Worship Notes: An
Interlude on the Tithe
Go to: Next Article Go to: Previous Article Go to: Menu of Messenger
Articles Go to: Home Page
Why do
preachers rarely speak of the ‘tithe?’
I struggle over the connotation of the term. Using the Old Testament, many interpret a ‘tithe’ to be a specific amount or percent of income that—once given—fulfills some sacrificial or
financial obligation to God. The truth
is, that can’t be done: 1) How much would be enough to repay God for the
generosity of his creation, for his forgiveness of our sins and for the promise
of eternal life? 2) How can we
‘sacrifice’ anything when Christ has already ‘paid in full?’
In his
churches, the Apostle Paul established the collection as a Sunday ritual. He wrote to the churches in Corinth, “On the
first day of the week, each of you should put aside and reserve as much as each
can spare” (1 Corinthians 16; see also
Galatians 2:10). In about 150 AD,
Justin Martyr wrote that each Sunday service ended with a collection “from
those who were prosperous.”
The
collection of gifts was soon added to the presentation of the bread and wine
for communion. All these gifts were
brought to the altar to be used, not only for those present at worship, but
also taken to those unable to attend, including the sick, elderly and
imprisoned. The collection included
gifts for healing and nourishment: like oil, cheese, milk, wine, bread. Hippolytus of Rome in about 215 AD wrote
down prayers that were said over such items.
Here’s one for cheese: “O God, make this coagulated milk holy by
coagulating us to your love.”
Earlier,
another church father, Irenaeus (c. 135-200 AD) warned that the offering was an
act that symbolized—not just these specific gifts—but our whole selves. All we have is from God and is meant to
serve in God’s mission. Unless that was
the attitude, he suggested the givers should keep what they have and stay away
from God’s Table.
Nancy
Koester in her book, Liturgy in the
Household, suggests that a person’s life in the home is also worship. There, offering includes the gift of time
through chores, welcoming guests with food and comfort, and financial support
for the house’s dependants. She also
feels our Sunday offering should only illustrate the giving of our whole selves
to God and his mission: to care for his needy in the home and around the world,
and to support his proclamation from our dinner tables as well as from our
pulpits.
In
Visible Words, Robert Jenson
describes the offering as a physical,
tangible prayer to God. Baptism and
communion physically embody our proclamation of God’s grace and
forgiveness. In the same way, our gifts
embody our prayer of thanksgiving and trust.
“The thanksgiving [gift] is
embodied prayer. …Both the word of
proclamation and the word of prayer are words of God…[and both] seek
embodiment.”
For
these reasons, I carefully interpret ‘tithing’ as ‘faithful giving.’ And that is not because ‘faithful giving’ is
any easier. As with most things in the
New Testament, Jesus dramatically intensified all rules and formulas. A young man asked what was needed for salvation,
keeping in mind that he had diligently kept all God’s laws. Jesus told him that he must give up, not
10%, but all he had to the poor, then follow him. No formula …except one: everything. ‘Faithful giving’ is not easy.
Actually, it means giving everything
to God, trusting him with everything.
“Fine,
pastor, but what about Sunday morning when the plate is passed; what is
‘faithful giving’ then?” A faithful
giver’s offering reflects priority. If
s/he is happy to spend $8,000 or more each year in personal entertainment, but
give only $300 to church and/or charity, what does that suggest about his/her
priority?
A
10% tithe is a ‘faithful gift’ for many people, but only when it illustrates their
thankfulness, their trust in God, and the priority of their faith. For some people of higher income, ‘faithful
giving’ might even be more than 10%!
Each
person or family can only discover ‘faithful giving’ through honest prayer and
reflection: “God, you have blessed me with this [time, talent, money]. Of that, I accept this much [ ? ]
on which to live and serve you; this much [
? ] to raise and support my
family, and this much [ ? ], I will entrust to your hands through
Church and charity.
So,
it is with that understanding, I will
speak of the ‘tithe.’ It is not a fixed
or specific formula, but an offering that represents “all I have and all I
am.” It is a response of thankfulness. It shows our responsibility and our
priorities. It enables Christ’s work to
be done. And it is a prayer to see
more!
Go to: Next Article
Go to: Previous
Article
Go
to: Menu
of Messenger Articles
Go to: Home Page