A news item caught my interest yesterday when I read about the plea from Pastor Rick Warren, of the Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California to his parishioners to donate just shy of a million dollars before the new year began. I don’t know if he was able to meet his financial goal…but, his plea is a desperate plea echoed by hundreds of thousands of churches around the world. With the financial instability of the last couple of years, churches have been hit hard by the recession. Church members who have lost their jobs or had a reduction in the hours of their employment are struggling on a personal level and therefore…so are churches in their ministries to help the needy.
Cynical people who think that pastors are constantly “begging” for money from the pulpit may feel vindicated by news stories like this one about Pastor Warren’s plea for donations; but, they shouldn’t. Churches supply a huge role in helping people, in need, in communities all around the world. For the working poor, who often cannot get help from governmental agencies because they “earn too much money to qualify”, the local churches are a lifeline when it comes to seeing them meet the needs of families in their local communities. Many churches have a benevolence committee or a food pantry…some even have access to donated clothing or household items that families in crisis are in need of, but can’t afford to provide their loved ones.
Churches are often asked to help people pay their heating bills, or help them pay their rent, give them gas money so they can get back and forth to work, provide them with groceries or money for food to feed their children. The needs are great and becoming greater everyday with the homeforclosures, job layoffs or downsizings and with employees who lose their medical benefits and have to use their cash to provide medical needs to their dependents.
Churches are the silent heros (as they should be) in the struggle to provide for people in need; just as Jesus commands his followers to do, in his name, in the book of Matthew. In Matthew 25, the Bible talks about God judging on the day of judgement regarding helping those in need. In Matthew 25 vs. 40-46, He basically says that when we give to those in need; to the hungry, the thirsty, the unclothed, those in prison, it is as if we are giving to him and, if we do not give to those in need…it is as if we have denied him; we will be judged on whether we have been his hands and his feet in our service to others. It can mean the difference between going to heaven or going to hell in our eternal destination.
It is a hard heart that sees another person suffering in need and denies them help when they have the ability to positively impact their situation. The body of Christ, his churches, want to help…they desire to help…but, they are limited in their ability to help when they are often in the same situation as those who come and knock at the perverbial door of the church looking for assistance. Tithing or the giving back a tenth of the blessings that God provides his people is scriptual. We are supposed to give 1/10 of our wealth, our time, our skills-our blessings back to God…that is not much that he is requiring from us. I have a friend who has a passion to help others…she uses her talents to provide information to those who get much of their food from food pantries or food stamp programs…she teaches them to provide healthy and filling meals from the food in those programs. This is a link to her site as it ministers to others: http://foodstampscookingclub.com/blog/ She gives back to others out of her joy and her skills!
God does not need our money…but tithing is an obedience that he requires from us. He uses that obedience to him through our churches, our charities and our associations to meet the needs of the poor. It is a tool of ministry to reach the sinners who do not believe and to help provide for those who are believers as well who are going through struggles of their own. Are there people who will take advantage of this? Yes, but that is why there are guidelines set up for most ministry programs so that people do not abuse this ministry outreach, in most churches. That way, more people can receive the help and services of the church ministry programs.
So, when people pay their tithes in church…this money helps to keep the church functioning so that it can continue to be God’s hands reaching out to meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of his people. It is wrong to sit in church, absorb all the good things that a spirit filled church provides and not give back; so those people who claim to be Christians and do not do as God commands by paying their tithes and giving of offerings…there are consequences…don’t be fooled into thinking that your obedience in this matter doesn’t count.
Don’t become jaded when that offering plate comes to you…or you hear a pastor asking for donations; it takes money to keep the lights on, heat the church building, pay the church staff, put gas in the church vans to bring in people who don’t have a car to drive, and minister to families in crisis, and couples whose marriages may be in trouble. Give of your time (volunteer), your skills, your money…your personal possessions when you have the opportunity; just because it is the right thing to do. If you don’t have money but have a skill that would benefit others…use it to help them. If you don’t have a skill or money but you have free time…become a volunteer and be a willing hand!
As a worker in my own church, I see the truth in how the church reaches out and blesses it’s people, the community and those in need. I want to do my part and be a blessing and not a curse. How about you…are you doing your part?
Update: http://www.writewhereyouareblog.com/his-cup-runneth-over/
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Rainy, I appreciate that you are getting the word out about the blog devoted to people who need help with their food budgets. I appreciate even more that you point out the tremendous need the world has.
Time was when people served the church and the church served the people; we now depend on the government to provide many of those services and provisions. Moms and dads are working two or three jobs each, if they can find work at all. Families are geographically and emotionally separated these days. And many in every age group have gravitated away from a church family-perhaps owing to scandals, disappointments or the feeling that one denomination or another did not meet someone’s needs.
Churches do not operate on faith alone; they have expenses just as any other enterprise.
And don’t you know, God loves a cheerful giver…
You have such a special way of bringing things to our attention and calling us to action. Let’s hope it will PAY in this case.
Hugs,
Mother Connie
http://foodstampscookingclub.com/blog