HOW MUCH SHOULD I GIVE TO MY PARISH? By Florence Wedge Taken from the Parish Magazine “The Voice from the Hill” September 2013. Tithing isn’t just for people who have no trouble making ends meet. Most of us find that by the time we manage to make both ends meet, somebody moves the ends. But no one is ever the poorer for giving to our God, who is so rich in love, mercy and goodness. This essay will show you why putting God first can make your money last longer. It includes • The biblical background of tithing • Modern tithing practices • Testimonials Tithing gives us a sense of partnership with God and our fellow parishioners allowing us to accept our responsibility to help the needy and to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. Introduction Mrs Jones had faithfully tithed (given 10 percent of her income to the Church) for decades in her Protestant denomination. When she became a Catholic and joined a parish whose members did not tithe, she dropped the practice, sometime after resuming it, she gave this enlightening testimony at a parish meeting: “We Catholics are making a mistake. We should all be tithers. The only time I ever had any trouble balancing my budget was the year I became a Catholic and quit tithing. That taught me a good lesson. I’ll never stop tithing again.” What about you? Are you having trouble balancing your budget in these inflationary times? Does it ever occur to you that when one puts God first, one’s money is likely to last longer? Tithing has turned into a grand adventure for many Christians. Since they undertook this methodical way of giving to the Lord’s work, abundant spiritual and material blessings have brightened their lives and lightened their burdens. Tithing should not, of course, be undertaken in a “what will I get out of it?” mental attitude. The important thing is what God will get out of it: our gratitude for his countless blessings, our proclamation of his dominion over us, and more funds for the spread of the Good News of salvation. All the same, Scripture does contain God’s written guarantee that tithers will not be losers. You can find that guarantee in Malachi 3:10: “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house and try me in this, says the Lord of hosts, Shall I not open for you the flood gates of heaven, to pour down blessing upon you without measure?” Biblical Background Did the idea of tithing originate in some creative Jewish, Catholic or Protestant mind? Not so, Tithing is God’s own idea, the divinely chosen way to contribute regularly and systematically of giving. Scripture mentions it forty-six times. The first reference comes in Genesis 14,where Abram (that was before the Lord changed his name to Abraham), returning victorious from battle, received the blessing of Melchizedek, King of Salem. Then, the text adds, “Abram gave him a tenth of everything.” The morning after his mysterious dream at Bethel, Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, uttered this vow: “If God remains with me, to protect me on this journey I am making and to give me enough bread to eat and clothing to wear, and I come back safe to my father’s house, the Lord shall be my God... Of everything you give me, I will faithfully return a tenth part to you” (Genesis 28:20-22). God ordered the ancient Israelites to “tithe all the produce that grows” in the field they had sown. They were to eat in his presence their tithe of grain, wine, and oil, and the firstlings of herds and flocks. If unable to bring their tithe because of distance and the perils of travel, they could exchange it for money. Then, at a God-appointed place they could exchange the money for oxen, sheep, wine, or strong drink (Deuteronomy 14). God’s chosen people were taught in what spirit they were to make their offerings: “In generous spirit pay homage to the Lord, be not sparing of freewill gifts. With each contribution show a cheerful countenance, and pay your tithes in a spirit of joy. Give to the Most High as he has given to you, generously, according to your means. For the Lord is one who always repays, and he will give back to you sevenfold” (Sirach 35:7-10). If we turn to the New Testament, we find Jesus chiding the Pharisee in the parable related in Luke 18:9-14. Why? Because the man paid his tithes dutifully? Not on your life. But because he bragged about it. When Jesus rebuked scribes and Pharisees for paying tithes on mint and herbs and seeds, it was because they neglected “The weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and good faith. It is these you should have practiced, without neglecting the others” (Matthew 23:23). In this last verse Jesus actually endorses the ancient custom of tithing. Should the Holy Spirit who came down in power at Pentecost have endowed the new Church with a cool billion? We know he did no such thing. The divine plan was for the faithful to provide the funds for the upkeep of their spiritual leaders and the new Church’s missionary outreach. The early Christians made liberal love offerings. These were allotted for the support of the clergy; for the needy and poor; for the bishop set above the Christian pastors; and for the maintenance of buildings and other material necessities for divine worship. Paul tutored his Christian contemporaries in the blessed art of giving: “Everyone must give according to what he has inwardly decided; not sadly, not grudgingly, for God loves a cheerful giver. God can multiply his favors among you so that you may always have enough of everything and even a surplus for good works” (2 Corinthians 9:7-8). Paul wanted everybody to know that the Lord would never be surpassed in generosity: “My God in turn will supply your needs fully, in a way worthy of his magnificent riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). The emphasis was on giving to the Lord. When David invited the people to give for the Temple, they responded with eagerness and joy. Although their offerings went into