My Grandmother Got Robbed by the Church (updated)

Intro

(In an effort to make this blog more readable, I'm dividing my posts into semi-appropriate sections. I guess I could try to just shorten all of my posts to three to four paragraphs...but so far that's been fairly impossible. Maybe one day...)

Okay, so I'm not sure about all of the details of this story, but basically it goes like this: my grandmother was raising her four children by herself in Seoul after her husband died in the first communist invasion of South Korea. Things were pretty tough, but she managed to get them all through school and into college. Somewhere along the way, some Christians came to her door telling her about an "opportunity". I don't know whether they promised her financial return or spiritual blessings, but I do know that she walked away from the experience poorer and with a very low opinion of those who said they followed Christ.

This led to a lot of conflict when my mother, who came from a family line that converted early to Christianity, moved into her home.

No wonder I was born in Minnesota.

Recap

With that said, this past Sunday we moved on to our third topic of The Beautiful News 2.0, "Giving". As you might guess, I hate talking about money at church, and I hate asking people to give. In my mind, I'd like to believe that everyone would always want to give as much as possible to God, since it's all from Him anyways. In my experiences, however, you can't expect people to do something they've never been taught, and who else should teach about this than a pastor?

Actually, and I mentioned this during the message, it ended up being one of the best times to speak about giving a portion of our financial incomes to God for a couple of reasons. First of all, our ministry is still considered somewhat of a "mission" of our mother church. As many other small EMs, most of our budget comes from the KM that founded us and currently houses us. Although we give enough to cover our operating budget, we don't have to pay rent, and my salary comes out of the KM staff budget. This means that I can speak freely to our EM without the fear that anyone will think I'm working the congregation for a raise. Whew.

Second, with economic times being as they are, only a crazy pastor would talk about giving more, right? Well, call me crazy, but what better time than a moment when we are all tempted to lean more heavily on the security that a few extra bucks could provide to warn people that money provides no security at all? Trust me, I know the propriety of this moment because, at least these days, I am probably tempted foremost among everyone I was speaking to this past week to do this.

The Point

With that said, there are two things I couldn't really cover this Sunday that I'd like to bring up now. First, giving of our incomes has less to do with our budgets, and more to do with our hearts. In other words, how we use money tells us a lot about ourselves. For example, it's clear to everyone, I think, that using money for an evil purpose is the same as carrying out evil with your own two hands. I'd also argue, however, that even money used for good can be done with a heart set in rebellion against God.

Here's what I mean: the primary idea behind giving ten percent of our incomes to God on a regular basis is not the good that can be done with the accumulated resources of a group of people, but the concept of firstfruits. Firstfruits are, literally, the season's first harvest. When the farmer plants, they do not know whether the earth will grant them a harvest or not, nor do they know how much the earth will give them. The firstfruits of the season, then, bring some ambivalence to the farmer. On the one hand, there's great joy at the fact that there is any harvest at all. On the other, there is an anxiety that can only be relieved when the rest of the harvest arrives.

Giving of our firstfruits, then, means giving when the environment tells us to remain in anxiety. Giving of our first and best, even when more is not guaranteed, is an act of spiritual surgery, helping to cut out of our hearts the tendency to depend on anything except for God. Giving our firstfruits is also a public statement of witness that God can indeed be depended on. Scripture is clear: though we are all called to work and to provide for ourselves, we are not to confuse ourselves about who's really doing the providing. Though we might plant (or type, or design, or program, or whatever) giving of our firstfruits proclaims to the world that we know where it all really comes from in the first place.

Second, giving of our firstfruits looks different for everyone, but I think there are a few specific standards that apply to most situations. Each of these, I think, offer us a chance to live out the belief that our life and breath ultimately come from God, not our ability or effort.

Please note: I speak as one who has a hard time with all of these things...if you're hearing judgment in my voice, it's because I'm looking at the mirror.

1. Giving 10% of our gross income.
I still remember being shocked when I first heard this. But the more paychecks I receive, the more valuable this advice is. No matter how you slice it, calculating our giving based on after-tax income is trying to cut corners with God.

2. Considering gifts and other unexpected sources of money as income.
This applies especially to those still in school. It's easy to just kind of tell yourself that, at least for four years, you can just focus on receiving, not giving. But the truth is we're actually given quite a bit during our school years (even more so if your family is covering your tuition/room/board). Giving the first portion of any gift is a great way to keep the truth that it's all from God in the first place in mind.

3. Giving especially when times are tough.
This kind of has to do with the previous point. I heard a great testimony a week ago about a former consultant who went from pulling in six digits to downsizing not once but twice, finally ending up in a small apartment after having moved into his dream home not long ago. When his struggles hit, he stopped giving to God, telling himself and his family that they would resume as soon as things got better. But then he came across Malachi 3:6-12, and was convicted to "put God to the test". I encourage us all to do this.

One Final Note

I really do have to say this: proceed responsibly. It's one thing to challenge yourself to trust in God first. It's another to just throw your budget into the trash and hope for the best. We're all coming from different places, but the idea here is to put our hearts to the test, not roll spiritual dice.