supported financially the ministries of the churches we have served. Our base line has always been the tithe. You could assume that we feel some obligation to support the church, and there is some truth to that. It would be very hard for me to stand before you week after week if I knew I was not supporting the church. In my case there is also a habit that goes back to when I was a boy getting my first allowance and I was instructed by my parents to be sure 10% went to God. So those dynamics are at work. But I believe - I hope! - that there is more to our giving than that.
Our giving is a spiritual discipline that helps us grow in our trust in God and God's provision. The first check I write every pay period - yes, I still write checks. I'm old. - is our gift to the church. Some months I don't want to do that, but I do. We think this systematic giving helps the church, but we know it helps us. It is a way each month of saying that we trust we have enough and will be provided for. It is a way of trying to put our hearts in the right place, given Jesus' statement that our hearts wind up where we put our treasure. Sometimes, of course, it doesn't feel so spiritual. I write the check, put it in the offering plate, and don't think much about it. But at its best..... And I find that without fail, even in the months when things feel a little tighter, we always have enough for what we need. I have come to believe that how we handle our treasure is closely linked to our trust in God, and is a spiritual matter of the first importance.
Our pattern may not work for you. We are all at different places on the journey. But I hope as we come to this Sunday you are giving prayerful consideration to your giving for 2007. Your gift is important for the continuance of the ministries of our great church. It is even more important for your spiritual life.
Jimmy
posted by Jimmy at 6:09 PM
1 Comments:
Vicar, we should encourage the parishioners at St Mark to use the automatic withdrawal for their pledges. This makes my life much simplier. Ted
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