the structure itself, it was to the Lord that they gave: “The people rejoiced over these freewill offerings, which had been contributed to the Lord wholeheartedly” (1 Chronicles 29:9). Tithing becomes easier if we set the 10 percent aside as the Lord’s portion and give it to him. Whether it’s the local church or some charitable agency that receives the money, the tithe is given to God himself. And God recompenses the tither when and how it pleases him to do so. Modern Tithing Practices Tithing continued after Biblical times. Saint Augustine taught that the tithe was the Christian’s sacred debt to God. Pope Gregory the Great condemned those who cheated on their tithe. Saint Ambrose and many other Fathers held that the tithe was obligatory. The Council of Trent enjoined their payment. Tithing is no longer binding in the Catholic Church and in most Protestant denominations. One among few exceptions is the Seventhday Adventist church. Harold L. California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Glendale, California, explains: “Seventh-day Adventists are all asked to make a spiritual commitment prior to baptism that one tenth of their income will be returned to God in token of their faith that God created us and therefore has claim upon all our physical and mental resources.” More and more Christians are now tithing. Not too many Catholic parishes as a whole ãre doing it, but individuals in increasing numbers have begun tithing. Usually their one tenth represents 5 percent to their parish church and 5 percent to charitable, missionary, educational, and other worthy causes. Tithing removes the hit-or-miss hazard from our giving. The following story, which could have happened in your town, illustrates my meaning: A Protestant minister was getting a haircut at a parishioner’s shop. He expressed the hope that the barber would start giving more liberally to the local congregation’s missionary budget. “The church is always asking me for help,” the barber retorted. “All I hear is money, money, money! I think people should give what they please. I’m sick of hearing about systematic and proportionate giving.” After the haircut, the minister forked out 50 cents. “I think I should give as I feel inclined,” he said. The barber exploded. “But I can’t pay the rent or take care of my other expenses if people just give me any amount they happen to have in their pockets.” The minister agreed, then went on: “Nor can the Lord’s work be carried on if we don’t appreciate his blessings and give back to him what is rightly his.” The barber got the point - and the balance due to him. On the current scene, new tithers are convinced it’s the ideal way to give. Where the majority of the congregation do tithe, the parish always has enough money to meet the month-by-month expenditures. Tithing also provides an adequate fund to help the workers in the Lord’s missionary harvest. Relieved of the burden of financial worries, priests can devote themselves more freely to the spiritual welfare of their people. “Tithing,” says one of its enthusiastic proponents, “will never take you one step closer to the poorhouse. When you open your wallet, God opens his heart. How can you be the loser?” Dollars and Sense In Old Teštament times, the people tithed what they had the most of: oil, corn, wine, cattle, sheep, etc. Over the years, it has been found more convenient to tithe directly from one’s pocketbook. Things could get quite complicated for the pastor if, next Sunday, the people were to bring jarsof jam or peanut butter or half a chicken or a cheese and macaroni casserole instead of money. Soon enough, pastor and people would want to revert to the Sunday-envelope plan. But isn’t salvation free? Isn’t heaven available without one’s having to pay an admission fee? Yes, of course. But everything else has a price tag on it. As someone has stated so truly, “The Holy Spirit doesn’t pay the mortgage.” One day an old country preacher was earnestly exhorting his congregation to increase their offerings. A deacon interrupted him in midsentence: “Parson, you told us salvation is free-as free as the air we breathe and the water in the river. If that’s true, then why are you always asking us for money?” “Brother,” the preacher solemnly replied, “you’re right. Salvation is as free as the water you drink. But if you want that water in the kitchen, somebody has to pay for the pump!” Pumps cost a lot more than they did fifty years back. However, the Almighty has yet to raise the tithe; it remains pegged at 10 percent. Some Christians find it possible to double that figure. I’ve heard of a man who keeps 10 percent and gives the rest to the Lord. Awhõpping 90 percent, for which may the Lord bless him! Although tithing is not obligatory, Church support certainly is. The Fifth Precept of the Church “to contribute to the support of the Church” has not been blown away by post Vatican II breezes. It’s still valid, just as much as when Saint Paul wrote insistently: “Do you not realize that those who work in the temple are supported by the temple, and those who minister at the altar share the offerings of the altar? Likewise the Lord himself ordered that those who preach the gospel should live by the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:13-14). Tithing is a matter of dollars and sense. It makes sound Christian sense to become a tither. Let me elaborate on this last statement. (a). God is the giver of all good things; we are constantly receiving abundantly from his gracious hand. In giving one tenth back, we proclaim the divine origin of all that is ours. (b). “Remember then, it is the Lord, your God, who gives you the power to acquire wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:18). Our health, talents, capabilities, intellectual and physical endowments are God’s investment in us. God has a right to expect dividends. (c). As stewards of God’s good gifts, we shall have to render an account of our stewardship. We