"God's Promise and My Offering"
Sunday, October 25 is Pledge Sunday at Decatur First United Methodist Church. You received in the mail this week a letter from Ronnie Dukes and me inviting you to make your pledge, along with a pledge card to our 2021 ministry budget. A second pledge card was included if you have not made a pledge to the capital fund. Using the total of pledges received, the Finance Committee will build the 2021 ministry budget.
For some, your pledge is automatic. You see the card and write in what you pledged last year, or you adjust it up or down a bit depending on your financial outlook or the perceived needs of the church. If you have had a spiritual awakening during the year, you do not refer to the amount you gave last year. Instead, you calculate 10% of all your income or you step up to give more than a tithe. If you have become disenchanted with the church during the year, you also do not reference your prior giving. Instead, you write in a minimalist pledge or you toss the pledge card in the trash.
Whether your pledge is automatic, inspired by a spiritual awakening, or deterred or deferred by disenchantment, the biblical purpose of your offering is the same. It is not merely a duty to carry out routinely. It is not ultimately a measure of how much you love God. Neither is it a payment for services with which you are satisfied or dissatisfied.
So, what is the purpose of our offering? After giving Moses the Ten Commandments, the Lord instructs him, “Tell the Israelites to take for me an offering; from all whose hearts prompt them to give you shall receive the offering for me” (Exodus 25:1). They were to bring offerings of gold, silver, bronze, and other items of worth. The Lord then says, “And have them make me a sanctuary, so that I may dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8).
Why a sanctuary? God had been with Israel in the wilderness through a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, helping them face obstacles and challenges. God’s presence gave Israel their identity, led them, protected them, and empowered them. However, the people so dishonored the Lord in the golden calf incident that the Lord declared he would not go up with Israel to the Promise Land lest his anger consume them, (Exodus 33:3). Those who persisted in their idolatry were eliminated from the community. Others repented for what they had done. The Lord is deeply moved by their repentance and agrees to go with them within the boundaries of a sanctuary. There they will honor His presence in ways that are in keeping with His character and holiness.
God is not bound to a sanctuary, but God binds His people to worship Him in the sanctuary through means He establishes and limitations He sets. These means and limits keep us from falling into idolatry. Our sanctuary is not the only place we can worship God. If it were, we would be lost since we were away from our sanctuary for so long. What worship in the sanctuary does is establish the pattern for all our worship through the means and limitations God gives. We do forget. Therefore, giving to the church so we can return to worship, learn, and serve in God’s sanctuary has never been more important.
Worship the Lord in His sanctuary, then follow that pattern of worship during the week and during a pandemic, and you will not fall into idolatry. You will see God’s promise fulfilled, “My presence will go with you and I will give you rest.” We give to honor God.
Yours in Christ,
Hughey
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