From Father Graham…
As someone who has spent my entire working life in the employ of the church, I confess that I still experience some uneasiness when I write or speak about money. There's this little voice that always chides me saying, "go ahead and write or talk about giving.... They'll just think you're trying to make sure your salary is paid on time." I will further acknowledge that I have allowed that thinking to overpower me sometimes, especially when the boys were young and expenses were mounting. I needed my check on time!
I always know, however, that there is something far more important than my fretting about my family's temporary uncertainty about money. We always made it, somehow. There were never any surpluses. We went into "hock," but we were always ok.
What is most important about Christian giving is the Christian's need to give. We are people whose whole religious tradition is all about gratitude. The word eucharist means thanksgiving and that's what we do every time we're together for worship. We give thanks for God's love as we experience it in Jesus Christ and one another. Our worship and our giving are strong expressions of our gratitude. An ungrateful Christian is an anomaly.
So, how do we square all of this with what's happening? All churches are hurting, small ones and big ones alike. Does this mean that all of us are less grateful? Does this fall-off in giving mean that we think God is giving us less and, therefore, we can cut-back on our giving to His work?
No, I don't believe this to be true. I believe all of us are grateful and that most, if not all, of us want to be able to give more. However, we are experiencing an economic crisis of global proportions and everyone is feeling the effects of it, everyone.
Churches will have to scrutinize how monies are spent just like every other family is doing. Some things will have to be cut and some programs discontinued. The shape of our church experience as we have always known it may change in ways we've never imagined. But, the most important thing will go on, our worship.
What's essential, I believe, is our faithfulness. Nothing dilutes the positive witness and health of a church more than a drop-off in faithfulness. Attendance drops and volunteerism suffers and the church "throws in the towel" and acts like faith and trust died last week when the stock market tanked.
We who are Christians are called to live lives sustained by faith and trust in an all-loving God. Pray "give us today our daily bread," and mean it! Don't obsess about tomorrow or next week. Give to the church what you can give. Give it "off the top" and not from what's left over after everything else has been paid. God is good! We'll make it.
In Christ, Newell+
A Prayer for The Church of the Holy Spirit
Bless us, O God, as we seek to discern your will for our congregation. Help us to speak the truth in love as we consider our future and the role our new rector is to play along with us in the building of our faith community and spreading of the gospel. Enable us with your blessed Holy spirit to move forward in faith. We ask this in Jesus' holy name. AMEN.
