“It’s interesting that we don’t stand for prayer, but we do stand when the offering is received!” This comment, asked by a friend during a worship gathering, was spoken with some disgust and frustration. It was like all he could see was that money was being given more prominence in the service than God. In that moment I realised how the moment of giving is perceived by many churchgoers – and I can’t help but sympathise with them.
The truth is that the Church has often not handled money well. I remember watching a documentary about a well-known televangelist in which the pledge cards that were issued by his ministry were examined. The presenter noticed that the smallest amount that could be pledged (indicated by a check box on the card) was $5000! We have all heard the stories of wealthy pastors who stand before crowded congregations of people, many of whom struggle to make ends meet, and promise divine blessing if the worshippers will just give sacrificially into their ministry. The numbers of those who have left the Church because of such abuses is impossible to count.
In response, some churches have gone to the other extreme – removing the act of giving from worship altogether. But, I can’t help wondering if this practice doesn’t hurt worshippers more than it helps us. The act of giving is about far more than just the money that we choose to put in the plate. It’s about the extent to which we are willing to put our faith in God and God’s reign. It’s about the extent to which we really mean it when we say, “Jesus is Lord”.
We live in a world where money is the primary measurement of value of pretty much everything. Our bank accounts and wallets represent for us our security, our value and the potential contribution we can make in the world. Throughout the ages, those with lots of money have been treated differently from those with little. The wealthy have greater power, greater respect and a far greater variety of choices than the poor. It is extremely easy to get drawn into the constant quest for more wealth, but if we buy the message of the money-centred world, we inevitably lose our souls.
It is impossible to value a human being in financial terms. It is also very dangerous to estimate the value or contribution that someone can make by looking at their bank account. Does anyone really believe that Donald Trump would be a good president just because he has lots of money?
So, when we gather for worship and we share in the act of giving, we are doing a number of significant and prophetic things. First, we use money as the symbol for our giving because Jesus made it clear that we need to see money as more than just the metal and paper we place in the plate. “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be,” said Jesus (Matthew 6:21). By placing a representative proportion of our material ‘treasure’ into the offering, we are seeking to move our hearts away from our bank accounts, our homes and our possessions, and to a more lasting, life-giving reality – God’s reign.
Second, in the act of giving, we are proclaiming, against all that the world may tell us, that we don’t believe that money provides us with value, security or the possibility of a rich and full life. Rather, we demonstrate that we place our trust in God’s care and provision for us, and in God’s call for us to share what we have so that others need not go without.
Finally, as we place our money in the offering plate, we are symbolically placing ourselves – everything we have and everything we are – at God’s disposal. By giving generously, we make a commitment to God and to God’s people that we and our resources are available to be used by God for God’s purposes in our world.
This is why we stand (at least in my church) when the offering is received. In one sense, the act of giving is the most profound act of worship we can offer. And, if we practice it regularly and wholeheartedly, it will inevitably lead us to give of our time, our abilities, our resources, and our very selves to bring justice and healing to others wherever we may have the opportunity.
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John van de Laar is a Methodist minister, liturgical consultant and the author of the book Food for the Road – Life Lesson from the Lord’s Table. He holds a Master’s Degree in theology from UNISA, and is the founder of Sacredise.com, an international worship training and resourcing ministry. John is married to Debbie, and they have two sons.
Visit www.sacredise.com for more articles by John, as well as resources for personal and public worship – music, prayers, liturgies, images and drama scripts.