This Is My Offering

The church I grew up in didn't pass offering plates. Instead, we had boxes in the back of the auditorium and you could drop in your money as you came or left.

I liked this because it enabled more anonymity. You could give more secretly, not wondering if the person to your right or left judged you for letting the plate pass you or thought too highly of you because they saw you slip in a large sum. Plus, I felt like it showed more faith on the part of the church. They didn't need to shove a reminder to give in people's faces. They believed God would sustain the church as people freely gave. (At least, that was my perception.)

And when I read about the collection for the Tabernacle (Exodus 35) in college, it seemed familiar. People just brought what they had and gave it. No one passed a plate for people to drop their jewelry and goat hair into. And, in Exodus 36:5-7, we see that Moses had to tell people to STOP giving, because they'd reached their budget. (I wonder if any churches today would turn away funds if their budgets reached 100% before the end of the year? But I digress...) Obviously this non-compulsory giving campaign was successful even among those who'd just been worshipping a golden calf.

I've never been to another church that collected offering that way. Every church I visited in college (which was many), every church since then, has passed a plate. And there's a part of me that misses the boxes in the back of the room. (They did bring them forward for a prayer of dedication each service, so it wasn't totally separate.)

But, someone at work recently said she likes the passing of the plate during the service because it incorporates giving as an act of worship. It's not separate from the service, it's included because giving is one way we worship God. 

At LifeBridge, we pass a plate. But they always talk about how giving is an act of worship. They don't do it in that kind of way where they make you feel like a wicked rotten person if you don't give anything. They present it as another opportunity to worship God. And I do like thinking of it that way. 

I was raised to give 10% of my earnings from the time I got a $1.00 a week allowance. I remember getting my yearly giving statement saying that I gave $5.20 that year and thinking, "wow, that's a lot of money." (For this reason, I now prefer to give in cash and not in any particular assigned envelope, so that I don't develop a sense of pride for how much I gave. If I had that pride when I was giving $5.20 a year...I'm clearly susceptible to pride in this area.) So I never felt like giving was difficult...it's just the only way I know. I wouldn't say I gave because I felt obligated to. But, I also wouldn't say I considered it an act of worship. I just was obeying God.

So, I think there are pros and cons to both ways. And while I'll always have a part of me that misses the boxes in the back, I've come to realize that no matter how it's collected, when I give I can do so with an attitude of worship.

Faith + Works

I attended a new-to-me church this weekend and I think it's just what I'm looking for. The pastor began a series on James and talked about how faith and works mesh together like gears to propel one forward. He talked about living out faith and how genuine faith results in good works.

And I kept thinking about this woman I'd seen in the Wal-Mart parking lot last Monday, standing with a cardboard sign that said "Help! I'm stranded!" And I'd driven on by.

Now I know that there are a lot of scammers today who just want to milk you for money. I heard of one guy who saw a beggar at his highway off-ramp every day on his way to work, and he'd give him some money. Finally, he stopped and offered the guy a low-level job at his company. When they got to the issue of payment, the man said, "I make way more than that standing on that off-ramp every day and I don't have to pay taxes on it." And he turned down the job.

And of course there's the stereotypical view that they'll just use the money to buy alcohol. A habit I don't want to foster.

But that being said, there are genuine people in need, and they shouldn't have to suffer because of the bad apples out there. So a while back I bought a few $10 McDonalds gift cards to have handy when I saw people in need. That way they could get a meal or a few warm cups of coffee on a cold day.

And yet, when I saw this woman in need, I drove on past her. My $10 gift cards remained in my purse, a tangible reminder of the so-called faith that remained tucked safely away behind my brand new dress. A faith not lived out is as useful as a pre-paid $10 gift card not given to someone in need.

Plus, I'm a newly trained victim's advocate for a local non-profit. And I keep thinking about this woman and wondering if maybe she was on the run from an abuser, and that's why she was stranded. If I'd stopped and talked to her, maybe I could've heard her story and called the agency to see if they could help. But instead I hurried about my business.

Upon hearing the sermon, I resolved to keep a special eye out this week for people in need, and be prepared to give out the first of my stash of gift cards. Lo-and-behold, not an hour after leaving church, I saw a man with a sign on that same Walmart parking lot corner. So I pulled over, got out of my car, and gave him a gift card. I told him to get a good meal, and went off with a "God bless you." It's not much, but it's something.

Maybe he's just playing people like me for the pity card. At least I know he can't buy alcohol with a McDonalds gift card. But I was glad God gave me the opportunity so quickly after that sermon to put my faith to action and to help someone get a meal.

Tithing

One thing I'm thankful my parents did is teach me to budget. Like, early on. I'm talking around 5 or 6 when I started getting an allowance. And I put my 10 cents in tithe, 10 cents in savings, and so on. And as the years went on and my allowance grew, I kept on putting 10 percent in tithe.

The number 10 percent is generally the target number people who tithe aim for. It's based on Abraham's offering in Genesis 14, and on Deuteronomy 14:22 where the Israelites are told to set aside a tenth of their crops as a tithe. But the tithe in Deuteronomy wasn't like a charitable donation - it was an amount set aside to eat in the presence of the Lord as an act of worship. You actually consumed this tithe. Only every three years, the tithe was used to feed the poor.

But let's not forget the other offerings discussed in Leviticus - burnt offerings, grain offerings, fellowship offerings - these were given as an act of worship to God. These were not eaten, but rather burned as an offering. They were given freely, no specified amount. On top of your 10%.

Then there were the random collections, like when they were building or repairing the Tabernacle/Temple, where people just brought what they had to build the house of the Lord. On top of their 10% and offerings.

In the New Testament, there are people who give fields or other such things in Acts to help share the wealth with the body of believers in their church.

Then there's the Jerusalem Fund, a collection taken among many of the churches Paul visited, to help the poorer churches.

And let's not forget the most compelling example of giving - the widow who gives less than the rich men, but is applauded by Jesus himself for giving out of her poverty and putting in all she had to live on. This act of faith was an amazing thing.

So really, the things we consider using tithe money for - helping our church or other churches with ministry, building funds for churches, or giving as an act of worship - these were not specified amounts. What mattered was your heart. Whether it was giving 10%, like Abraham did, or 100% like the widow, or less or somewhere in between, a gift cheerfully given is a great gift. And I believe God blesses us when we give to him in faith.

I also believe it is OK to use tithe money to fund your own missions trip. If you would give money to missionaries, why not give both money and time to missions work? If you can fund your own missions trip, you're freeing up would-be donators to give to other things.