Did anyone see this article from the Sunday News Journal (June 24)? I did post about this idea back in October 2006. I find it interesting to hear the arguements on either side of this discussion.

One side of the debate finds electronic methods of giving to not be acceptable and perhaps short cutting a time honored tradition of delibertly putting the money in the offering plate as an act of worship. I can understand and even sympathize with this perspective, but I believe the church can adapt to modern methods of collecting tithes and offerings and still provide the opportunity to do so I worshipful manner.

I have been using electronic banking since the early days (in the late 1980's if you can believe that). True it wasn't electronic banking as we know it today with robust web sites and secure methods of authentication, but I used a personal financial software, Quicken and a service known as CheckFree at the time, to accomplish the same thing. I elimated the hassel of manually writing checks and mailing them and instead tranfered the funds electronically from my bank account. It was easier, faster and more effiecient.

Now when it came to giving my tithe at the church I did resist for a long time the temptation to also process this transaction in an "effiecient method". I continued to put my check into the offering plate mainly because I was worried about what the person sitting next to me who I was going to pace the plate to next would think if I didn't have anything to put in it. I knew that this was not the correct motivation, but it still was bothersome to both my wife and I especially since electronic bill payment was not something widely adopted back then.

However, over time, I found that I would often forget to write out that check before going to service or to take the checkbook with me. Quite simply, carrying a check book around, especially on the weekend, is something I just never got in the habit of. So, after much mental aquish I gave in and started paying via electronic means at least 10 years ago. I found that forgetting my checkbook and feeling the guilt and embarrassment associated with that was much worse and I was forgetting more often than not. I decided that I would set up my tithe to be automatic and recurring so I would not forget and when the offering plate was passed, it was only between God and me (not the person sitting next to me) and God knew I gave. I also used the time to think about my offerring and to thank Him for allowing me to give back to Him - the same way I could when I put a check in the plate.

I also believe that new methods of worship, even electronic ones, are not evil because they are different. How did the church ever start accepting checks in the first place? I'm sure 100 years ago (maybe not that long), most giving was done with cash. What did the church say about those early parishoners who wanted to start putting a paper check into the plate instead of real cash? I'm sure many looked upon that as not worshipful. In the early church, a tithe may have meant a tenth of your crop or your herd and was not even cash money. Was that even more worshipful? Did they put the bail of hay or the 5 pigs into the plate as it was passed and give thanks to God that way? Is God more honored when we put something into a passed plate (for others to watch and see who does and does not)? I think Jesus has a few words to say about such things...

I believe this is simply another area that the church will need to adapt to and find new ways to do so in way that brings honor to God. Think about the current generation of kids. As they grow up how comfortable do you think they will be writing checks and putting large amounts of cash into a collection plate? This is a generation of e-commerce consumers that can now use a debit card for purchases under $10. Fewer and fewer people carry cash or checkbooks with them. For that matter most don't even wear watches - they use their cell phones to tell time)!!

If we want to reach the next generation for Christ, we need to make sure the church doesn't become an antique relic that doesn't adapt. We cannot afford to be lazy and insist that they conform to our way of doing thing. After all, I don't recall Moses receiving a commandment that said, "Thou shalt put cash or check into the offering plate" or Jesus giving instruction during the Sermon on the Mount that electronic giving is of the devil.

Thoughts?