But the relationship of faith and money is often a troublesome one. To disciples who assumed that great wealth was a sign of God's blessing, Jesus said, "How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" And today's reading from Acts raises another issue, thinking our money can buy us what we most want.
When a man named Simon saw the Holy Spirit enter people when Peter and John laid hands on them, he offered money that he might have the power to confer the Spirit as well. But his request meets with harsh condemnation from Peter, who demands that Simon repent saying, "For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and the chains of wickedness."
Most of us would never be so brazen as to ask to purchase power from God. For that matter, many of us realize that we cannot earn anything from God, that God loves us because that's how God is. And yet when stewardship season rolls around, we often start sounding like one of those regular PBS fundraisers. "If you enjoy the great programing on your PBS station, you need to support that station." "If you enjoy the great music program at Falls Church Presbyterian, you need to support that program."
It's a considerably more nuanced approach that the one Simon employs, but there are similarities. "If you enjoy the worship and like how it helps you experience God, you need to pay for it."
I do not think that churches need to make any apologies for needing money to pay salaries and operate facilities, programs, and mission. But the relationship of faith any money creates real spiritual problems for both individuals and the church itself.
Many are familiar with the statement that says, "Budgets are moral documents." The way governments divide up the money they have speaks volumes about a people's moral priorities. In the same way, church budgets and personal budgets are spiritual documents, speaking volumes about our faith priorities. But when churches use the PBS approach - "If you like it, you ought to pay for it." - we reduce a spiritual issue to a practical one, and we fail to call members to the discipleship Jesus asks of us. Jesus says we are to love God with all that we have and are, and to love our neighbor as ourself, and he insists that money is one of the biggest obstacle to faithful life with God. But all too often, we undercut Jesus' call, instead saying, "If you like what we're doing here, please give us a tiny bit of your leftovers after you've made sure you and yours have all that you want and need."
I don't for a moment think that Jesus meant generosity toward God and neighbor is the same thing as giving to the local church. I have absolutely no issues with those who have felt God calling them to give extravagantly to some cause that furthers the peace, justice, mercy, and hope of God's coming reign. But in my experience, and in every study I've ever seen, people of faith who are extravagantly generous with causes and organizations that work to better community and world are equally generous with their place of worship.
In a way, I suppose it all comes back to how I view myself and thus my possessions. Am I my own, or do I belong to God? And if "I belong -- body and soul, in life and in death -- not to myself but to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ," then it stands to reason that in some way, all that I have belongs to him as well. Now Jesus is a great guy, and he is more than happy for us to use some of it to live, to meet our basic needs, to enjoy life, and to have a good time now and then. After all, Jesus liked a good party and a little wine. But he also said we had to lose ourselves in order to discover true life. And I'm pretty sure you can't lose much when you're busy keeping your wallet tightly closed.
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