At our last presbytery meeting, Rev. Karl Travis (pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Fort Worth) gave a wonderful presentation on stewardship, and I’d like to pass along some of the insights that he shared.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells the crowds: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).
Notice the order that Jesus uses in that last verse. First treasure, and then heart. It’s almost as if he is saying that our hearts follow our dollars. Most of us (including myself) would assume that it works the other way around. That is, first we care; and then we give. But Jesus sees it differently. Give first … for your heart will follow your treasure.
As Rev. Travis pointed out to the presbytery, many churches miss that subtle nuance in Jesus’ teaching. We think that in order to have a successful stewardship campaign, we first need to persuade the congregation to care about the ministry of the church because, if they care about it, then they will give to it. However, Jesus’ counsel is just the opposite. First, encourage people to give; because what they give to, they will come to care about.
For example, in a lot of churches, the language of the offering centers on the word “taking.” The pastor or liturgist announces, “It is now time to take the morning offering.” Compare that to an invitation to “receive the morning offering.” Do you see the difference? “Taking” implies that something is being pulled away from the people … “receiving” implies that it is being freely given.
But more importantly, “taking the offering” focuses on the church’s need for support, whereas “receiving the offering” focuses on our need to give. And whether we wish to admit it or not, giving is a need—not a discretionary desire! The fact that our giving helps the church meet its budgetary obligations should be a secondary concern. Our primary concern, whenever the offering is received, is to help people respond to their calling as Christian disciples.
In short, we give because that’s what Christ asked us to do—and the more we give, the more we care. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells the crowds: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).
Notice the order that Jesus uses in that last verse. First treasure, and then heart. It’s almost as if he is saying that our hearts follow our dollars. Most of us (including myself) would assume that it works the other way around. That is, first we care; and then we give. But Jesus sees it differently. Give first … for your heart will follow your treasure.
As Rev. Travis pointed out to the presbytery, many churches miss that subtle nuance in Jesus’ teaching. We think that in order to have a successful stewardship campaign, we first need to persuade the congregation to care about the ministry of the church because, if they care about it, then they will give to it. However, Jesus’ counsel is just the opposite. First, encourage people to give; because what they give to, they will come to care about.
For example, in a lot of churches, the language of the offering centers on the word “taking.” The pastor or liturgist announces, “It is now time to take the morning offering.” Compare that to an invitation to “receive the morning offering.” Do you see the difference? “Taking” implies that something is being pulled away from the people … “receiving” implies that it is being freely given.
But more importantly, “taking the offering” focuses on the church’s need for support, whereas “receiving the offering” focuses on our need to give. And whether we wish to admit it or not, giving is a need—not a discretionary desire! The fact that our giving helps the church meet its budgetary obligations should be a secondary concern. Our primary concern, whenever the offering is received, is to help people respond to their calling as Christian disciples.
In short, we give because that’s what Christ asked us to do—and the more we give, the more we care. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
posted by Dr. Robert Crilley at
10:20 PM
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