“Money and Worth” with Amy
Money and Worth
We are fools for the sake of Christ (I Cor 4:10)
It's pretty foolish to give money to the church.
Why on earth give money to the church - an institution that across denominations has shown itself to be led by sinners and tax collectors and that makes unwise decisions at best and harmful ones at worst.
Why give money to the church in this day and age - an age where fewer and fewer Americans even identify as Christians and churches and church schools and faith-based nonprofits are closing left and right.
Why give money to the church? Why do you give money to the church?
For a long time, I believed a lie, a lie that my value was inherently tied to how much money I had, how much earning potential I had, how wisely (or not) I spent my money, and how much debt I carried.
No matter how much money I had or didn't have, no matter how much debt I owed or didn't owe at any given moment, I never felt secure. There was never enough. I wasn't doing enough, I wasn't earning enough. I must not be enough.
That's a lie.
The Gospel tells us that each of us - each one of us, no matter who we are or what we do or how much money we have or don't have - is a bearer of the God-image within. The wealthiest among us have no more or less inherent worth and dignity than the poorest of us. Would that our whole world operated like this was true! Would there be hunger? Would there be homelessness? How could there be?
In healthy churches, each person gives of themselves - money, time, prayer, work - for the good of the whole. For the common good. Every gift matters, every person matters. We relinquish control over our individual preferences and our own ways of doing things. We listen to each person and honor each contribution - not simply defer to the ones with the most money or the most power or the most expertise by the world's standards.
We do justice - in community. We act mercifully - in community. And we walk humbly with God - in community.
That's pretty radical - and pretty foolish.
In deep gratitude for all that you give to St. Francis Episcopal Parish and Community Center. Thank you!
