What Does God Expect Me to Give?

Recently, we had a gathering of college interns, and this took me back to the late 80's as we remembered going to late night dinners after we were done with the evening activities.  We would usually go to Denny's because they had a Grand Slam breakfast for $1.99.  

The tipping standard back then was 10% and so if you ordered a water, the poor wait person might receive two dimes for their trouble that evening.

Since then, American society has recognized that our wait staff should be compensated more since their wages may dip below minimum wage.  The standard for tipping has moved from 10 to 15 to 20% or more.  During Covid, when they were risking more to serve us, we started doing better collectively as a society.  Now many options on card readers start with 20 and include 22 and 25 percent as possibilities.

While some still stiff our wait staff, there has been more pressure from society to be generous.

As we think about what we give back to God, the church's standard has long been the tithe or 10%.  While this has been a goal or high bar for our church members, the average gift calculated on an annual basis for church-going Americans has been closer to 2.5%.

What is interesting is that the average has fallen through the years.  And while some blame inflation or the economy on their lack of giving, it's been reported that during the Great Depression, the average gift was 3.3%!  

The tithe comes from biblical expression as an expectation for supporting the Levitical tribe which were responsible for worship and didn't inherit land.  There are several mentions of it in Mosaic law.  This likely originates from the earlier example of Jacob when he makes a covenant with God and vows to give one-tenth.

Within the early church, there were examples of people that gave all they had to the congregation which far exceeded the tithe!  This has fallen out of vogue.    

While Sheryl and I have tithed as our starting place for giving since we began in ministry as a married couple, we know that this is not adopted across the board.  Some calculate their annual income and see what they gave the previous year and recognize that because it is not even close to a tithe, they do not even try.  But for the faithful, despair is not a good baseline for behavior.

One practice that has been helpful for many is to figure what percentage they are currently giving.  If it does look to be on average at 2%, the question becomes not can I give a tithe or 10% next year, but can I move toward a tithe.  Could I give 3% in the coming year?  What would I have to adjust in my budget to do so? Are there things I wouldn't purchase for myself in order to do so?

Now we are beginning to understand sacrificial giving.  

Since I started this with the example of tipping, I wanted to be clear that giving back to God through the church is not the same thing at all.  A tip is historically thought-of as appreciation for a service well-done.  One could even look at the language that Jacob uses in the referenced scripture above as almost the same thing.  

But to tip God as if God were working for us gives the wrong impression of our place in the universe.  We give because God is asking us to support work that is larger than ourselves.  We are seeking to support and give voice to the grace of God in the world today.  

That is surely worth a second look at what percentage we give.  That is surely worth a bit of sacrifice on our part.  That's my tip for the day! 

Photo by Joits via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.

A Wesleyan Theology of Giving

We are in the midst of our pledge campaign for our 2025 budget at Boston Avenue and I recognize there are many other churches moving through the same season.  From our United Methodist tradition, I wanted to emphasize what a Wesleyan theology of giving looks like.

In the history of giving back to God, offerings were often made as a kind of restoration of relationship.  Sacrificial offerings were given to atone for sins (both known and unknown), ritual impurity, but also for thanksgiving.  One might think of the majority of these as appeasement so that we might find ourselves on God's good side once more. 

Within Christianity, monetary offerings have sometimes fallen into this same theological rationale.  The indulgences that Martin Luther wrote against seemed at their basest as a kind of sale on salvation.  The Protestant Reformation stood against these, and the Roman Catholic Church later reformed their stance on them as well.  But in some Christian circles, our theology on giving reverts back to this same logic.

In Contrast, Wesleyans emphasize God's Prevenient or Preceding Grace which starts with God's love for human beings.  The divide between God and person lies with the person's ignorance or unwillingness to accept the love of God in their lives.  The would be instead of starting with a place where we need to somehow work to get into right relationship with God.  In this understanding, we believe that we start with a state of blessedness.  Within our idea of giving to God, it begins with the stance that God has given to us first.  As Christians, we see this gift coming through the incarnation (Christmas), the cross (Lent) and the resurrection (Easter).  It also comes through all the teachings of Jesus (Ordinary Time).   

