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August 1, 2007
The church and money
Church Marketing Sucks posted about the dilemma a lot of churches have over how to use available funds. In, The Church and Money: Plasma TV or Feed the Poor, Anne Jackson explores the story of the woman who annointed Jesus with very expensive oil. The disciples were very upset because they believed the oil should have been sold for a sum and used to help the poor. But Jesus pointed out that it was not a waste but an accurate picture of the sacrifice the he would eventually make for all humankind on the cross--a very expensive one that to some was considered a waste.
We treat the subject of money in the church the same way that many of us do in our homes. We don't talk about it and often ignore it. This leads to tension, especially when the use of money is seen as futile or careless.
To Anne's point, our goal is to bring the message of the Gospel to people. Whatever cost that involves, it's worth it. To the other side of the argument, carlessly using God's provision is unacceptable.
At the end of the day, we have to talk about money. We have to talk about how we use money and what we believe about money. Ultimately, our goal is not to build personal empires of brick and mortar. Our goal, rather, is to influence the world with the message of the Gospel. We do that by using the resources God has given us.
Too often churches would rather place church funds in a CD earning 4.67% than risk the cost of reaching out to the community in which it exists. It comes down to this worldview: Whose money is it, anyway?
Posted by bstroup at August 1, 2007 8:25 AM
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