Consecration Sunday Reflection

I got to thinking the other day about the act of pledging and giving money to the church - about why I do it, and what the value of it is.

Of course, the most obvious value is that it “keeps the lights on,” and I mean that in the broadest sense. It pays the salaries of our beloved Fr. Bryan and Mtr. Trish, keeps our hard-working church secretaries and support staff in groceries, buys supplies (including the wine, host, candles, and linens we see every time we celebrate the Eucharist), keeps us cool in the summer and warm in the winter, and covers the maintenance expenses that seem to never end on campus as varied and lovely as St. Luke’s. Because I commit to giving the church a set amount every month, folks around here know what we have to work with. Your Vestry can set a budget and, barring unforeseen circumstances, not have to deal with the anxieties associated with making ends meet.

That’s the practical value, and I don’t want to downplay its importance. But what about the spiritual value of the practice of committing myself to a set weekly, monthly, or annual contribution? That brings me to thinking about why I attend church on a regular basis. I do it primarily because I want to develop and improve my relationship with God - not to just know things about Him, but to actually relate with him.

In any mature and growing relationship, there’s a give and take and, it seems that both giving and receiving are equally valuable in solidifying and maintaining a relationship.

I take from God redemption through his Son Jesus Christ. I take guidance, counsel, and correction by the Holy Spirit and through the other members of this congregation. I take the camaraderie and warm fellowship that He affords me through his Church.

What do I have to give to God?

I can give of my time and talents, as it seems so very many of us do here at St. Luke’s.

But I can also give of my material wealth. For me, this has been the hardest to practice over the years, maybe because I was a poor graduate student for so long, and I have a kind of pessimistic view of this world - always expecting the other shoe to drop at any moment, never venturing to believe that prosperity will last for very long. For this reason, to pledge is a spiritual practice for me. It means not giving in to that niggling little (demonic?) voice that tells me to “look out for number one” and, instead, living in a small way as if what Jesus taught at the Sermon on the Mount is true . . . that God loves us and will always take care of us (as he does the flowers of the field and the birds of the air). Jesus said that we should, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all (material) things will be given to you as well.”

So, in giving to the church, I’m at the same time taking. I’m receiving the blessings that come from denying the little demons their say as they try to rob me of a healthy reliance on God to have my back.

Isn’t that just like God: to turn a sacrifice - no matter how small - immediately into a blessing!

Joseph Kahler
St. Luke’s Vestry
Senior Warden