JUNE 30, 2024 Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
Readings: 2nd Samuel 1:17-27; 2 Corinthians 8:7-15; Mark 5:21-43
Time, Talent, Tithe and Thought
Last week we were discussing about opening our hearts and not taking God’s Grace given to us in vain. In doing so we are turning all that God does for us into what John Wesley calls “cheap grace”. There are several things that happened this week that were very interesting, at the last Church Council meeting we looked at the donations coming into the General fund, we found they are low. I was instructed to bring to your mention the funding at last Sunday’s worship service. Next, when I started planning for this Sunday, low and behold it is about our worshiping God by giving back in our gifts we have been made stewards of. This week Paul is discussing opening our hearts and our hands when comes to money. In the UMC we normally talk about money at the time of stewardship campaigns during the late summer in preparation for Charge Conferences and budgets. However, here at Hope we do not have those types of fund-raising drives. I personally have never been fond of Stewardship Drives even back when I was a Trustee Chairman at Old Bethel. When you start talking about money coming out of your pocket, people start turning a deaf ear. I was involved in those drives, it served to make me feel guilty and unworthy. I happened to see what others were giving. Yet Lyla and I were on tight budgets. We did give what we could, but I always felt I should be giving more. God was always faithful to us. That is the main reason why I was so active in the church. Without having the money, I gave what was most precious to me, time and talent. I know what you might be thinking but remember we were still young Christians and not well versed in what God calls us to do in our giving back. It took awhile to realize God loves a cheerful giver. I was giving because I felt obligated.
So now that I have brought it up, let’s get the money or tithe thing done and over with right up front. The New Testament passage today Paul is trying to get money collected for his mission to the church in Jerusalem. They are in need and Paul wants to show the mother church that they are supported and loved. Now the church of Corinth was already giving their support but had not completed the collection yet. Paul says, “not only to do something but even to desire to do something”. What Paul is telling us is, not only are we to things that give back to God and neighbor, but it should be within our hearts to want to do the same. What we give should also match the desire to give. It is scriptural that we are to give to the Church 10% off the top of what God has blessed us with monetary gifts. You could say that you earned that money, and it is true. But is that the only way we are to give back, money only? God gave you the talents to use so you could earn a living. I know that one of my gifts is that of healing. That is why I became so active in fire and EMS. Now my gift of healing is used for the body, and the soul. As I stated, we are not to give out of obligation. Our mind and heart need to be into the giving, or we are belittling the gift of grace from God.
One thing I have found in my years of ministry, congregation do not understand what the money they give goes to. As a rule, the churches have done a poor job at keeping people informed or having the information available about where their money goes. The other reason is the people in the congregation do not take the time or effort to find out where their giving is going to. I for one have tried to make sure the people I serve have the ability to that information readily available. The people at HMC you have put in charge of those accounts do their very best to make sure everything is above board and crystal clear. Just so you are clear, this church is solvent, but we are $5200 below last year’s giving to the General Fund. We currently stand at $4400 under funding expenses and $11,300 under funding the budget for this year. The ministry fund is even with last year’s giving. Our major mission of Meal-Site is doing very well on funding. We have done quite a bit of revamping the whole budget and what is funded by what portion of the entire church finances. So yes, it takes money to keep this sanctuary open and the lights on. It takes money to get the word out over our online avenues to reach people we would not normally have access to. That money is supported by the trustees in Capitol Expenditure. They are keeping up with the expenses. Members of Hope Methodist Church and those that attend church online, can designate where you want your hard-earned cash to support on your checks, on the envelope or at our webpage through Vanco. What ever fund God calls you to support, you have a say. Now so much for the tithing part.
Paul tells us it is about all our resources, our time, our talent are all gifts from God that we need to be giving back to Him. Paul warns us that we can’t just give, and it’s done and over with. Our hearts must be in it as well. Our hearts must be in the right place when we give and giving is an expression of our heart in response, not obligation, our response to the grace of God in giving back to God and neighbor. Paul says we must give out of our abundance. We give what we have an abundance of back to the church and to God. There must be balance and reciprocity between our communities. Here’s an example: the Meal-Site team has discovered what each member excels in with food preparation. Just last week in the meal. Two people are really good at smoking meat. Another is really good at making bread pudding. When we’ve had it, I received raves about the mashed potatoes. You’d never know they were instant potatoes. Instead of everyone coming together in the kitchen cooking everything we divide and conquer.
Most of the time when we look at missions that need to be done or what work needs to be accomplished in the church, we look at what we don’t possess. We immediately fall to the negative or as it is called, we look first for scarcity. One of the biggest things I have heard over the years is, when a mission or project is raised to do in the church, someone counters with something along the lines of; giving is down, there’s not the funds, what if no one volunteers to do the program, or what if no one shows up? But people, nothing ventured, nothing gained. No guts no glory. Nothing tried, no glory for the Kingdom, but worst of all, no faith in God.
We so miss the main point of Paul’s message. Paul wants us to remember our limitations to the resources we have. It is scriptural to give till it hurts but we are to give out of our abundance. We are not to give till we are bankrupt. Paul says, “give according to what one has”. Paul is asking for a relationship. We are one in the body of Christ. We share as one in the body of Christ. It’s an ideal, we must admit. Yet we stive for it anytime we open our hearts. Where we have more than enough or whether we are the ones lacking, we find help in the body, and hope in the relationship within the community of faith to those who have opened their hearts. Jesus gave and gave, but He also had to stop periodically to recharge. Not until the last did He give his all.
My questions for you are when it comes to your talent, time, tithe and thought, what talents do you possess that could be used for the growth of the Kingdom of God? Are there things you do and excel in the church has need of? Are you willing to give the church toward the Kingdom of God the time of personally being involved in the mission of Christ. Is there within your budget donating funds to keep the doors open and the mission reaching out? Are you willing to look for ways that you can help the growth of the Kingdom. Are you willing to give within your abundance? When you are then your mind, heart and spirit are working together in conjunction with God and your neighbor. Finally have faith that God will use just what you have to give, and use it for greater things than you can imagine.
