What's Ugly about the Bride

I need to get something off my chest and I hope you read this to the end.  There is something I never thought about until I became a Lead Pastor at age 48 and it’s this—I believe the great sin of the American Church is materialism.  The reason I even began to notice it a few years ago is because of the financial difficulties my church has experienced.  Up until that time I never worried about what other people gave, but when I had to reduce or delay MY paycheck I began to notice. 

I don’t know what specific people give in my church, but my treasurer has given me a breakdown that goes like this—Person 1 gives $400 per month, person 2 gives $800 per month, etc, etc.  We have around 30 families and my church is located among several nice subdivisions.  I would guess that most of the families make around what I do.  What makes me sad is only about 25% of the people who call Edgewater their church give 10% of their income to God’s Kingdom (Unless they are giving it somewhere else.).   Now I’m told that 25% is average for the average American church.  I think that’s sad.  I don’t want to Pastor an average American church. 

I have always given 10%.  My mom taught that.  My wife has always given 10%.  Her mom taught her that.  For the past several years we have even stepped it up to give beyond 10%.  I have a good friend who stepped it up each year to where he now gives 20%!  He gives 10 to his church and other 10 to other ministries God puts on his heart.  I want to be like that!

I have friends who argue that that kind of thinking is legalistic.  That 10% is Old Testament.  You may be thinking that right now.  (You may be thinking that I’m just writing this so I don’t have to work so many shifts at Caddyshack!  I pray I’m not.)  Here’s my answer to the, “We don’t have to give 10% because that’s Old Testament…

Jesus said clearly, “I haven’t come to abolish the law, but to fulfill the law.”  He never lowered the standard of the law, he raised it.  He said things like, “You have heard it said, ‘Don’t murder’, I say, if you have hate in your heart you are a murderer.”  Jesus is raising the bar.  He is teaching that just not killing people is not good enough. He is getting to the root of sin.  If you want to be sure to never murder, then start at the root—stop hating. 

God wants us to love Him with all our hearts and for most of us, money gets in the way of that.  It is our modern day idol.  We destroy this idol when we give to God.  It all belongs to God and 10% is a pretty low tip.  (As a server at Caddyshack, I’m pretty bummed out with 10%!) 

Most of my friends who admit their guilt in not giving 10% tell me they really want to obey God in this, but the budget won’t allow it.  They simply can’t find a way to do it.  But then I notice they have iphones with cell phone plans that exceed what they give to God and they have car payments that  exceed what they give to God.  If their wife told them, “I really want to have sex with you, but there just isn’t time.”  They would say, “If you really loved me you would make time!” 

Jesus told the rich young ruler to sell what he had and give it to the poor.  This is what it looks like to really be a follower of Jesus, but the church just doesn’t talk about that—too risky.  Better to keep a bunch of rich, materialistic people happy who tip God a couple hundred a month than run them off.  Just be sure to get a bunch of them and you can pay the bills!

I think the American Church has totally bought into this.  Churches compete with one another with moving lights, better slide shows, and amped up sound systems so they gather more and more rich people who toss a few dollars in the plate or box. (I define rich as owning a car since most of the world doesn’t and that’s pretty much most of us here in America.)   I have been guilty of this at my past and present churches.  We tap into the greed of American consumerism by providing church experiences that look like Disney World and justify it by saying we are only trying to reach a generation of people who want to be dazzled.  I would fear to think what it would look like if Jesus showed up at our (MY) church.  Would he rip down the screen and kick over the $400 sound monitors?  (BTW, $400 is cheap monitor.) 

I’m tired of this and I want to be the kind of Pastor that challenges the status quo, but it’s hard for me.  I don’t like talking about money.  I don’t want people to think that I’m trying to manipulate them into giving, so in the long run it benefits me.  But something has got to change.  I need to be bold in helping people see what I think is their biggest obstacle to knowing and loving God with all their hearts.  If one of my friends was cheating on their wife I wouldn’t hesitate to beg them to stop, so why am I hesitant to call them out on their love affair with materialism?   

I hope I haven’t come off pious or self-righteous.  I struggle with you.  I got a Kindle for Christmas and love it.  Although I can give you all these reasons why it will be such a great tool for sermon prep and save me money with half off books, etc, I still love getting a new gadget. 

If you are one of my friends who are not a follower of Jesus, I hope you don’t read this and think, “Glad I don’t go to church and have to hear guilt trips like this that try to just get my money!”  I didn’t write this for you.  This blog was intended for those who claim to love somone who died the worst kind of death so that we can know life.  We have found a love that far exceeds any love we have ever known.  Jesus calls us His Church—The Bride of Christ and I just want to see the Bride of Jesus loving Him the way we should.  I’m so glad He loves us—ugly as we are!