October 24, 2023
Dear Friends,
If you’re just jumping into the conversation now, read up on where we’ve been two weeks ago and last week!
This week, I handed out a worksheet – a self-assessment – to help you think through how much you give (specifically to church) and to make a plan for where you’d like to be. The idea here is that we should all be thoughtful and deliberate about what we give (more on that in a moment). You can make a pledge, which you keep for your own sake, as you think about the coming year.
There’s also a portion of the worksheet that you can cut off and drop in the offering plate on Sunday, November 5. We’ll call that Stewardship Sunday. Nobody would see this information except the financial secretaries, who count the offerings every week. It’s completely optional in all its parts (that is, leave your name off if you’d like)! But, if the whole congregation were to make a pledge in this way, it would be helpful in planning the budget for next year. It’s better to set a budget based on what folks have said they’d give rather than just to guess at it.
The worksheet is below, and there’ll be copies at church the next few Sundays. Grab a copy and do the math!
We also had a brief Bible Study on the subject. Here are a few takeaways:
God invites us to give to meet the needs of our neighbors and as a spiritual discipline, to put mammon in its place. He doesn’t need our money, and this isn’t about the church budget. This is about our stewardship of the gifts God has given us and about doing maintenance on our hearts.
He expects us to give
1) willingly (2 Cor. 9:7),
2) from our firstfruits (Prov. 3:9-10),
3) regularly (1 Cor. 16:2),
4) proportionately (1 Cor. 16:2, this is where 10% comes in), and
5) generously (Luke 7:47).
All of those things matter, and it is important in our giving that we don’t lie to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:1-11). That is, don’t be dishonest in your heart about your giving (e.g. telling yourself that you have nothing to spare when you spend on your own desires). Be honest with yourself about how you’re thinking about your money, and then repent and pray for help where you find a struggle. God wants to help, and he certainly will!
Here are a few practical questions along the way:
Is it 10% before or after the IRS takes its cut? It depends, in some sense, on whether you think the IRS is stealing or not.
The tithe, Biblically, is on your increase. That means if you have 50 goats, and they each have 2 kids, your increase is 100 goats, and a tithe would be 10 firstborn goats. If, on the other hand, half of the kids die when they’re being born, your increase is only 50 kids, and a tithe is 5 goats.
So, what’s your increase? If you think, because the IRS takes it and I never see it, it was never mine – fair enough. But if you think, “Boy, it feels like I’m paying Uncle Sam first and then giving to God second – that doesn’t feel right” – fair enough. I’d say, in both cases, the fact that you’re interested in giving a tithe is the real win.
Long story short, I can’t answer that question for you, but here’s how we figure it in our home. Each year when the voters approve the budget, I set up a monthly automatic check from the bank for 10% of my salary (minus benefits) before taxes. And then I don’t think about it again. There’s occasional income along the way (honoraria for speaking at a conference or special services). I true that up at the end of the year, although, to be honest, I really feel like I should do that when that extra income comes in. Why am I waiting? Am I just lazy? Or is it because I want to hold on to the money a bit longer? Hmm.
What about time and talents? Good question! God calls us to be stewards of all that he gives, time and talents included. But when it comes to the spiritual discipline surrounding money, Jesus puts it in a category all on its own. Money specifically has a peculiar draw on sinful human hearts (“the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil,” 1 Tim. 6:10). And that’s why money specifically has to be put in its place.
How do we get started? Joyfully and steadily! First, take stock – how much do you give? Is it willing, from your firstfruits, regular, proportionate, and generous? If you’re missing the mark on one of those 5 things, it’s time to pause, repent, pray, and thank God for his mercy!
Then decide where you want your giving to be. Are you at 1/2% aiming at 10%? Break it down and build up to it – maybe increase it by 1% each month. Maybe you’ll find that a 1% increase per month is easy! Then go faster!
Maybe you’ll find that you start to notice you can’t do or buy some things you used to. Perfect – that’s mammon recoiling as you kick him in the teeth.
At the end of the day, this is an exercise of faith, and so at every turn be steadfast in listening to God’s Word, hiding yourself in his abundant mercy, and rejoicing that he has called you to be his child!
There’s room for more questions. I’ll ask for your questions at the beginning of Bible Class the next couple of weeks, so bring them along, and if you want to hear what others are thinking about, stick around. I’m so thankful for the rich participation we have in Bible Class – join in if you can!
God bless and keep you,
Pr. Buchs
COMING EVENTS:
Wednesday, October 25 @ 6pm – Small Catechism Bible Class
Sunday, October 29 @ 11:30am – Quarterly Voters Meeting