He loves you, and He needs money. He always needs money. He's all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing, and all-wise, somehow He just can't handle money.
George Carlin
I'll be honest. If there's one thing that I no longer miss about the church is the weekly passing of the collection plate. That guilt and shame driven tradition within the mainstream church that tells us that we're helping the poor and unfortunate among us. I was reminded of this again this week as I enjoyed some Christian music only to have it interrupted by some quarterly fundraising gig. Now, granted, operating a modern day broadcast station isn't a cheap venture. Those operating funds need to come from somewhere. By the same token, the modern mainstream church is not an entity which can survive without the donations and tithes of its members. Those ministries, programs and music are not cheap. Nor are the countless staff members that are somehow needed to make the engine run. Thus the need for the weekly collection plate. In my time in the institutional church, I was witness to many situations of the church squeezing whatever funds they could from the congregation. I get it. Like I said, running a church isn't cheap at all. One critic has described the modern church as the largest business corporation in history, and I would agree. From the many ministries to the jazzy praise and worship bands, modern churches need a good deal of money to operate. Yet it wasn't always this way. For in scripture we are witness to the early church of the followers of Jesus who didn't meet in fancy buildings {Acts of the Apostles 2:44-47}. Among these early followers of Jesus we see the true definition of the word community. I cannot recall in all of my years attending church any congregation that resembled this. Disposing of personal possessions for anyone in need. Breaking bread in each others homes. Indeed, the modern church can definitely learn from these early believers. To my knowledge, we're not told that these early believers even relied on a collection plate. If there was someone in need, the community did their best to help. Also, we see no reference to multiple ministries and programs nor professional worship music. So, that right there would shave money from the annual budget. No, what we see with these early believers is a group of followers of Christ living and worshipping Jesus in their own community setting.
Now all those who believe were also in the same place and had all things in common. And they disposed of the acquisitions and the properties, and divided them to all, forasmuch as some would have had need. Besides persevering day by day with one accord in the sanctuary, besides breaking bread home by home, they partook of nourishment with exultation and simplicity of heart, Praising God and having favor for the whole people. Now the Lord added to those being saved day by day in the same place.
Acts of the Apostles 2: 44-47, Concordant New Testament
Of all the tithing campaigns which I have seen, the one which moved me the most was the tithing challenge. The tithing challenge was just that, the congregation was challenged by the pastor to give to the church each week, with the "guarantee" that they would be blessed for doing so. To sweeten the pot, the congregation was informed that if by the end of the challenge that they were not blessed, that they could request their funds which they had given in tithes to the church to be returned. Now, in all honesty, who would ever request a refund on a tithe? Yet this is what the church leadership banked on. That the congregation would not request funds to be refunded. Truly an ingenious plan if you can get away with it. And they did. Is it no doubt that Jesus called out the Pharisees of the Jewish faith for their tactics? In His woes to the Pharisees, Jesus publicly scolds the religious leaders of His day for their treatment of the Lords children {Matthews Account 23:15-33}. I've often wondered, how would Jesus react to the pastors of the modern church which confesses to follow Him? Would we see Jesus proclaiming woes to the pastors? Keep in mind, it is not the people whom Jesus was critical of, but the religious system and leaders of His day. Likewise, it is not the ecclesia of the Lord, His family, that I am critical of, but the modern religious system. For it is this system, and that which Jesus Himself criticized, which has been raised up by the hands of man.
~Scott~
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