*This is an article I wrote many years ago (when I was an active UMC member, now Baptist) that I was recently reminded of, so I decided to share it here.
It was Christ the King Sunday. The worship service was rich and deep and meaningful. Inbetween the sermon and the offering our attention was being directed toward some serious financial concerns facing our congregation. Quite honestly, had these concerns been raised in any other venue, for me at least, it would have been akin to the title of the high school Sunday School lesson I had just taught that morning, “Same Old, Same Old.” However, the juxtaposition of that high and holy service coinciding with the increasing financial needs of our church, reminded me once again in a very powerful way of the daily opportunities available in which we may worship, adore, and give allegiance to our King.
There is no denying that our giving is one expression of our worship of God—our giving is worship. I was saddened to recently learn of a growing trend in some churches across the country in which the “passing of the plate” is becoming passé. The reasons cited for this recent phenomena include the convenience of electronic transfers for stewardship giving; a desire to not offend or pressure visiting worshipers; and the desire to prevent feelings of inadequacy for those who contribute nominally, or perhaps not at all. The current trend is to place baskets discreetly at convenient locations, in some cases with a sign inviting participants to receive as well as give.
Reducing our alms-giving to the status of bill-paying, or unduly fretting over how the church collects its tithes and offerings, is to miss the mark of this ancient, God-ordained ritual. While United Methodists know we are in no danger of having our offering plates withheld, could complacency lead to inattentiveness in remembering the greater meaning behind our giving; the greater significance of our sacrifice? Historically, Methodists have always been characterized by their generosity. We know that financial stewardship is an important and revered spiritual discipline. So why are we now experiencing significantly less than “full plates” in our current giving practices?
Could it be due to the unrelenting nature of so many hungering pleas? Everywhere we turn we seem to encounter need and the request for help. Are we becoming desensitized to giving, thinking, “I’m just one person, I can’t possibly help every cause that comes along!” Have we become so conditioned to the “same old” stale appeals that we have turned a deaf ear to helping others in even small ways? Is the passing of the plate becoming unpalatable to our tastes? If we were to genuinely search within our hearts, would we discover that the competing cries of the world have been drowning out the voice of our Lord? Are we more attuned to what the world says we need, rather than what Christ knows we need? These are some of the questions I’ve been asking myself lately. Pondering the answers is my “offering” to you.
For the Christian, financial matters are intricately intertwined with spiritual matters. To separate either strand is to unravel the very fabric of our faith. The two cannot be separated without compromising both. While serving four years as District Treasurer for United Methodist Women, I intentionally included spiritual messages when submitting every oral and written report. We can’t talk about finances without talking about faith. Our giving does not contain a mere spiritual component, our spiritual life is the very basis for our giving!
Consider the rich young ruler who showed signs of outward obedience, but inwardly bankrupt, could not part with his money. Contrasting that image are these words from Paul, If I give away all my possessions…but do not have love, I gain nothing. The implication here is our motivation for giving. We can give everything or nothing. The real heart of the matter is the matter of what lies within our heart. Finances are a faith-full issue. When our faith is rooted in the rich soil of God’s love, then the desire to bear much good fruit shall spring forth.
The very act of giving itself carries its own unique blessing. One of the most endearing practices to me is the collecting of the collection! As that plate is passed from aisle to aisle, every person in the sanctuary has laid hands upon it before it is brought before the altar. Whether or not we are able to contribute, it bears the touch of all of us. It also bears the touch of those who have gone before us, and those who shall come after us. That plate represents our oneness in the body of Christ. Much like our varied spiritual gifts create wholeness in the body of believers, our varied vocational gifts bring wholeness to our common ministry. The fruits of our many separate toils and labors are all united in common purpose as they join together in honoring God and caring for those whom God loves. Hands touching…passing…sharing…blessing. This is a communal experience unaccomplished by baskets in an entryway.
I have come to realize that the offering plate is a holy instrument. It is a sacrament of sorts, no less vital to our faith than the welcoming waters at the baptismal font, or the sustaining gifts of bread and wine at the communion table. Though unlike baptism and communion, which are primarily concerned with our vertical relationship with God, our gifts and tithes become the tangible expression of that horizontal relationship of loving neighbor. Personal and social holiness are the hallmarks of Methodism, and are as equally bound together as our faith and our finances. The means of grace baptism and communion impart, are instituted by the same Lord who then invites us to radically share in his blessing to others! It is grace upon grace, gift upon gift. It is a participation in the Divine mystery of faith: receiving…giving…magnifying…blessing. In offering our gifts to a holy God, we are being made holy in our obedience to him.
It is my hope these thoughts have helped freshen a stale perspective on the rote mechanics of our giving—for we have a veritable feast to offer! Served upon those plates are the cups of cold water and the daily bread needed to feed Christ’s hungry sheep. Jesus said we are to worship in spirit and in truth. Our giving is worship. May he continue to create in us a clean heart and renew a right spirit within us. May all that we are and all that we do, be offered in the name of Christ, our King.