I went to church on Sunday. Part of my (and I hate calling them this) resolutions this year has been to frequent church a lot more, and that was me paying my debt to that.
It was great, the service was short and to the point, the music was beautiful and my prayers were hopefully received. Then came the time for offering. We (listen to me say we like it wasn’t only my second time at this church) have little baskets that are passed from one person to the next. You’re supposed to throw in what you will then pass it to the next person. For those who want to make electronic payments, there’s a code you can scan then it leads you to where to make your contribution.
I wasn’t looking, I was minding my business as I always do and as I threw my 2 mites into the basket, I thought of the people who wouldn’t throw in their two (or more) mites. Now, let me be clear, I am not talking about people who do not have the capacity to give. Obviously I wouldn’t project that expectation onto people who genuinely cannot give. No. My judgment is reserved EXCLUSIVELY for those who are able to give but choose not to.
This isn’t my call for you to “plant a seed”. I don’t have enough time to go into my stance on spiritual seeding culture. This is however to say that if you can give, but choose not to, you’re weird. By principle alone, you are weird. You would not go to somebody’s house empty-handed. My mum was always very specific about this: when you visit someone, make sure you carry something to their house. Similarly, you can’t waltz into church, the house of God, theeee God, maker of heaven and earth, empty-handed then you kiki and leave.
Beyond the principle my mum taught, there is something inherently inconsiderate about not giving offering. You are in church, in a building, the lights are on, there is water running in the bathroom… exactly who do you assume is paying for all these things. Rent, electricity, running water. You wouldn’t live in a home and not contribute to these expenses, how then are you comfortable enough to worship in a place you don’t contribute towards?
Now,I am not saying you should take up the bill by yourself. I mean, if you’re so inclined, knock yourself out. But if everybody pooled what they could, I am sure that could go a long way. Of course, the church should be able to generate its own income. This is not so much about the church needing your money, it is more about you doing the decent thing: you carry a gift into someone’s house and you contribute to the resources that you use.
This isn’t spiritual or ministerial…this is common decency.
