An Answer for Offering

As a youth minister, seminary student and a church member, I've often wonder why we tithe the way we do. For years I've passed the gold plate to the person sitting next to me and I'm convinced that it has made me a little cynical. Over the past few months I've found that the offering segment of many church services carries with it a great deal of peer pressure. I've passed the plate and watched the people on my pew. I've held my head in shame for not putting anything in the plate and I've also judged the people around me for not giving. And throughout my observations I've discovered that I'm not the only person that struggles to find a sense of peace with tithing and offering my gifts to God.

Churches have started giving out envelopes to their members to bring with them on Sunday. It's a way to keep your tithes and offerings a secret. And if I'm jumping to a conclusion I've found that a secret offering is only a secret because we're afraid others might judge us. Why are we so heavily invested in what people give? Wasn't it Jesus that told us "not to let our right hand know what our left hand is doing"? Our offerings should be between us and God.

I don't think God wants our gifts if we feel pressured into giving them. God doesn't want a half-eaten sandwich. And that is what offering has become for many people. Instead we should be giving what we can, but at the same time I think we ought to give until we can feel it. If you make $1000 a week and you're dropping $5 bill in the plate I hope you can feel the effects of that $5 in your budget.

So, what's the solution? How do we make tithes and offering about joyful giving? Is there a way to do away with the peer pressure and to make this ritual something God centered and spirit driven? That was the intention in the first place.

I think there is a better way. I grew up in Dahlonega, Georgia. It's a small town. We have one post office in town and my folks don't have a mailbox. They rent a box at the post office and check it occasionally, but when they need to send something off it is easier for them to drive to the Wal-Mart parking lot. There they can drop there mail in a collection box and wait for it to be picked up. You've seen these boxes. They look like the image to the right.

What if we did away with the entire offertory segment of our church service? Could it be as simple as directing your attention to drop boxes in the back of the room? We could give them a nickname. Maybe we could refer to them as "Righteous Gift Receptacles"!

I know this sounds a little outlandish, but maybe it is a way to move our attention away from the persons on our pews or the staff that supports it's congregates in ministry. I'm just another joe churchgoer. Either way, it's important to understand that giving isn't about obligation or fear of ridicule. Our offerings are supposed to be given in awe of God and in the hopes of helping the "least of these."

-Brother Blake

A Late Valentine

I'm not a huge fan of Valentine's Day. I remember what Valentine's Day used to be like. Valentine's Day used to be this exciting event. When I was inn elementary school everyone would get a brown paper bag and decorate it. I remember when I was in 4th grade and I work so hard to make my bag look awesome. Our teacher pulled out all of the stops. We had pipe cleaners, construction paper, glitter pens, hot glue and so much more.

That year I made two hearts out of construction paper, one pink and one red. I glued the pink heart, which was slightly smaller, in the center of the red heart and then I glued the red heart to my paper bag. I cut out a square of brown construction paper and glued a few inches under the heart. I then proceeded to connect the hearts to the square with a set of pipe cleaners. The end result was a hot air balloon in the shape of a heart. When I was completely finished I taped my bag to the chalk tray on our blackboard and imagined what kind of valentine cards I might get the following day.

I'm not in 4th grade anymore, I may act like I am, but I've since made my way up through the ranks of our educational systems. My friends and I don't make Valentine's bags anymore and the older I get the more I come to understand that not everyone has a valentine. Some people are alone and some people go to extreme measure. They buy teddy bears that hold little pillows that are embroidered with pet names or phrases. They make dinners and light candles. They spring for a nice piece of jewelry. Or maybe they settle for nice portion of chocolate.

With that being said, I think that God is constantly telling us that life is not about gifts. It's not about chocolate or stuffed animals. Okay, maybe it has a little to do with chocolate. Even so, I think Valentine's Day is a reminder that God never intended for us to be alone. Isn't that what church is all about?

God never intended for us to be alone. Eccelesia is the Greek word for church. When you look up the definition you'll find that it has many meanings. The one that I like refers to church as a body of believers. The word body often refers to a collective group. And the word group points to a given number of people who are related in some form or fashion.

We are supposed to be together with one another and Valentine's Day should amplify the meaning of church even more. In the Book of Genesis God saw that there was not a suitable helper for Adam. So, God gave him Eve. In Exodus God gave Moses a companion in Aaron and they both proceeded to help lead the Hebrew people out of Egypt. Finally, Jesus reminds us that "where two or more are gathered that He is also in the midst."

I hope you are reminded that there is not a season to celebrate companionship. But instead, that God has called us to live in love and community with one another for our entire lives.