Monday, January 23, 2006
Money, The Church, and God
Money, the church, and God, one of the issues the church is most negatively known for. I grew up in the church and for the most part have not thought negatively about this issue but I know that many do. Even people that are very committed to the church seem to struggle with the issue of giving money to their church. I read something a few days ago: “Why is it that $20 seems like so little for dinner and a movie but seems like so much when we give it to the church.” One response to the question that I heard was that, as Americans, we are always being consumers. When we give $20 for dinner and a movie we see what we are getting back but when we give to the church we don’t see ourselves getting anything out of it or from it. How do you feel about this issue? If you regularly attend a church do you give to it? Do you follow the 10% approach or do you have your own. If you believe you are supposed to give to the church (to God) do you believe that there is a responsibility to give to your local church or is it up to you to whom you give it to?
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3 comments:
Desiring to be both biblical and cultural, I buy a steak and a keg with my tithe, and invite my pastor over to share it.
(parts of) Deu 14:23-29
Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the LORD your God...Use the silver to buy whatever you like: cattle, sheep, wine or other fermented drink, or anything you wish...And do not neglect the Levites living in your towns, for they have no allotment or inheritance of their own.
Ok, so I don't really, but why not? You know you'll never here this passage quoted from the pullpit when the topic comes up.
; )
It is a nice verse, but notice the end of the verses that you quote and the nest verses:
Deut 14:28-29
28 At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year's produce and store it in your towns, 29 so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.
Notice the common theme of taking care of the Levites and then the poor, widows etc. One man buying on meal is not taking care of the Levite. It is entertaining himself and inviting the Levite over.
>is a responsibility to give to your local church or
>is it up to you to whom you give it to
both. its a responsibility and it is up to us whome we give it to, i.e. if we fall in line with the responsibility. we have to reach every person on the earth. the church costs money to run and achieve this goal. we've not reached where we are on our own; whatever we used to achieve our goals was given to us. ten percent is nothing compared to what is given. its not even on the same scale. if you give money to the boyscounts instead of your church, its a decision you can make like any other, but is that accomplishing His goal any faster/better? maybe, but i don't think so. even mother theresa should tithe because nothing she has wasn't given.
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