Money and the Kingdom
Dan Edelen's series on the church and finances is a must-read. Here's a sample:
I’m convinced that when we get right down to it, for many of us, our so-called faith is a sham. We may pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” but which of us actually lives from one day to the next dependent on God to provide that day’s food? Can’t we buy our way out of almost any trouble we encounter? Why do we need God for anything?Well?
Sure, Christ died and with His blood secured eternity for us who believe. No, we couldn’t do that ourselves. But beyond having faith that He will take us to heaven at some future date, how well do we live in the dark moments before then?
posted by Milton Stanley at 10:41 AM
10 Comments:
Sorry - this comment is a bit late . . .
One big problem I have with what DLE is positing here is that he seems to have the idea that people who can pay their bills think money solves all problems.
Maybe his money makes him feel like he doesn't need God.
I can pay my bills (thankfully). But I'm a parent of four kids, three of whom are teenagers. This is the best and scariest time of my life and I need God like crazy!
I need Him so badly, every single day. We've had a lot going on in our family recently, things that aren't financial in nature but which have really had us face down before God.
So the idea that our money separates us from God, or removes our need for God . . . well, it really baffles me that anyone could say that.
I need God worse than I ever have.
"So the idea that our money separates us from God, or removes our need for God . . . well, it really baffles me that anyone could say that."
I probably need to clarify :-) - of course money CAN separate us from God. It is hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of heaven (and we're all, let's face it, by historical standards, rich).
What I meant was that having our daily bread (and then some) provided doesn't necessarily mean "doesn't need God". I find DLE's formula far to simplistic.
Thanks for reading and interacting, Bill. Thanks for sharing some of your own personal relationship with God.
I'm not convinced Dan is saying what you suggest in the first paragraph of your comment. I don't think Dan is so much suggesting a causative connection between having enough to pay bills and forgetting God as he is observing how many of the "haves" in the church give no apparent thought to helping the "have nots." I don't read Dan's essay as a formula as much as an examination of how the North American church fails to put its faith into practice on matters of money.
Maybe Dan will read the comment thread and clarify.
In any case, I can attest from personal experience that Dan puts his money where his mouth is. Recently when I was one of the working poor described in his post, Dan (whom I've never met) did what most Christians I knew personally would not do: sent me money every month to help my family pay our bills. And I don't think Dan did this because he was rolling in dough. In short, Dan walks the talk when he calls North American Christians to live as the early Christians did in Acts 2 & 4.
Peace.
Also, glad to see that even though you're on hiatus at OOTB, you're still coming around to visit. Hope your rest is truly refreshing. I'll be praying for you, brother. Peace.
Bill,
Dan Edelen, the author of the article, responding...
About six years ago I sat in a large, suburban megachurch. Two men sat near me. One man in front of me told me how he was going home to watch the big game on his brand new $4,000 plasma TV. Just a minute or two later, the man sitting to me right told me that he would not be able to make his house payment that month and had no idea what to do.
My brother-in-law told of a church in his town that had two families hit by illness and job loss that were facing losing their homes. When they went to their church for help, the church said they couldn't help. That same church, only a couple months later, put in an $80,000 sound system. One of those families did lose their home and now lives in a condemned building with no running water and no electricity on the outskirts of town. Everyday, people from that church have to drive by that falling-down house. I can't imagine how they can do so and not weep.
Something in both those stories is dreadfully wrong. That's what I'm talking about in my post.
Most Americans, by virtue of their jobs and consistent paychecks, are not in the position of much of the rest of the world that does not know where their next meal may be coming from. When I'm not sure where I'll find food, "Give us this day our daily bread" takes on a far greater meaning and urgency.
I believe that many of us in the States use God as a fallback position. He's not primary. What's primary is our job, our house, our immediate family. Church and God come second. Only when job, house, and family are threatened do we suddenly wake up to the fact that we should be depending on God, not the arm of flesh, our own clevernesss, or the little world we've erected for ourselves.