All of these things preceded us before we were born.

So, as we give, we give in response to what we have received.

As persons recognize and accept God's great love for us in Jesus Christ, we come to an acceptance of the love, forgiveness and mercy we receive.  We don't bargain or pay for atonement but receive it as a gracious gift.  We repent of our sins within this great Justifying Grace.  As we think about our generosity through this grace, we would begin to count our many blessings (and name them one by one) as the song goes.  

The counting of our blessings may include a review of our lives.  Where can we see God's hand at work?

We may have to train ourselves to examine with faith as a glass-half-full view when partaking in this look back!  We give out of thankfulness for all that has shaped us and allowed us to be in this state of blessedness.

Finally, as we accept this relationship in Christ, we seek to become more like Jesus in our identities.  This is how God partners with us in Sanctifying Grace.  In order for us to become more Christ-like, we must engage in the various spiritual disciplines regularly.  One of these would be to methodically give out of our resources to God through the Body of Christ where we are connected in the faith.  We live out this connection through our local church.

It is in through these gifts that we recognize that we are seeking to influence the world around us for the better.  We pray each week in the Lord's Prayer, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."  Giving to God through the church is literally putting our money where our mouth is!

Within United Methodist tradition, our mission is "To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world."  As we give, we trust that God is working through our offerings in order to bring good works to all the world.  We are transforming the world!

So, as we give, we don't do so out of guilt or duty, but we do so because we believe that we are making our world a better place.  It is out of our strong sense of mission that we give.  We believe that God multiplies our gifts to share grace with every person.  

Giving in this sense for me is joyous to do.  It feels good to put my check in the offering plate (symbolically for me as I'm always near the pulpit) as I know these dollars are spent on things that abide.

As you make your pledge or gift, may you do so with a sense of gratitude and purpose!

Photo by Money via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.

Entrusted with Your Gifts

When I was appointed to Boston Avenue, my son’s girlfriend commented wryly, “So, you’re going to be a TV preacher?”

My response was, “kind of.”

Technically, I am a TV Preacher, but I have trouble associating myself with this crowd because of all the connotations I have with the term from my youth.  In the 80’s, televangelists went through a succession of scandals.  

I remember a lot of problematic behavior such as prayer concerns (minus the checks) discovered in the trash bin outside one particular megachurch.  

I also remember air-conditioned dog houses and private jets.

And so, I was reluctant to associate myself with this kind of excess in ministry.  One reluctancy that many people have when giving to a large church is that their money will be spent frivolously by the pastor as a "bonus".

Fortunately, as a pastor in The United Methodist Church, I work in a system that engages in multiple checks and balances.  

For our clergy appointed to our churches, their salary is set by the charge conference as per paragraph 247.13 of The Book of Discipline.  The voting membership of a charge conference is the entire administrative board and includes any retired United Methodist pastors that are related to the charge.  This includes consultation with the district superintendent.

In order for the charge conference to receive this salary recommendation, it must first go through the Staff Parish Relations Committee (our human resource department) which includes annual reviews that are shared with the district superintendent.  Their recommendation is then sent to the church’s Finance Committee which determines if the proposed salary is in line with the budget.  Then their recommendation goes to the Administrative Board which needs an initial approval before it can even get to the charge conference.  

The compensation form with the approved salary is then signed by the pastor and the chairpersons of the staff parish relations, finance and administrative board.  Charge Conference meetings are open meetings, and all are welcome to observe the proceedings.

The salary may be adjusted throughout the year, but any raises or bonuses must go through the process outlined above.  

So, gifts that are given to a United Methodist Church are well-looked after through healthy stewardship practices.

United Methodist Churches also go through an annual audit practice that is approved and required by the conference.  Boston Avenue goes an extra mile in having their books audited from an outside source so that we are secure in our financial practices.

In light of all these steps and oversight, your gifts are secure and not abused by our clergy or other staff.  

I was recently introduced to an Instagram account entitled, “preachersnsneakers”.  It highlights expensive clothing tastes of pastors by showing what their shoes and other items cost.  Fortunately, I have never been featured on this account.

