What is an offering?

We pastors have heard many of the jokes that circulate.  There's the one about the airplane which is losing altitude fast and the stewardess says to the pastor on board, "Can't you do something?"  She gives it some thought and then takes up an offering. Ha!

You and I both know that isn't an offering.  (What it is exactly I'm not so sure: desperation?bribe?  payment for services anticipated?)  An offering is a gift.   A child draws a picture for his teacher and with reverence, offers it to her as a token of his esteem.  A neighbor loses a family member and you carry over a dinner as an offering of friendship.  Offering is gift; offering is thanks and honor.

Thanks for being alive.  Thanks for someone's help.  Thanks for gifts received, both now and in the past.  Thanks for safe travel through the storms of loss and depression.  Thanks for beauty and grace and joy.  Thanks that I have and can therefore can help provide for another.

Thanks and honor.

Yes, the Bible makes it clear that God has asked all those who honor God as God to offer back to God's work in the world one tenth of what they have, a tithe. God gave it all to you and only wants 10% back to fill in the places where more is needed........which is primarily in your heart because once it's in our wallets we then to think that our goodness put it there.  Setting aside a portion of our earthly goods to God's work is a regular and healthy reminder that all good things come from God in the first place. It is a way for us to be partners with God in the work of this world.  It is a way of giving thanks and honor.

It is also a source of JOY!  You are pleased to give it and often see new places where your gifts would be helpful.  Joy. Thanks. Honor.

You certainly can think of it as obligation, burden, expectation, even legalistic. But you are missing out on all the fun.  It is truly a blessing to be able to offer a gift, it connects you to your neighbor and opens your heart to the world around you.  You can write a check to the church or you can make an offering so God's work can be accomplished.

Wouldn't it be sad to be the person who had nothing to give?

Chickens, cafeterias and social ordering

Chickens can be very nasty to their own.  In any flock, the more dominant chickens will peck at the weakest members, leaving bald spots where feathers once grew.  Thus the origin of 'hen pecked.'  No one wants to be at the bottom of the social ladder, not even chickens.

Think about this as school re-opens.  Take your high school cafeteria. There was the 'cool' or 'popular' table.  Then were the techies, the geeks, the nerds, the artistic types, the jocks....and somewhere at the very bottom were the kids who ate their lunch alone, every day.  No one invited them over to share the table.  They were the object of disdain and often nasty pranks and 'jokes.'

Not that it goes away after high school; we all experience social ordering in our lives.  But it is a very difficult maze to master as a child - school bus, sports fields, lunch rooms, birthday invitations and all that.  Our children understand a system where shame is real and impacts all portions of your day.  Before they learn how to read well they understand the honor of being invited to move up to the higher place at the line, or being chosen first on a team.

So, Jesus pictures a banquet where those at the bottom are honored by the host.  You know, those folks who will never be able to invite you back for dinner or do you a favor at the office or even lend you a rake .....those are the folks you honor by inviting them to the banquet.  Our world doesn't work this way.....which is what makes it so God inspired, or we could say, which makes it the kingdom of God.

Come to the table and be fed.