We may SAY that we depend on God, but do we really? How would our dependence look different from what it actually is if we had an empty pantry and dinner looked iffy? I think such a situation would force us to a whole 'nother level of godly living.
And as for the disparity I mentioned in the beginning, it shouldn't exist. If I have a family in my church who can't make a house payment, then I go without so that they can have. That's the way it must be. But do we live that way here in the States? I know families who go on lavish vacations every year yet their neighbor can't pay his doctor bills. How is that right in the eyes of God? And if it's not right, then why do we live in such a stingy way? Can we expect God to bless us as we pass by the needy? When will the final bill come due on our lavish living?
So yes, our attitudes on money CAN separate us from God. The Bible says as much:
And he said to them, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." And he told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, 'What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' And he said, 'I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.' But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God."
—Luke 12:15-21
The guy with the $4,000 TV. The church with the $80,000 sound system. Are they not like the man in Jesus' story?
Let's never live like that--ever.
As for me, I now live not knowing how much money will come in from week to week. Each day that goes by, I better understand how much I need to know what "Give us this day our daily bread" means. I identify with the poor far more than I used to. I do what I can to help. Because I blog on the Church and also talk about money issues, people do come to me for help. I can't always help financially, but I do call people and check my network of contacts to see what I can do. Have i failed people? Yes. After calling around to many churches in the NC area, I was not able to find a church who could help a person who contacted me. That hurts. As long as there are Christians still on this planet, someone should always be able to help. It's just a factor of how much people are willing to do without in order to help those who are far worse off than they are. That's always what it comes down to. God charged us with taking care of the widow and orphan, the poor, the naked, the prisoner. If we in the Church don't do that, who will? We are the Lord's ambassadors, we're empowered with all the power of the King to do His business in this foreign land. Are we doing it?
Milton - thanks for the kind words.
DLE - thanks for living the Kingdom. That's awesome.
I think (as usual) I"m missing the point, or have missed the point. But I'm not sure that DLE's call (rightfully and well said) for the church to be the church translates directly to "if you have money, your faith is probably a sham". Plus it's unfair to legions of generous Christians who do give sacrificially. They are out there.
One anecdotal story about benevolence committees. Our church's committee was bending over backwards to try and help a member of our singles class who needed to stay in the hospital. I facilitated all this and so found the whole thing very embarassing. Funds were limited, but the person who needed help (already understandably grouchy because she feels terrible!) refused to answer any of the questions the HAVE to ask about income, ability to pay, choice of healthcare facility, etc. Her answer was simply "I need $2,200 today".
I'm intimately involved in this situation so I know both sides. Truth is, she has an income and can pay some of it. But she was incensed that they were trying to do due diligence. To her it was "rude"
The good news is that everything was taken care of and she is now in healthcare. She may need to call on the benevolence committee again to help pay her apartment rent. :-)
It's not all negative. And - I completely agree that churches should devote more of their budgets to helping out with social needs.
Thanks for the forum. I'm very likely just arguing past you, DLE, so please forgive if I am.
And, Milton - thanks for the prayers!
Thanks, Bill and Dan, for expanding on your thoughts. This is an unusually rich comments section for this blog. Peace.
Bill,
No doubt! There are many wealthy Christians who do amazing things for the Kingdom. I'm sure that S. Truett Cathy of Chick-Fil-A is loaded, and look at all his philanthropy. I'm not knocking people like him in any way. Being rich has its own troubles, too.
Well, Milton, if you ever want a comments thread filled with meandering, off-topic, missing the point comments, I'm your man :-)
DLE - true dat. One thing that troubles me is that in general, we're all rich (when compared against historical standards or standards in many other countries). Having the luxury and time to sit around and blog means we're rich. Having 24/7 electricity means we're rich.
You're right. It causes problems. I wonder how I would live with nothing.
Thought-provoking.
Post a Comment
<< Home