TALKING ABOUT MONEY
It seems like most of us see our pastors from behind the
pulpit or somewhere in front of the church (or virtually from their living
rooms!) talking. Of course, I know, there’s a lot more to the “job” of being
pastor that talking, but for a lot of people that’s what they see!
And that “talking” is only one way pastors share the Good
News of Jesus Christ, share God’s love and the news of God’s grace. Mixed in
with all that talking are hymns and prayers, music and offerings.
But there is one topic that many pastors (and others)
really, really hate to talk about. And that is money. I know, there are several
topics that we were told shouldn’t be shared in “polite” company…politics,
religion, money.
But money is something that has to be talked about, especially in churches, and especially by our leaders. I had previously shared some questions from a generosity survey. (McKenzie, Scott, Generosity Rising (Abingdon Press, 2016)
Four of those questions revolve around “talking” about money:
1. Does your pastor tithe and share his/her story with the congregation?
a. No,
and never talks about money
b. We think
so, but he won’t talk about it.
c. Yes,
and will talk about it in a general sense
d. Yes, talks about it freely and openly
2. Does your pastor talk about finances and giving?
a. Can’t
remember the last time
b. For
two or three weeks, but only during a financial campaign
c. Regularly and throughout the yea
3. Do your leaders give witness to their giving and why they give?
a. Never
b. Yes,
but never anything very specific
c. One a regular basis and on specific topics (tithing, electronic giving, debt, and so on)
4. Do laypeople other than leaders give witness to their giving?
a. Never
b. Only
during our financial campaign
c. Regularly
and year-round
If you read these questions carefully, you’ll see that the
questions are asking about pastors, leaders and non-leaders. No one person
should be responsible for talking about money (or faith, or Scripture, or God,
or Jesus)!
And I really want to state for the record that talking about
money is not all about how much goes in the offering plate (when we can have offering
plates again!). It must be about our relationships with money, and how our relationships
can enhance or interfere in our relationship with God.
Jesus talked about money more than anything, even the Kingdom
of God, and it wasn’t because Jesus thought money was the most important thing,
but because Jesus knew that for some of us, money IS the most important thing.
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When we believe that, our relationship with God
suffers.
- ·
When we believe that, our being open to
responding to the call of God suffers.
- ·
When we believe that, our relationships with family
and friends will suffer.
- ·
When we believe that, our understanding of love
and grace will suffer.
If, as pastors and church leaders, we are too afraid to
talk about money, then our people will suffer!
We have many responsibilities and this is one of them. Talk
about money (and what that really means). Talk about your own stories and your own
relationship with money; it will relate. Don’t limit yourself!
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