When we gather together in worship we give thanks to God for all that God has given us, and we return a portion of those blessings through God’s tithes and our offerings.
~ Pastor Nicole

Realistically, we as a church don’t talk about money well. We spend time each week during worship giving offerings to God, AKA giving money to the church. I’ve discovered that often during those moments, our minds think about giving for a few reasons; a) someone told us it was required for membership; b) we want that tax write-off; c) it feels “good” to “help out”; or d) we feel obligated because there is someone standing there with an offering plate.

NONE OF THESE ARE GOOD REASONS!

The 40 days that make up the season of Lent is the time in which we intentionally look at our spiritual disciplines and make adjustments to our lives so that we grow closer to God. This week, I want to focus on the practice of almsgiving because the practice of almsgiving is so much more than tithes and offerings!

Let me break it down for a moment:

Tithes- When God was giving the ancient Israelites laws that would help set them apart from the rest of the world, God required that the people bring the first and the best of their livestock, harvest, and income to the synagogue/temple as a form of thanks for all that God had given them. Often it is translated and understood as bringing a tenth or 10%. The tithes then went to a number of different places- different types of sacrifices to God for cleansing, food for the priests and their families, and some of it went to those who did not have. Many churches today encourage folks to pledge 10% of their gross income and then use those pledges to build their budget for the year to support their staff, shared ministries, as well as other projects and programs.
Offerings- When for whatever reason those who can’t give a full tithe to the church, or when people want to give more than a tithe, the “extra” is considered an offering, giving thanks to God for what God has given them. These funds would go to the same places the tithes do.

But almsgiving is something different. Almsgiving also giving thanks to God for what God has given us, but it is the practice of giving money or goods directly to those in need or giving to an organization whose primary focus is on the least of these. Some examples here are donating food or money to a food bank, giving gently used or new clothing to shelters, or supporting addiction recovery organizations. They might go through the church, but don’t necessarily go to the church.

At St. Paul’s we actually engage in the practice of almsgiving regularly! On the first Sunday of each month, we celebrate “Mission Sunday” and take up an additional offering in those large orange buckets to raise funds. Whereas the money in the plates collected during worship goes to the building, staff, and other programing, Mission Sunday money goes directly to helping those in need. Sometimes it buys items to help fill a gap in the food pantry or gift cards for a family who needs a little extra help. Sometimes it goes to help build flood buckets or goes to the United Methodist Committee on Relief for disaster response and recovery efforts. Sometimes it goes to sharing a little bit of love to a particular group of people.

Already this year, some of those funds have gone to UMCOR and St. Gregory’s Food Pantry. We collected items for a love gift for the women of Dottie’s House and made cards as a token of God’s love for the residents of Crest Pointe Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center. We also take up collections all year for St. Gregory’s food pantry and make drop offs as needed. And there are more opportunities to join in mission with Jesus through almsgiving on the way!

During the season of Lent, we are called to reflect on our own practices of almsgiving and challenge ourselves to get better at it. Find a place that speaks to your heart, and give there in some way, remembering to give thanks to God for the resources you have to do that. If you don’t have those resources, find a way to give your time or talents to that place that speaks to you. To sum all this up, almsgiving is a way of giving thanks to God by sharing God’s love to others in tangible ways.

How will you share God’s love in tangible ways today?

Comment your thoughts below!

Blessings friends,
Pastor Nicole