And while my current sneakers are Adidas Bounce (and quite comfortable), I think they cost less than fifty dollars at Academy.  They are made out of recycled plastic which I appreciate, but the front flap of the sole of my right shoe recently started coming loose.  Fortunately, I fixed it with some super glue!  I share this anecdote to assure you that while I appreciate the generous salary given by the church, I would never be confused with a jet-setter!

But I am a tv preacher – kind of.

Moving Forward as a People

This presidential election was a surprise for some but not for all.  

It certainly calls into question relying on the polls which showed a much tighter race in the so-called "battleground states".  In many ways, this was a return to 2016.

Those who were the most surprised were those who supported Kamala Harris and this may be due in part to the algorithms used to give us our news feeds these days.  Those who supported Harris likely didn't see a lot of links to negative stories about her emerge as possibilities for reading.  Conversely, those who supported Donald Trump likely did see more negative stories around Harris pop up.  Hence, they were not as surprised (in spite of the poll numbers) to see America put their candidate back into office.

This bubble effect is disturbing in that it is creating alternate narratives of reality for people living in the same neighborhoods.

As a pastor, I am praying for healing for those who are disappointed and temperance for those who are delighted.  I do believe that in spite of our divergent realities, we can move forward as a people in many ways.

But for those who find the outcome not to their liking, it may be that many will experience all the symptoms of grief.  They are grieving the loss of their expected future.  

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross lined out the five stages as denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.  A grieving person may not experience these in this order, and they may revisit them after their initial touch.  Some may also find themselves stuck in one particular stage.   

For those who claim the Christian faith, especially of the Wesleyan variety as I do, we are called to comfort people in their grief.  When someone loses a spouse, we know how to respond with compassion.  In this instance where the sides have been drastically opposed to one another, it may be harder to initially show any kindness.  A victory lap may be more satisfying in the short term.

That didn't work so well for the Democrats in 2020.  Supporters of Donald Trump stayed fixated in their denial and anger.  They tried to bargain with the vice-president to prevent the certification of the election.  Could there have been a different result on January 6th if their opponents had offered less smugness?   

The temptation in the moment for conservative voters is to "feast on liberal tears".  This would not be a surprising response and is very much in line with human nature.  But when we revel in another's loss, we can recognize that this is not a Christian stance.  We are reminded in the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.

This is certainly a counter-cultural stance. 

But maybe if we were to do so, those on both sides of the aisle, we could forge our own reality that would be shared by all.

Wouldn't that be a nice surprise?

That's my prayer for our country today.

Photo by liz west via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.

  

Committing to Wesleyan Ideals on Voting

The high polarization in our country has created a lot of political anxiety these days. Polls seem to show a toss-up in key battleground states. If one listens to the political ads, our country will be doomed if the candidate you don’t favor prevails.

I would be lying if I said that I’ve been immune to the angst.

Unfortunately, this high tension led to political violence during the last presidential election with four of the rioters dying during the breach of our nation’s Capitol Building. A police officer also died the next day after being injured in the riot. In the days and months following the riot, four police officers who participated in the defense of the U.S. Capitol died by suicide.

Part of my current anxiety revolves around whether we can avoid this kind of extremism in this election cycle.

As a person of faith, my prayer is that we can return to a higher discourse in our country. In disagreement, we can solve our differences through deliberation rather than violence. As a person of faith, I also believe that human beings have a responsibility to act in order to bring our prayers to fruition.

John Wesley, Anglican clergyman and originator of Methodism, lived in England in the 18th century. Stakes in British elections were high in 1774 with political tension concerning how to manage the American colonies. There were different sides then as well, and Wesley had some advice for the Methodists of his day that were recorded in his Oct. 6 journal entry.

His first admonition was “To vote, without fee or reward, for the person they judged most worthy.”

This is low-hanging fruit for us to reach, although American politicians do tend to put forth policies that give the appearance of being financially advantageous to voters today.

Wesley’s second piece of advice was “To speak no evil of the person they voted against,” which is a much harder task in today’s climate.

