When was the last time you did this with your tithe?
Deuteronomy 14:22-23 – 22 Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. 23 Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the LORD your God always.
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In the “traditional” sense of the word I do not tithe … but I do give generously (netting more than 10% of my income) and I do it cheerfully. One of the avenues I use to give includes taking people out to eat. This can be to build relationships, celebrate God’s goodness, etc.. So I think that fits what you are describing.
Rick, I think there is something empowering when we use our tithe missionally and relationally. And to celebrate what God has done in our lives is intriguing to me.
“do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing”
I had never thought much about this passage before, that even with the tithe, there is an element of celebration to it (literally eating your tithe in his presence).
I was giving this some thought this morning. There are two former mega churches in the bay area whose numbers have dwindled so much that they choose to “merge” their two churches into one church. What is sad is this: It seems (I am making a judgment here) that the merge was mostly based on finances, “We don’t have enough people (tithing) to pay the bills (mostly staff and building expenses) so lets us combine our people so we can make ends meat.” When people are viewed as “giving units” (I have heard this terminology thrown around in church staff meetings) and the church is floundering in survival-mode, I fear that God’s mission often gets placed on the back burner. In this case, it doesn’t seem that “mission” was the driving force, but survival.
I long to see the tithe redeemed. Where 60-80% of our tithe is used for blessing and loving others in real, tangible and physical ways—making God’s love visible with the money entrusted to us. May his kingdom come…
May His kingdom come J.