How Should Churches Use Their Money?
To follow up on my last post, let me ask the question that Steve asked in his comment: Is this what God wants from his church? That is, does God really want churches giving their money to gas stations so that people can save money on gas?
That’s a really good question, and one that I’ve been wrestling with for the past hour or so (I was already in bed, but had to get my thoughts out in writing). In my last post, I say that it’s “awesome” that a church would do something like this. Is it awesome, or should churches spend their money on more significant causes?
So, here’s what I’m thinking….
Steve (I hope you don’t mind that I’m quoting you, Steve) suggests that “we’re playing up to our consumeristic mindset.” That may be. Without a doubt, we live in a consumeristic society. I’ll admit it–when I see cheap gas, I pull over and fill up!
But what on the one hand may seem like “playing up” might on the the other hand be a contextualization of the gospel.
I know, I know… I can hear a bunch of you already saying that this isn’t quite the same thing as contextualization. Point taken.
But how does the church get people’s attention in our culture? More specifically, how do we get the attention (I’m talking about positive attention) of suburban, middle-to-upper class people who think they don’t really need anything? Well, heck… Do we even need to get their attention?!
Believe me, I’m sure there are billions of people who could be better served by $1500 than those in West Chester, Ohio. But can we say that this is something that God would not have us do?
We could also say that a church should never spend money decorating its worship space. Is it wrong to spend $1500 on a beautiful, decorative cross to enhance one’s worship experience?
Y’know, I don’t think God is utilitarian when it comes to money. I don’t think he looks at money and thinks, “How should we use this to make the most impact on those who need it most?” And here’s why I say this.
In John 12, we have the story of Jesus being anointed with perfume by his friend Mary (the sister of Lazarus, whom Jesus had just raised). She comes into the room, pours perfume on Jesus’ feet, and then wipes his feet with her hair.
And this perfume wasn’t the cheap stuff. How do we know? It was worth a year’s wages! So, let’s say it was worth $40,000–that’s expensive perfume!
Here’s how the conversation goes from this point:
But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.”…
“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
Now, I’m not saying that donating money to a gas station is the same as anointing Jesus with perfume. And I’m not saying that Jesus doesn’t care about the poor (I don’t think that’s the point of this passage).
What I’m saying is, Jesus doesn’t think about money the same way we do. And I think each church (and each person) is responsible to hear God’s leading in how they are being called to use the money God has given them. They may not be using the money the way we think they should, but lucky for them we won’t be judging them on the Last Day!
29 Mar 2007 markus
Markus Watson
“This isn’t quite the same thing as contextualization.” I just wanted to throw that out there :)
I was just throwing out the question because I think we like churches doing this kind of thing because it’s the opposite of how Americans percieve church. And perhaps this was true twenty years ago. But now every church is trying stunts like this and it doesn’t seem so innovative anymore.
My wife and I had a good conversation about the topic yesterday after reading your post. She asked what’s the acceptible line that a church can take before it’s pandering. Is direct mail OK? What about handing out water bottles? What about a pot-luck after the worship service? I’m not quite sure.
So I guess what it boils down to is this: why are you doing it? If it’s a directive from the Lord then can you back it up Scripturally? As long as there’s reasoning behind it and not “the Vineyard blew up because they did this.”
Thanks for the follow-up, Markus! I love having to think this out.
In the end, the church donation only helped the gas station and oil company. The church would have been better buying 150 $10 gas cards, and then distributed them among single working mothers, struggling families or walk-in clients.
This was a gimmick, nothing else.
I admit, Steve and Stushie, you make good points. This is a tough issue (at least for me it is). And I think your wife’s question is really good, Steve, about when what a church does turns into pandering.
Anyway, I’ll have to keep wrestling with it. I think I’d like to try something like this sometime, though. And I’ll probably either feel really fulfilled afterward, like we did something good for people, or I’ll feel dirty. We’ll see what happens…
Have you read Irresistable Revolution by Shane Claiborne? He talks about a lot of cool stuff, but primarily it’s about connecting the distanced Church, the body of believers, to the poverty stricken class. Clairborne says that the church shouldn’t be the mediator between the rich and the poor but instead that the poor should be living among us. Anyways, Claiborne has some good things to say and I’m only half way through. By the way, I’m finally started to get my blog site in motion. Still working out a lot of kinks and still have to change the way the blog looks, but the main page is up and working. it’s http://www.livingdusty.com
Dear Jesus
Please forgive us Christians for being judgmental self-righteous bastards. Amen!
Scott, I haven’t read that book, but it sounds like good stuff. By the way, your site looks great!