Fall is typically when many congregations talk about stewardship — encouraging people to give their time, money and talents to the work of the church.
Stewardship's root word comes from Old English — “styward," or keeper of the pigs.
I guess you could say stewardship has always been a dirty topic. It's often approached like a fundraiser. Church leaders come up with a dollar amount they anticipate it costing to run the church during the coming year, present that figure to the congregation, and ask the congregation to “cough it up.”
Some rebel and say, “Don’t tell me what to do with my money.” Or, “I’ll do my fair share. If the other members don’t do theirs, well, that’s on them.”
The Bible doesn’t talk about making a tax-deductible donation to the church. Rather, it talks about giving an offering to God. People are to give offerings to God through their congregation. And because offerings are for God, they are, first of all, a spiritual matter.
Our offerings reflect our spiritual maturity and health: the gratitude, love, respect and reverence we have for God, not for the pastor, staff or denomination.
When considering your offering, don't focus on fundraising issues — meeting the budget's bottom line. Instead, focus on demonstrating your love, reverence and obedience to God.
Stewardship is not a dirty topic; it is a spiritual topic. How you respond will make a huge difference in what — and how — you give.
The Rev. Mark Broadhead is Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview’s pastor.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: FROM THE PULPIT: Focus on God when considering your offering