The Nature of Sacrifice...

As I sat in church on Sunday, I thought about the nature of tithing as I see it in the American church today. I wonder exactly how much our offerings are a fragrant aroma to God. How pleased is He really with my sacrifice to Him? Because, isn't that what the "offering" is: a sacrifice?

I think the way we give is as important as if, or how much, we give. Most church-goers have likely heard that "God loves a cheerful giver," (2 Cor. 9:7) so we already know we shouldn't give out of a sense of religious duty. We shouldn't just give because we know that we should, but because we want to and because we enjoy worshipping God with our sacrifice. So each of us makes a decision in our hearts (not making a decision is, itself, also a decision) whether or not to give and how much to give. Our tithe is our act of sacrifice to God, and our acknowledgment of, and trust in, His power to provide. I recognize that I am blessed beyond measure and I enjoy giving back to God, but I've realized that I've overlooked the significance of how I do it.

How much time do we think and pray over our offering? How much consideration goes into how it will be used? Or do we take time to thank God for what He's given us, and for the privilege of being able to give back to Him? Or do we just write the check, drop it in the plate, and forget about it? I'll bet that if when we took the plate, we stopped to pray over our offering, we'd likely get a gentle nudge from our neighbor or a discreet, "PSST!" from the usher waiting at the end of the row for holding up the show. Has our method of taking offering trained us to marginalize its significance? Has our pride created a format of giving that limits the joy that comes from giving to God by forcing it into lazy anonymity? Some churches have set up the means for their parishioners to have their tithe automatically withdrawn from their bank account on a set schedule. Sure, that makes it simpler and easier, but has our spiritual act of giving to God merely become a direct deposit?

It's somewhat unfortunate that tithing nowadays has been forced to be an almost secretive, hidden act. As we sit in our pews, the plate is passed, we slip our offering in, and pass it along accompanied by a furtive glance to the person on the receiving end, and that's it. We don't think anymore about it. This sacrificial act of worship to God is over in seconds and the only thing that has really changed are a few numbers in a bank account. But what about my heart? Was I worshipful in my giving? Did I truly make a sacrifice? (I'm speaking in generalities here based on observations from my own flawed self and what I can perceive in church, so by no means would I suggest this is the case everywhere, for everyone. But what if we're missing out on something more? And by "we," maybe I just mean myself...)

Wouldn't it be cool to physically get up out of your seat, out of being comfortable, and take your offering to the altar, sacrifice it there, and leave it to God? To take something that is yours (as much as anything can truly be yours) bring it from where you are to before your God and to say, "Here you go God, I want you to have this." I believe that there is a physical dimension to almost every spiritual act. And when you connect an emotion in your heart, a thought in your head, to a physical act of your hands and feet, you experience it in a way you couldn't otherwise. The significance of the physical action that mimics the state of your heart has power. Why else would the Bible speak of different positions you can take while praying? If laying prostrate or kneeling before God in prayer didn't have the potential of changing how you pray, why would it be worth mentioning? And it's not for attention; it's not for the benefit of anyone but yourself. Why should tithing be any different?

Don't get me wrong, I don't think tithing should be paraded in front of the church. The worst thing that could happen would be people seeking prestige or approval by showing off how they give, or others feeling judged for not giving. But when the Israelites took their sacrifices to the temple, can we be so naive as to think that the others at the temple didn't know that they were there making a sacrifice? It's hard to hide a goat in your pocket, and the act of sacrificing it isn't exactly discreet. It wasn't done in secret! There wasn't any way of concealing your offering to God, but more than that, there wasn't any need to do so!

Making a sacrifice to God isn't about clamoring for recognition, it's about humbling yourself. And what better way to humble yourself than to physically go before God, instead of waiting for Him (or the plate) to come to you, and placing your sacrifice at His feet? I'm going to start by challenging myself to change my heart about giving... to take the time to pray over my tithe, and to truly recognize the significance of my offering. What would happen in my own life and in the church if I take sacrifice more seriously? The next question is, are we as Christians, and is the church, capable of something like this? Can we do it without it being abused? Can we put aside judgment, insecurity, and pride? Can we allow each other to fully experience giving to God in a new way?

I think we can. More than that, I think we should.
-Scott


P.S. I don't mean for any of this to be accusatory or judgmental to others in any way and acknowledge that some of my observations are probably projections of my own behavior. It's not my intention to condemn the church but to merely to challenge us to take the time to examine how we give. I know all churches are different and maybe there are churches that take their offering like this... I just haven't seen it.