By Dick Young
“I believe giving is an act of worship,” said The Rev. Bruno Schmidt, long-tenured FUMC associate pastor, during a 1980’s meeting in old Wesley Hall. These words, in his slightly-German accent, were spoken with feeling after a lifetime of practice. Bruno echoed the Apostle Paul, who in 2nd Corinthians: 8-9, writes about giving.
Paul does not want giving to be an act of compulsion, but rather the acts of cheerful givers. (“Cheerful” – derived from the Greek word “hilarious.”) Paul does instruct the Corinthian Church to be responsible givers. Translated to modern terms, he wants us to give for the support of the buildings, maintenance, and such – certainly, that kind of giving is necessary.
But then, say the experts, Paul motivates us to elevate giving to a transformational plane. Before this transformation, our giving is transactional – I give, I receive. Transformational giving occurs when the recipient AND the giver are transformed (as in charitable giving, such as those acts of countless well-intentioned charities we all support). Noble giving – don’t you agree?
But, the Church is not a charity! The Church, our church, is a place where we come together as a community of saints to do ministry and mission and to worship God. Paul instructs us to give in gratitude for our blessings, but most of all, to give in joy as worship.
What could we do as a church if every gift was given as a “hilarious” act?
Shalom
