I've been thinking about church for a long time.
The early church didn't meet in buildings with fancy pews or pianos or sound systems. They met in houses. Their tithes were given to meet the needs of their own. Their offerings went to help other churches who were in trouble. They gave to those who ministered to them.
They didn't have to pay for electricity and hymnals and water and heating and cooling and paper towels and groundskeepers. The money they had went to meet needs.
Have we got this wrong? Have you looked at your church's budget lately? How much money is required for building maintenance? How much money is taken for insurance? How much is NOT used the way the early church used it?
It's not that I'm against church buildings. I think I'm against the pretense that seems to be part of the church building. How much money are we being asked to give to ourselves (i.e., our own Sunday-go-to-meeting comforts)? We want our nice comfortable buildings. We'll give thousands of dollars to that. But what about when our neighbor finds himself laid off? Can we afford a bag of groceries for his family?
Maybe it's time we simplified our churches so that we can be more free to spend the money on the needs of those around us.
Bingo. My sentiments totally. So much gets spent on buildings that could be satisfied with sticks and nails for a meeting place. I still think there are some churches that don't spend too much on buildings and more on ministry, but honestly, I think it's rarer today. Sad, huh?
ReplyDeleteYour post reminds me of these verses Isaiah 3:10-11: "Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him."
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