Day 49 -- Churches and Money

I go to church most every Sunday.  Not meaning to be preachy or self-righteous, I believe there is something good for my soul and helps me remember why I am a Christian by showing up at the specific building/church I am a member of.  This Sunday morning, however, I had a scheduling conflict (which ended up being absolutely wonderful for those of you who were also there) preventing me from going to my normal church at my normal time. Instead, I went with a friend to her church which I think is an important thing for us Christians to do from time to time.  Mind you, it’s not like I’m going to compare necessarily – I try very hard to silence the voice in my head prone to say things like “My church does…better,” “Or this church is way better at…” either thing can be very damaging in the same way there would be little or no good coming from a married person pursuing e-harmony to compare his or her respective spouse against current models. 

The topic at this undisclosed church, which I know will make most people nauseous as it is perhaps one of the most stereotypically unpopular topics at not only churches but in most circles, was MONEY.  The pastor handled the message well which I believe for the most part has been the case in my tenure year of church attendance.  I might very well be the one person who thinks it is an appropriate thing to cover from time to time.  He really didn’t, for those of you who the thought of a pastor talking about money is immediately repulsive, cover the whole give more money vane.  He shared his church was in the black (that is the good color to be in terms of balance sheets, right?) ending 2008 slightly ahead.  Something he claimed, and I believe him, was unheard of for churches these days. 

Instead his point was more along the lines of simply living within one’s means which I think is a very apt message given the current financial crisis our nation is finding itself in.  One might argue the heart of the problems we are in come precisely from societal indulgences and the lack of discretion (I recognize I am oversimplifying). Certainly, as individuals facing great financial uncertainty, a proverbial dose of tighten the purse strings couldn’t hurt.  He rattled off a statistic something to the effect that the average percent of personal savings in America in 1960 was 7% whereas today it is -2%.  Yes, we collectively spend more than we make a trend it doesn’t take an economist to recognize will end up in disaster. 

Why is this?  Have we become mindless lemmings who believe our sole worth to be nothing more than what we consume?  Do we so desperately want to chase after the American dream (or whatever other dream we are seeking) we have to buy things to convince ourselves how good life is?  Does life have no other purpose than spending money?  What can be said for altruism, virtue and at the very least the integrity of living within one’s means?  Or in global terms – what about stewardship?  Are we spending our inordinate amount of the world’s wealth at Pottery Barn?  Mind you the pastor didn’t go as far as I am taking it – his main point was live simply and within your means