Last week at Annual Conference, the “hammer was dropped” on two of our larger churches who do not participate in the tithe system set up by our conference.

In the case of both churches, it is not a case where they simply don’t have the money to tithe and cover their expenses. It basically boils down to choice. They have made the choice not to give in the system our Annual Conference has set up. It’s not that these churches avoid giving…both do incredible things in their communities and in our world. These are thriving churches with amazing ministries and outreach. They have simply decided not to meet the expectations of giving set by our Annual Conference. And, I’m sure they have their reasons.

Bishop Coyner made comment that basically stated, “if you want to find reasons not to give, you can find them.” He went on to say something along the lines of “instead of finding reasons not to give, I’d like to focus more on faith and trust.”

It’s interesting… There are ways in which these churches could be disciplined,  if so desired. Some would says it’s because of their size that they have not been “forced” into meeting giving requirements. However, I think in the practice of grace, the desire is to simply remind them of our call…and to continually offer the opportunity to participate.

At the same time, it’s somewhat easy to talk about and focus on the 2 big churches who do not participate (or do not fully participate)…especially because it’s highly likely that they did not have any representatives in the room during that particular session. My guess is that if both churches tithed to the district, conference, and general conference, money would not be much of an issue. These are large churches with large budgets.

But, what about the other churches that do not fully participate in our system of giving? I know that some churches have to decide between paying the light bill or their tithe. But, isn’t that what faith and trust and obedience is all about?

If we are obedient and faithful in our giving, it is my belief that God will provide. Somehow those lights will stay on.

Afterall, isn’t this what we ask of our people on a weekly basis? The individual sitting in the congregation on a Sunday morning is confronted with a choice…”do I give to the church or something else…and how much do I give?” Choices! “Do I give a full tithe…or do I hold on to some in order to supersize my McDonald’s order after church?” At the same time, the question could be, “Do I cut back on my personal expenditures and give more than a tithe?” Choices…

The bottom line is that giving is a choice. Whether it’s the local church or an individual, we all make a choice on what, when, and how we give. In those two big churches, the pastors and leaders have made a decision not to participate in our conference’s system of giving. Other churches and individuals struggle with the same choice. I know that Christ UMC started 2010 off with a desire and commitment to pay our full tithe. It’s a matter of choice.

So, when it comes to giving…what choice will you make?

I recently finished Michael Pollan’s book, In Defense of Food. I started reading this book just days after watching Food, Inc. Simply reading the book or watching the film will really get you thinking about what you eat, how you eat, and even when you eat. This isn’t simply about health…it is a moral issue, an ethical issue. If they don’t change the way you eat, each will at least make you more mindful of the process of food.

While at Annual Conference,  I’ve been thinking about holistic health. As Bishop Schnase has been talking about the Five Practices of Fruitful Living, I keep thinking about the component that is missing…physical health. The five practices will lead us towards spiritual health and a vital faith life, but it sort of avoids the conversation about physical health.

He did talk about needing to let some things go in order to connect with God. Of course, in a room of Christian leaders, we tend to think about the big ones…”don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t chew…don’t go with girls who do.” But, some of those vice’s we’re clinging to are unhealthy eating habits and ignoring exercise. We get so busy “doing ministry” that we simply don’t have the time to take care of ourselves…and that, I believe, is dangerous.

Of course, this is somewhat difficult to talk about because I’m not exactly the picture of a holistically healthy person. But, I’m trying.

So, maybe the way we can practice radical hospitality and encourage risk-taking mission and service is to develop ministries that help people take care of themselves…spiritually, emotionally, and physically???

As I have strolled through this journey of faith, I’ve found that I end up with more questions than answers.

The more time I spend studying Scripture, Church history, theology, and the like, I find myself wrestling even more with issues rather than figuring them out.

I find myself doing more pondering than reaching solutions.

But, I have this feeling that maybe this is how it is supposed to be…

If I found acceptable answers for all of life’s questions, I just might stop the search. And, isn’t the search the point of faith? Maybe questions are actually healthy…and we’re entering dangerous territory when we stop questioning things.

It’s not that I never find answers to my questions…sometimes God helps make some things clear to me…it’s just that some issues lie in the gray area…and I continue to struggle with exactly what God would want me to say, do, or think on the subject at hand.