Wesley’s time and culture didn’t feature algorithms designed to feed him news that reinforced all his biases about the other candidate. But it does seem that there was a time not so long ago where we heard the advice growing up, “if you can’t say something nice about someone, don’t say anything at all.”

We could actually shorten debate times quite a bit if we still lived by this. It also might lessen our time on social media scrolls.

Wesley’s third recommendation was “To take care their spirits were not sharpened against those that voted on the other side.” The fact that Wesley had to mention this means that there were many who failed in their sense of unity in his day.

If this seems like an impossibility at this point, it may be that we need to examine how we see our fellow citizens.

If you are already planning on avoiding Thanksgiving with relatives who may have a different political perspective, then polarization has come to roost in your extended family. We often admonish our politicians for not getting more done by working across the aisle. Their inability may flow from us more than we realize.

I would never participate in a Capitol riot no matter how frustrated I became. But do my own attitudes, comments and enmity help to shape an environment where this is possible?

It may be that I need to reexamine and recommit to Wesley’s ideals concerning voting and elections. It would be nice to take an active hand in lessening polarization this year. Maybe my commitment to do so can go hand in hand with my prayer.

This article was originally published in the Tulsa World on October 24, 2024.

Photo taken by Brett Davis and used under the Creative Commons license.

The Theology of LGBTQIA+ Inclusion

Our staff is gearing up for Pride on Sunday!

As Tulsa Pride is coming this weekend to celebrate the queer community in our midst, Boston Avenue United Methodist Church has been involved for quite a while behind the scenes.  After The United Methodist Church went through its decades-long deliberations regarding inclusion, there are still many churches who do not support full inclusion of the LGBTQIA+ community.  Some of these left our denomination and some are still part of the Oklahoma Conference.  There are individuals within Boston Avenue UMC where I serve who may not agree with inclusion or even understand why we would support it.

I will be hosting a Bible Study later this month entitled, "Clobbered: How Does an Inclusive Church Interpret 'Certain' Passages of the Bible" which will deal with a scriptural apologetic of inclusion.  It will also be available by zoom if you would like to join us by clicking the link above.

But as a Wesleyan who seeks to be consistent theologically, I also wanted to lift up the theological rationale for why Christians would support Pride.

We begin with the idea of God as Creator.  In the beginning, everything that is created, God declares to be good.  As science continues to support that people are created with their sexual identities rather than choosing them like at a buffet, we posit that if God were to create someone outside of the statistical majority, who are we to call their difference something other than good?

As Wesleyans, we also believe in God’s prevenient or preceding grace.  This is the idea that God loves all of creation and is reaching out in love to every human being on the planet.  Is there a child that God would not love?  We find the concept that God wouldn’t love someone ridiculous if not cruel.  As God seeks each person for relationship, human beings are often the most obvious vehicle for God to utilize in expressing this truth.

Jesus shares many times in the gospels that God is seeking to reach those on the outside looking in.  This includes people that the religious institutions of Jesus’ day would ostracize.  Jesus even goes on to identify himself with them in the example of the sheep and the goats.  Can you think of any groups of people that may not feel embraced in the church today?  How would this person not qualify as the stranger that Jesus lifts up for welcome?

As we support Pride this week, we do so in a way that connects us to the living Christ.  May our smiles and words of welcome be like a cup of cold water on a hot day!  We offer love because we are vessels of God’s grace, partnering with our Creator to declare, “You are a beloved child of God and you are good!”

South Central Jurisdictional Conference Review

I've just returned to Tulsa from Rogers, Arkansas, where I was privileged to serve as a delegate from the Oklahoma Conference to the South Central Jurisdictional Conference.  Normally, jurisdictional conference occurs only once every four years following General Conference and usually in July.  Pandemic related difficulties pushed the 2020 JC to November of 2022.

