If we are followers of Christ, what are we willing to give-up to live differently?

When I was head of stewardship as a young lay person in the church, my assistant was a retired, avid golfer. He used to say, “the church isn’t like a country club—we don’t charge members’ dues, and fees.” We are a mission outpost—a lifeboat for the lost and adrift.  We do not raise money to run the church; we nurture healthy people who will be fully engaged as disciples of Jesus.

We are not the best “givers” in all of Christendom, but we are not the worst either.

Episcopalians give at about the same rate as the rest of the world—including non-Christians. The average Episcopalian gives between 1.75 % and 2.25% of their annual income to their church. (If your annual income was $40,000 that would equal a pledge of between $700 and $900.) If we were just looking at generosity you could not tell a Christian from a non-Christian.  Being Christian does not impact giving.

Jesus didn’t talk about the Church’s need to receive, but he did talk about our need to give. In that regard we are different from most people.  We know that disciples support God’s work in the world through the work of the Church. We should ask ourselves, if we are followers of Christ, what are we willing to give-up to live differently?  Many of us do not give generously because we live on the edge of financial failure; “tightness,” over-our-heads.

Money is not the root of all evil—it is the love of money, the hoarding of money, the living beyond our means—that is the root of all evil. If you feel the tension, stress, and pressure of a life spent trying to make it until the next payday, you need to spend some time talking with your friend Jesus to hear what he has in store for you as a true disciple of Christ who supports God’s work in the world.

Peace,

Father Mark +