Admiring the Vision

Matthew 6:1

Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.


Not long ago, I visited an unfamiliar church. I was seated in one of their pews and decided to entertain myself by rifling through the many cards and pamphlets that were available. Among others, I found one card that said in big, bold letters: "I give electronically". It had a spot to write your name and date and included fine print that read: "If you donate online or by bank draft you may use this card to participate in the offering during worship services." I felt an immediate unsettling in my spirit: this is not right.

What should a gift to God look like? Well, my friends at Merriam-Webster define a gift as "something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation" and I see nothing in that definition that conflicts with Scripture. So, both Jesus and M-W tell us that when we give a gift, we should give it without expectation of compensation, whether that looks like the choice piece of Communion bread (don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about), a stroked ego, or even the praise and admiration of our peers.

So why then would a church use a card like this? Well, since the people using it "donate online or by bank draft", both the congregant and the church would already have a record of the transaction, so that's not it. The card states that its purpose is to allow the user to "participate in the offering", but if you donate online or by bank draft, haven't you already participated in the offering? You are left with no choice but to believe that this card is a modern-day example of exactly what Jesus was speaking out against in Matthew 6: sinners' need to be admired by others and their willingness to trade that admiration for the reward that God has for them.

Do I think the leadership of this particular church have no regard for the vision that God has for their church? Not at all. My guess is that they have let the wants a few misguided congregants (who also happen to give electronically) interfere with that vision. I think one of the strongest signs of the spiritual health of a church (or almost any organization or individual) is the willingness of the leadership to discern the vision that God has for them and then to pursue that vision despite all of the distractions that the masses have to offer. Isn't that something that we have all experienced?

Your Theology

Anyone who has spent any time within a church has probably heard the term 'theology' thrown around. In my experience, the word's usage can be varied and sometimes confusing. For the church fathers, theology was their bread and water; for thoughtful Christians, theology is an ongoing process that evolves as their relationship with God does; and for Christians today who have grown tired of tradition, theology is another old, dirty word that simply draws attention to the fact that Christians are different.

So what is 'theology'?

'Theology' has two basic meanings: The first, most basic is the study of religious faith, practice, and experience, especially the study of God and His relation to the world. The second is dependent on the first and is used to refer to a specific system of theology or a body of theological opinion. (Merriam-Webster)

In the next couple of posts, we will look at theology, these two meanings, and how it all relates to us.

What do you think? Have you heard 'theology' used? In what context? Do you think it affects you or is even worth your time?

Refuge

What is refuge?

Often, during times of military and political conflict, you will hear news anchors use the term 'refugees' for people who flee their homeland to seek safety somewhere else.

Perhaps the only other place that I hear the word refuge used much is the Bible, mostly Psalms.

Merriam-Webster defines refuge as "shelter or protection from danger or distress; a place that provides shelter or protection; something to which one has recourse in difficulty".

For Christians, especially those experiencing "difficulty", our refuge is God and his character. Psalm 119:114 says "You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word." In fact, we have so much refuge in God that Psalm 59:16 says that "I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble."

So, as Christians, we don't just have a little refuge in God. We have so much that not only will we be able to trust him with our burdens, but we should be able to sing of his strength and love. Imagine the faith it must take to find that much refuge from your troubles, and ask God for that faith now.