In the midst of seeking answers to questions, I find myself growing. I find my faith growing deeper when I wrestle and struggle with various issues. I find myself becoming more dependent on God. I find myself trusting more in the grace, love, mercy, and compassion of God. And, I find myself more and more able to accept the fact that maybe, just maybe, it’s not God’s intended plan for me to know everything.

And so, I continue to struggle through my questions. I continue to search for answers. I continue to seek out God…And I find comfort in knowing that God is with me in my questions.

While we’re on the subject of questions…I’m just going to throw it out there that we probably need to stop saying that we’ve “got a lot of questions for God when I get to heaven.” I think that’s a pretty bad view of the afterlife. I’m pretty sure when we encounter God’s awesome presence, the last thing on our mind is going to be our list of questions. I have a feeling that when we experience God in all of His glory, we aren’t really going to be concerned about why God allowed this or that to happen…I’m pretty sure we’ll be completely consumed in awe and our only response will be worship.

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking on the subject of grace lately.

My thoughts have generally focused on the lack of it. As I look at the Church, I find a strange absence of grace among believers. Look at the in-fighting within church walls. Look at the arguments between denominations. Look at the grasp for power between conservatives and liberals. Look at the relationships between believers. Look at the relationships between believers and non-believers. What is missing? Too often, it is grace.

It’s my considered opinion that, for those of us who have received God’s grace, we should take it beyond experience and put it into practice.

What would our world look like if God’s “amazing grace” was lived out by His people? What would it look like if believers chose to respond with grace rather than judgment? How would our lives, our churches, and our world be different if we would respond in an attitude and manner of grace towards those who have wronged us with their words or actions?

Grace is a pretty incredible thing…And, I’m pretty sure it’s not meant to stop once we receive it. Once we receive grace, we should respond by living lives of grace.

While pondering the practice of grace, I stumbled across a writing of Mike Yaconelli’s on the subject. He writes:

Grace is outrageously unfair, ridiculously extravagant, and unashamedly the center of the gospel, and it sure beats judgmentalism, legalism, and all the other isms. Grace always gives second chances, third chances, and never stops giving chances. Grace has Jesus written all over it. Grace makes people nervous, because they are always so worried someone is going to take advantage of it. But that’s what we like about grace. You can take advantage of it. But here’s the really interesting part – grace doesn’t just let everyone in. Anyone, yes, but not everyone. And the Grace of God frequently includes the unexpected. So…who’s in and who’s not? Only God knows, and that’s fine with us.

How will you live out a life of grace?

This morning, I stumbled upon a passage of Scripture that caused me to reflect on how I give of my time, talents, and treasures.  The passage comes from Matthew 6:2-4.  The Message paraphrase puts it this way,

When you do something for someone else, don’t call attention to yourself. You’ve seen them in action, I’m sure—’playactors’ I call them— treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that’s all they get. When you help someone out, don’t think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out.

Living in a world that tends to place too much importance on status and recognition, this passage of Scripture should cause us to re-think how we give.

I once served a church where a member went out of his way to make sure the senior pastor knew he was in church and giving his “tithe”. How did he do this? Well, instead of putting his envelope in the offering plate, he handed it directly to the senior pastor. This wasn’t just an occasional “oh, I forgot to put this in the plate” sort of thing. This was an “every time the guy was a church” sort of thing. And why? My guess is because he longed for the pastor to recognize him and say, “thank you”.

We live in a world where people shell out serious cash to have their names placed on a stadium, arena, or building of higher education. It used to be that the naming of a building was to honor a person…now the naming of a building goes to the highest bidder. And why? For the recognition? For the status that comes with having a building with your name on it?

This passage tells us to forget about the recognition. This passage tells us to forget about the status. This passage tells us to give…simply to give. This passage tells us to give…when no one is watching. This passage tells us to give…and not draw attention to ourselves.

And, this is difficult…because I know for myself that when I do something for someone in need, I want to tell others and pat myself on the back…I want people to say, “wow, how selfless!” But, that is not what giving is about. Giving is about responding to the needs of those around us in practical and tangible ways without expecting anything in return.

So, the challenge is to look for opportunities to give…when no one is looking…with no expectations of a “thank you” or other recognition…with no strings attached…simply to give when you see a need…to give because that is what we’re called to do.