Qorbanot & Today's Church

Leaven

The word "Qorbanot" was the name for the historic Jewish system of sacrificial offerings. The root from which it is derived means "to draw near." It is a fitting label. While it depicts the literal act of a giver bringing offerings near to God, its metaphor goes deeper. The Holy Scripture itself makes it clear that God intends that our giving would draw us closer to Him and each other. Use of that label helped teach ancient Israel that intent. I wonder how often such teaching occurs in today's churches.

What is our current context?

The observations noted below seem to suggest that Offertory Giving may have waning importance among practicing Christians.

Contemporary Christian Giving in the U.S.

Sample of headlines in the new millennium:

·        Christians currently give 2.5% of income; during the Great Depression they gave 3.3%

·        37% of regular church attendees don’t give money to their church

·        17% of American families have reduced the amount that they give to their local church

·        7% of church goers have dropped regular giving by 20% or more

·        Between 1990 and 2016 religious giving dropped by 50%

Christian Smith & Michael Emerson, Passing the Plate Survey (Oxford University Press, 2008), 154,151

o   59% of attending Christians believe the Church has no right to ask for specific amounts

o   If their church required 10% for “Good Standing Membership”

• 35% would move to a different church

• 16% would drop out of church life altogether 

Yet, in the midst of that context, church leaders often feel ill-prepared to disciple their congregants regarding their giving. So, we don’t talk about the elephant in the room.

Randy Alcorn, Money, Possessions & Eternity (Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, 2003), xii

o   Only 1-2% of Christian colleges offer classes on biblical principles of giving or stewardship

o   Only 2-4% of seminaries offer such courses

o   Only 15% of pastors feel properly equipped to teach the topic

o   Only 10% of churches have active teaching programs on giving

Modern church practices seem to suggest that the Offertory Process may have waning importance in worship as well.

Local Church Practices

·        What does the offertory look like in different churches? How is it conducted? What would it look like to a non-Christian? If I were a non-Christian visiting for the first time, would I observe visible signs of joy? Would it seem like a part of worship or an interlude? Would it seem like a time when people were drawing closer to God, closer to each other? Would it strike them as something in which they would want to participate?

·        Why do choirs sing, or church leaders speak during the offering in so many Christian churches? Shouldn't the act of offertory worship be able to stand alone?

·        How has the introduction of digital giving impacted this moment of public worship?

The goal seems to be to facilitate the donation rather than to provide a moment of self-reflective or corporate worship. The process is becoming more efficient but is it more spiritually impactful?

Neither our patterns of offertory giving nor our evolving offertory practices present a picture of us drawing nearer. A need for change is evident.

Opportunity for Growth & Change

This week consider a change in why, how or what you give that might draw you nearer to God or those He loves. Prayerfully make the change as a change of heart, not simply a change of routine.