Why I Tithe

“Bring the full tithe into the storehouse… and thus put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.” (Malachi 3:10)

“With my tithe I seal a bargain, with my tithe I pay a debt.

With my tithe I serve a purpose that my God will not forget.

With my tithe I fish for sinners, with my tithe I find the lost.

With my tithe I gird the winners, with my tithe I share the cost.

With my tithe I love my neighbor, with my tithe I pass a test.

With my tithe I clothe God’s image in a form one-tenth divine.

With my tithe I build a temple, with my tithe I feed its fire.

With my tithe I still a yearning of my soul’s innate desire.

With my tithe I heal the stricken, with my tithe they rise again.

With my tithe I walk with giants, in the wake of Godly women and men.

With my tithe I walk in honor where the great and strong have trod.

With my tithe I store my treasures in the treasure house of God!”

                              [--Written by Peter E. Long]

My wife Trish and I have tithed faithful to God through our church for nearly 28 years, and God has never yet let us down, even in tight financial times -- it’s the first check we write when we get paid (or, these days, the first online payment we set up).  The “tithe” (the first 10% of our gross income) is a tool shared in the Bible that helps us be faithful to God, enabling Him to be faithful back to us. 

So, are you honoring God in how you use your financial resources, starting with a tithe back to Him?  Even if you’re not able to tithe immediately, are you willing to take a step forward and move towards it now so that you can eventually tithe in the near future? 

I pray that as we on October 29th share in “Commitment Sunday” for our “TREASURE” stewardship journey, you will prayerfully consider tithing (or moving towards a tithe) as an important step of faith in your spiritual life.  It’s never too late to start!  You’ll be blessed by it as is anyone who does it!  Remember, God loves you and I do, too!

TREASURE: Investing in God through our Living and Giving

“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)

• What do you most want to be investing your life in?

• What are you actually investing it in?

Our honest answer to these questions may surprise us.  Often we think that our treasure (our time, talents, energy, and money) follows our hearts and passions.  But in the scripture above, Jesus suggested just the opposite – that whatever and wherever we invest our treasure, our hearts will follow after that.

It’s no wonder, then, that many of us feel a sense of tension about our lives and our finances.  We want to give our lives to our church, our family, our God. Instead, our hearts follow our debts, our bills, our jobs, and often we don’t even realize it. We are left feeling stretched, conflicted, and empty.  

What we often fail to consider is how much our view and use of treasure affects our heart. It’s true that “treasure” involves more than money.  But money IS a big part of the problem in many of our lives.  Whether we’re in plenty or in want, money has a direct connection to our stress level, our anxiety, and the health of our relationships.

It’s no wonder, then, that Jesus talked about the relationship between our treasure and our hearts. And because he cared so much about our hearts, he therefore talked about what we do with our treasure.

Each Sunday October 8-29 in a new series called “TREASURE,” we’ll explore Jesus’ teachings about treasure found in the “Sermon on the Mount” in Matthew 6.  We’ll consider how financial challenges in our personal lives affect our relationships both with people and with God. We’ll see how giving helps to determine the way we feel and act. Most importantly, we’ll discover how we can experience the power found in making God our ultimate treasure through our living and giving.

Then at all three worship services on October 29 (“Celebration/Commitment Sunday”), we’ll have the chance to begin to make personal investments of our treasure in God through our church in the coming year through the sharing of either a physical or online commitment.

At the end of these four weeks, it’s my prayer that we’ll all have a better awareness not only of what we invest our lives in, but also of how we can do a better job making God our ultimate treasure through our living and giving.  Always remember that God loves you and I do, too!

Praying for Victims in Las Vegas

Kyrie eleison. Christe eleison. Kyrie eleison.

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

In the wake of the worst mass shooting in U.S. history, what can or should be said?  Words have escaped me most of today.  Like most of you, I am still in shock over how and why this happened.  While there will certainly be things we can commit ourselves to do and be about in the days and weeks ahead, in the meantime I simply want to offer two scripture passages that speak to me -- I pray they will for you, as well:

Psalm 130:1-8

I cry out to you from the depths, Lord -- my Lord, listen to my voice!

Let your ears pay close attention to my request for mercy! If you kept track of sins, Lord-- my Lord, who would stand a chance? But forgiveness is with you--that's why you are honored. I hope, Lord. My whole being hopes, and I wait for God's promise. My whole being waits for my Lord—more than the night watch waits for morning; yes, more than the night watch waits for morning! Israel, wait for the Lord! Because faithful love is with the Lord; because great redemption is with our God! He is the one who will redeem Israel from all its sin

Isaiah 43:1-5a (The LFUMC staff shared and prayed this earlier today as part of our weekly staff meeting) 

​But now, says the Lord—the one who created you, Jacob, the one who formed you, Israel:

when through the rivers, they won't sweep over you.

Don't fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; 
When you walk through the fire, you won't be scorched and flame won't burn you.
I am the Lord your God, the holy one of Israel, your savior.
I have given Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in your place.
Because you are precious in my eyes, you are honored, and I love you.
I give people in your place, and nations in exchange for your life.

Don't fear, I am with you. 

Here’s a few additional faith-responses and resources that you are invited to prayerfully read and consider:

--Responding to the Las Vegas Shooting, A Message from the Bishop of the Desert Southwest Conference of the UMC 

--After Mass Shooting Churchgoers Offer Help 

--Ways United Methodists Can Take a Stand Against Gun Violence