Within the polity of The United Methodist Church, we have jurisdictions within the United States which are geographic boundaries aligning conferences of similar cultural regions.  Currently, the Oklahoma Conference (where my appointment Boston Avenue resides) is a part of the South Central Jurisdiction.  Our jurisdiction contains the following annual conferences: Great Plains (Nebraska and Kansas), Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Indian Missionary (OIMC), North Texas (Dallas area), Central Texas (Ft Worth area), Northwest Texas (Lubbock area), Rio Texas (San Antonio area), Texas (Houston area) and New Mexico (which also includes parts of Texas just to the south of the state). 

At Jurisdictional Conference, we elect bishops from any of the active elders within The United Methodist Church.  While any elder is eligible for election, the South Central Jurisdiction has only elected bishops from within its own conferences (rather than lifting up elders from other jurisdictions).  This year, because of disaffiliation-related losses, we did not elect any bishops and rather reassigned episcopal areas.  The new areas of coverage were announced at jurisdictional conference.

Bishop Nunn

The Oklahoma Conference is currently served by Bishop Jimmy Nunn until the end of August which is when his retirement will take effect.  His episcopal area includes the Oklahoma Conference, the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference and the Northwest Texas Conference.  I have appreciated Bishop Nunn’s leadership, serving with him on the cabinet through the difficult disaffiliation period of our denomination.  He has earned his retirement as much as any bishop in The United Methodist Church!  Bishop Robert Schnase also retired at this conference.  He serves until September, the Rio Texas and New Mexico conferences and may be best known as an author who wrote books such as Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations.

Bishop Merrill

Starting September 1, Boston Avenue will have new episcopal leadership in Bishop Laura Merrill.  Bishop Merrill will be the first female bishop to serve the Oklahoma Conference!  I am excited to have Bishop Merrill serve in this capacity and supported her election in November of 2022.  We have known each other for just a little while as we went to seminary together at Candler School of Theology only a few short years ago.  Bishop Merrill has the qualities to excel as our bishop.

Her episcopal area will include Arkansas, Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference.  These three will remain separate conferences and each have their own leadership with Bishop Merrill giving oversight to each.  While Oklahoma was previously paired with OIMC and Northwest Texas, we will now be paired with OIMC and Arkansas. 

Other changes in the jurisdiction are that Northwest Texas, Central Texas and North Texas will combine into one conference (instead of remaining as three separate annual conferences) named as the Horizon Texas Conference starting September 1.  Bishop Ruben Saenz will serve this new conference.

New Mexico was left unassigned regarding episcopal coverage.  While it was not announced, my understanding is that they will likely be paired with the Desert Southwest Conference in the Western Jurisdiction.  A Western Jurisdiction bishop will be offering oversight to New Mexico.  Years ago (long before I became a pastor), Oklahoma was paired with New Mexico as an episcopal area.

Bishop Wilson

Bishop David Wilson will continue to serve the Great Plains Conference and is near and dear to our hearts being elected as the first Native American bishop in the denomination out of the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference.  Others maintaining their areas include Bishop Delores Williamston who will continue to serve the Louisiana Conference and Bishop Bob Farr who will continue to serve the Missouri Conference.

Bishop Cynthia Harvey will serve a new episcopal area consisting of the Texas Conference (where she's been serving) and the Rio Texas Conference. 

The challenges of episcopal leadership in this day and age loom large.  Churches are still recovering from both COVID and disaffiliation and many haven’t been financially sound enough to pay their apportionments to the denomination.  Pastors are less willing to itinerate than in the past.  Conference budgets have shifted downwards due to the recent losses.

But the possibilities and potential also loom large.  We are more united than we have been in my history as a pastor (I was ordained in 1996 and began to serve on the delegation in 2004).  When churches and clergy are able to trust each other more fully, there is a greater sense of mission and purpose.  This also means that less time and resources will be spent dealing with charges brought upon our clergy and laity (which represents in-fighting and takes a lot of energy). 

I would invite you to be in prayer for Bishop Merrill as she prepares herself spiritually to lead this new episcopal area.  Bishop Nunn reminded us in his excellent sermon in closing worship that God is not yet through with The United Methodist Church!  It is definitely worth watching.  I believe that United Methodists will face the overall decline in Christianity in the United States with new vigor.  As we lead with grace, may God grant us new momentum in the years to come!