The Offering Sheriff

 

1 We give thee but thine own, what e'er the gift may be;

all that we have is thine alone, a trust, O God, from thee.

2 May we thy bounties thus as stewards true receive,

and gladly, as thou blessest us, to thee our first-fruits give.

After long seasons of COVID-related virtual church services most congregations have resumed in-person Sunday worship without restrictions, although a scattered few still require masks. For most this has meant a series of decisions, including what to do about receiving the offering. There have been understandable concerns about passing a plate as well as the "filthy lucre" itself, as sources of transmission. 

I've always felt that the offering was far more than collecting the loot which pays the bills. It is a very tangible act of worship which requires the same thoughtful response as any other aspect of the "work of the people." We contribute through Pre-Authorized Remittance now and place a card on the plate but it doesn't seem to have the same weight, literally and figuratively, as the old-school church envelope.

Unfortunately, many congregations took a huge financial hit during the pandemic even though congregations were eligible for government assistance like other organizations. When that source of support income ended some of them fell off the insolvency cliff and others are struggling to recover. 

How do we challenge folk to respond to the financial needs of our communities of faith in ways that are both down-to-earth practical and holy? We don't require or even ask people to tithe in the United Church and we've consistently ranked near the bottom of denominational lists in terms of per-member giving, usually vying with the Anglicans for mediocrity. Through the years talking about stewardship and financial programs often led to tension that frustrated me to no end because it was so difficult to have the conversations from a Christian perspective. 

I chuckled a couple of days ago when I read a tweet by Pentecostal theologian Cheryl Bridges Johns about a memory from a congregation she attended (see below) 

What a gift this guy brought to Sunday worship! Since Bridges Johns lives in the States I'm praying that he wasn't armed as well, but there was both levity and gravity in his role. With Halloween just around the corner we may all be out searching for those sheriff's badges for our ushers...not gonna happen on your watch?

Cheryl Bridges Johns-groaning with creation

@cb_johns

@cb_johns

We once had a group of adults w/ mental disabilities attending our church. One man loved to take the offering. He had a "sheriff's badge," that he would flash when someone did not put money into the offering plate. He would stand there holding the badge until they gave something.