Stewardship as a part of discipleship, it makes sense. Coming to church, reading Scripture, personal time of devotion, giving to the church, part of the Christian experience. But I get uncomfortable with the proclamation of tithing. Tithing is Scriptural, it is where I believe stewardship should aim, but . . . and this but is significant.
But, a number of discussions of tithing present with preaching that if we give and give generously to the church, we will in turn be blessed by God. There is a very fine line there. Yes, I believe that the Lord cares for His people. Yes, I believe that the Lord will help tithers 'figure out' their budgets. But to promise blessings in return for giving? The implication for me is financial blessings. That walks very close to, if not over the line of 'prosperity theology'.
Prosperity theology, as I understand it, is a promise that if you love and obey God, your divine reward will be financial prosperity, will be material satisfaction. The two go hand in hand to 'measure our faith'.
I am listening to church growth and leadership resources, looking for ways and means to grow church. These resources have come to the line of promising God's blessings for giving . . . and then what? When does an assurance of God's blessing become a promise of prosperity in return for faith? When do we depend on the Lord to help us support our church and when does it become a form of works righteousness? We work for God so God blesses us?
I struggle with that one.
1 comment:
It's a combination of backwards and not connected.
It's not that we give, and then trust God to ante up.
No, instead...
We trust God.
We give.
The two should be mutually exclusive - or if there is some need to connect the two, it should be that our giving is a response to what we've already received (and not what the Great Santa in the Sky is going to give us).
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