Came across a news article titled, “Pastor Pitches Tithing as a Budget Solution” in my daily browsing across the internet. You can read the article here from TwinCities.com. Ok, the gist of the article talks about how tithing has been declining, but there’s one statement in there that strikes me.
“. . . many people now see government, not private religious organizations, as the primary vehicle for serving the destitute.”
How embarrassing for God. The rotten, stinkin, filthy government is now his representative. The Church has passed on the torch. If i was God, I’d be shaking my head in shame. I’d be embarrassed. No wonder giving is down in the Church. Until we’ve learned what we are called here to do, then why should God trust his Church with more money?
Giving, feeding, and serving the poor was the hallmark of Christ’s ministry while on earth. On top of that, one of his last accomplishments before leaving the earth was destroying the temple, but we’ve defied his actions and re-resurrected the temple and neglected the poor.
The problem we have is in the title of this article. We think we need solutions for “our” budgets. We think that the lifeblood of our church is our budget, our buildings or our programs. When these things are deficient we think that our mission is being compromised because of lack of funding.
I wish i could go back to the early church and see how simplistic giving was. Taking care of needs was the number one goal of giving. Now we literally have book stores, coffee shops, amusement parks, malls, theaters, and fitness rooms that have jumped on the band wagon of “needs”. And it will not stop there. The future holds more and more possibilities that will rob the poor.
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Tags: budget, church, giving, stewardship, tithing
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A song by the band Wax written after the 1987 Jim & Tammy Baker and Jimmy Swaggart scandals.
Interesting Lyrics from a non-christian band about what they see in televangelicals and politicians.
‘In Some Other World’
The prophet born again
the Bibie in his hand
With fire and brimstone eyes.
The saviour on TV with tax immunity
donations exorcized.
Who are these men in their ivory towers
not heaven sent
no
no.
Worshipping greed in the name of Jesus
save our souls!
In some other world you’d be branded as thieves
Thrown to your knees and made to answer.
In some different time they would lock you away
As mad men I’d say Amen.
Behind the public smile the politicians guile
so vain and powerful.
Elected for his hair by people unaware
it’s unbelievable.
Brothers in arms robbing the future
shining in childrens eyes.
Shame on this world
shame on our country
shame on you.
In some other world you’d be branded as thieves
. . .
We built you an altar instead of an outcast
We made you a king respected and wealthy
The verdict is in
the jury is guilty.
Worshipping greed in the name of Jesus
shame on you!
In some other world you’d be branded as thieves
. . .
In some other world you’d be branded as thieves
. . .
Interesting blog, Jared (I clicked over from the link you left in your comment on my site).
I definitely disgree with you regarding tithing, and I believe that tithing is an important aspect of the Christian faith. Have I always been good at tithing? Absolutely not – in fact, until this year my giving as paltry. However, for 2008 I decided I *needed* to give 10% of my gross salary to a tithe.
Tithing is a statement of faith – my family needs every dollar we earn, and yet by giving 10% of my gross earnings, I’m giving a portion of what God has given me back to Him as a show of my trust that He will provide for my family. And He does. My tithe goes to a small plant church in New Jersey that started its ministry last year. They have only ~30 people in their congregation in one of the most expensive areas of the country. My tithe goes to help their ministry grow and reach the lost.
I also do not begrudge churches that have bookstores, coffee shops or large television monitors. You sound as though you resent big churches. However, big churches have quite an impact on their community. I belong to a large church in NC (about 6,000 people attend on three campuses in the metro area). Our church works with over a dozen charity groups in our local community, as well as several international mission groups. My church spearheaded a campaign last year to raise money for supplies for the refugees in Darfur – several folks from our church flew to Africa with the supplies that our church paid for and packaged, and helped hand them out. We didn’t work with a charity group on that project – this was a personal conviction of our pastor, and he spearheaded the whole thing with the church’s blessing. Through our gifting we raised over 1/4 million dollars which resulted in CARE packages for over 3,200 families in Darfur – and each package was personally delivered by a member of our church.
Lastly, if all Christians tithed their 10% then the government would not NEED to be involved in helping the poor, homeless, forgotten. My church’s budget is in surplus every single month, and to my knowledge any OVERAGE is immediately put to work in the local community through various programs to help the less fortunate. That overage is earned not only through member tithing, but through the bookstore, the coffee shop, etc. So I wouldn’t be so quick to judge large churches which prosper. Because large churches with good stewards can do great things in God’s name.