November 6 - 12, 2006

 SOLI/Update

    www.stewardshipoflife.org

 

Go now, write it before them on a tablet, and inscribe it in a book, so that it may be for the time to come as a witness forever. For they are a rebellious people, faithless children, children who will not hear the instruction of the Lord; who say to the seers, 'Do not see'; and to the prophets, 'Do not prophesy to us what is right; speak to us smooth things, prophesy illusions, leave the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.

--Isaiah 30:8- 11 (NRSV)

Isaiah: A prophet for our time

Ever since Time magazine wrote a cover story on the rise of the so-called "prosperity gospel" I've been meditating on how best to understand the phenomenon. On the extreme fringe, prosperity gospel preachers proclaim not only that our wealth is a certain sign of God's blessing on our lives, but that we can actually expect enormous financial wealth as a reward for our faithfulness.

Although some Scripture verses, especially from the Old Testament, lend support to the notion that God blesses righteous people with prosperity, these references are overwhelmingly outweighed and outnumbered by other verses that call for God's faithful people to be extremely wary of money and the lure it has to draw them away from God. Jesus was particularly clear on this point.

The phenomenon of the prosperity gospel became clearer when I came across the above passage from Isaiah -- who was preaching to a smug, overly comfortable, self-satisfied people not unlike many Christians in America.  Like the wayward children of Israel, we tend to be telling preachers of the prosperity gospel, "'Do not prophesy to us what is right; speak to us smooth things, prophesy illusions; leave the way, turn aside from the path."

From the Garden of Eden to the present day, the distorted half-truths of the devil have always found a  ready home in the hearts of us sinful people who are all too eager to embrace an easy lie rather than a hard truth.   We'd rather believe the prosperity gospel preachers who say we can have our wealth and righteousness too, than Jesus, who told it plain in three of the four Gospels: "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."

--Rob Blezard, Webmaster and Editor
Reprint rights eagerly granted for nonprofit church use. All other rights reserved. Please include the following note: Copyright (c) 2006, The  Rev. Robert Blezard, www.stewardshipoflife.org. Used by permission.


New This Week:

Electronic giving: Embrace the future of tithing
"In today's wired world, many consumers have set aside their checkbooks in favor of electronic payment systems. Worshipers are no exception, and churches are taking notice of this trend by offering electronic giving options. Propelled by its consistent nature, ease of use, and ability to transcend physical in-house attendance, this relatively new method of accepting offerings is helping churches of all sizes increase their level of donations. Click here for "Electronic giving," from Your Church magazine.

Most saints leave an unseen legacy
 "But individually I don't think it is something we think about our even should, perhaps. Scripture doesn't talk much about how we will be remembered here on earth. In fact, if anything Scripture reminds us that we are dust, or that our days are fleeting." Click here for the latest weekly column by Pastor Dana Reardon. To read past columns, click here.
 

Effective Approaches to Growth and Stewardship in the Small Church
"What makes small churches unique? And what special approaches to growth and stewardship are most effective in the small church? Pastors who want to develop these areas of their ministries may find it helpful to understand what makes this size of congregation distinctive." Click here for "Effective Approaches," from The Alban Institute's Congregational Resource Center.

Stewardship of your life - now more than ever
 "For too many of Jesus's followers, the end-times hype promotes a kind of fatalistic hunkering down, a disengagement from the world and all its problems. Why care for the poor? Why fight injustice? Why look for an end to war? Why worry about global warming? All those problems count for nothing if God's big clock is about to run out anyway." Click here for this archive column by SOLI webmaster Rob Blezard from last week's edition of SOLI/Update, our free email newsletter. Click here to subscribe.

Time and Money:
When either one runs low, you've got a problem. Are you prepared? "Most pastors are not formally trained in financial management. Yet in many churches, it is the pastor who assumes responsibility for properly managing church finances. Is the pastor aware of the monetary risks that can threaten a ministry? Click here for "Time and Money." From Your Church magazine. This week's Treasure Chest offering.