The pastor at the church we attend raised an interesting question that has been with me the past few weeks. He was talking about the seesaw effect of healings (spiritual, mental, and physical) vs. donations & tithes. His point was that it seemed that when things were going bad for church members, the tithes/donations went up. However, when the healings started happening the tithes/donations dried up. The result is a seesaw that is always weighted one way or another.
Now his point wasn't that he wanted everyone to take out their checkbook and start writing the church checks, it was that once we have God start to bless us we tend to stop being faithful. To me this echoes the history of Israel. When they were in trouble, they cried out to God. God helped them out and made them happy. Then they started sinning again until they ended up in trouble once more. Rinse and repeat.
My first question is what is it about humanity that causes this to happen? You would think that if God was blessing us we would be even more obedient.
The next thought was something of a surprise to me. I found out that the pastors of the church do not get a salary from the church. This alone amazed me. And while I understand certain denominations pay their pastors because of the work load they handle (8-12 hours a day, 7 days a week) makes it difficult to work elsewhere, this concept fascinates me. The church chose to do this because they felt as much as possible should go towards the missions of the church.
This also made me wonder. Why do tithes go towards buying things that do nothing more than make the congregation feel good about themselves? What would the church look like if instead of building million dollar shrines to ourselves (the congregation) we instead made do with the minimum needed (used chairs, used church building, etc.) and poured everything we had towards doing the Lord's work? Which is more important the $5000 projector or feeding 10-20 families for a month? Having a paid praise band on stage every week or helping the poorest of us have shelter and clothes? I could go on, but instead I will leave you with the words of Christ as my final thought.
10:17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
10:18 And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.
10:19 You know the commandments: 'Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.'"
10:20 And he said to him, "Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth."
10:21 And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."
10:22 At that saying his countenance fell, and he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.
10:23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!"
10:24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!
10:25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
10:26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, "Then who can be saved?"
10:27 Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God."
10:28 Peter began to say to him, "Lo, we have left everything and followed you."
10:29 Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel,
10:30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.
10:31 But many that are first will be last, and the last first."
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