Assumptions about giving are hard to shake

There are growing divisions in churches over deeply held opinions.  They are important questions to ponder as we remember that we are stewards of the mysteries of God.  The divisions I speak of are not about homosexuality or abortion.  These deeply held positions are about money.

For years I have heard that people in churches are conservative with money because the leadership grew up in the Great Depression.  They operate out of a sense of scarcity that we baby boomers do not feel.  And even when a church is doing well and giving is increasing, the same understanding of money remains because it is more deeply held than this week's tally sheet can change.

But those operating assumptions can carry on long after the leadership changes.

One other deeply held position is that the people in charge of the money are hoarding it.  That of course comes from those who are not operating out of this sense of scarcity.  They have seen that fear paralyze congregations and because of it withhold their giving.

Even when the scarcity is over the holding too tightly may remain.  But even when those in charge of the finances no longer hold too tightly the critics remain.  They also are not looking at the present but hearing some deeply held belief echo in their ears.

And these beliefs are sometimes self serving.  Why give to a church that is going broke?  On the other hand, why give to a church that is hoarding its money?

For all of you who still operate out of a Depression Era sense of scarcity, let me remind you that giving was much more generous in the Depression than it is now.  If giving increase even at the rate of inflation and increased wealth since then our churches would all be doing well.  And that is nothing to what we could be doing for God's world if we ever thought to tithe.

All of us need to remember that we are not giving to support some particular pastor or council or budget.  We are giving to God.

I think of Jesus telling Nicodemus that the Spirit blows where it will.  He was calling Nicodemus and all of us to an openness of spirit that hears what is and what can be and not cling to our deeply held assumptions.  When we open our hearts to God's Spirit we can move beyond old ideas  and generously share what God has so generously given us


Lord,  Grant us the grace to really acknowledge how abundantly you have blessed us and to see how you are calling us to bless others with what you have given us.  Amen



Copyright © 2006, The Rev. Dana Reardon. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Email her at mspastor@aol.com.



The Rev. Dana Reardon is pastor at St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church, Warwick, RI.  A lifelong Lutheran, she came to ordained ministry after 21 years in nursing, mostly in pediatric intensive care.  She graduated from Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia in 1998 and served 4 ½ years in Upstate New York before becoming a New Englander.  She is still trying to understand the accent.  While in the Upstate New York Synod she chaired the Stewardship Team.  That began her fascination with what makes stewards -- and more, what makes for generosity. She has three amazing daughters: Pastor Reardon says much of what she knows of life she learned from them.