shall have to report on how we used or misused God’s profusion of gifts, all of which were to be used for God’s glory. Tithing is the test of our Christian stewardship, our declaration of dependence on the God who made us, who enables us to earn our keep, and who wants us to manage our possessions responsibly and wisely. (d). Through tithing we can experience an exciting sense of partnership with God; of solidarity with other Christians, especially our fellow parishioners; of glad acceptance of our responsibility for the world’s needy and for the spread of God’s kingdom. (e) Tithing settles the thorny question “How much should I give?” One is free, however, to add to the 10 percent if God has prospered one more plentifully. (f). Tithing can do away with such fundraising endeavors as lotteries, raffles, bingos, rummage and candy sales, bazaars and a bizarre assortment of such money making gimmicks. (g). In tithing we humbly recognize our creatureliness and our basic poverty before our Maker. As Saint Augustine said so neatly, “Out of God’s gifts, then, we make gifts to God, and from us he receives what he first gave us. Our state of beggarhood would, unless he first gave us something, remain absolute emptiness.” (h). Tithing isn’t just for the wealthy, the ones who have no trouble making ends meet. Most of us find that by the time we manage to make both ends meet, somebody moves the ends. There’s a three syllable word for that frustrating situation: INFLATION Let us flip the New Testament open to the episode of the widow’s mite: Jesus “glanced up and saw the rich putting their offerings into the treasury, and also a poor widow putting in two copper coins. At that he said: “I assure you, this poor widow has put in more than all the rest. They make contributions out of their surplus, but she from her want has given what she could not afford-every penny she had to live on” (Luke2l:1-4). From the foregoing gospel excerpt we see that God considers less what we give than the spirit that animates us in giving. The wholehearted generosity of the Jerusalem widow must have affected our Lord deeply, else it would scarcely have been enshrined in Scripture for posterity. A widow gave two copper coins (worth together about one fourth of a penny), and two thousand years later every Christian knows about it. Testimonials Recall the specific promise made in Malachi 3:10 quoted in the Introduction of this pamphlet. The Lord was issuing a challenge, no less, asking his people to “try me in this” and watch him open the floodgates of heaven to pour blessings upon you without measure. Some who have tried him in this are exuberantly enthusiastic about his response. What do these tithers have to say? Here are a few comments: “I was afraid to start tithing,” Joe admits. “So I took a step in faith, as my Protestant neighbor encouraged me to do. I’ve never regretted it. God has not let me down. God has richly blessed our family spiritually and materially. I’m teaching my children to tithe in a spìrit of joy and gratitude.” “I’m convinced,” says Bob, “that a lot of people make cemeteries of their lives by burying their talents. Some run through life like scared rabbits, never daring to trust God’s promises. I’m trying to tithe my income also my talents and my time. God is blessing me in return. But even if God didn’t, I still believe I owe a return for all God has given me.” “You’ve just got to have faith in God,’ says Ruth. “You’ll never begin tithing if You wait until you can easily afford to set 10 percent aside as God’s portion. Once you begin, you’ll be surprised how often God will send some unexpected bonus your way. Tithing is a beautifully simple plan for Church and charity support. After all, it’s the Lord’s invention, and we can expect the Creator to have some creative ideas.” “Tithing,” says Louise, “is a very practical way to meet a Christian requirement, namely, the financial support of the Lord’s good works. I’m sure this is about the best way to solve the money worries that plague pastors and people alike.” “I’m plugging away at a good job,” says Mike, “and there’s the occasional raise. Our family of four hasn’t skipped a meal yet. I put the electric company on my payroll, also the gas company, and quite a few other outfits. Why not put almighty God on my payroll too? God knows our needs, and we have God’s pledged word that God’s looking after us. I’m standing on the promises of God, as the Christian song says.” “I tithe out of a deep-down conviction that it’s the correct, scriptural thing to do,” says Henry. ‘ï give without expecting anything in return. But it’s amazing what can happen when you take God as your partner. I’m a lot happier than way back when I used to give grudgingly, tightfistedly, or sometimes not at all.” Marilyn admits she’d be “spiritually bankrupt without the Church, the sacraments, the preaching of the Word of God, the fellowship of Sunday worship. But I know it all costs money, and I can’t fool God. I’m partly responsible for the financial upkeep of the parish. Giving doesn’t make me poorer in time, and it will make me richer in eternity.” “I consider myself a steward of my possessions,” explains Ted, “money included. That’s my basic motive in tithing. I know I’ll have to let my Judge go through my books on Judgment Day. I’d like to hear God congratulate me on having been a good and faithful steward.” Conclusion So that, in a nutshell, is what tithing is all about. If you are already tithing, you have surely experienced its benefits. But perhaps you have never tithed in your life. Perhaps you’d like to try it. That’s your decision, and it should be thought about and prayed over. People who were poorer than you have been tithing successfully and joyfully for years. No one is the poorer for giving to our God, who is so rich in love, mercy, and goodness. Thanks to Liguori Publications
Posted on: Sat, 07 Sep 2013 09:26:34 +0000
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