giving

When my spouse’s church became more affirming, the major givers left.

Deuteronomy offers instructions for what to do after not 40 days but 40 years of wandering.

The new givers are great. Their comments about why they give are even better.

I gave the woman a Dunkin Donuts gift card and told her to get something hot. She didn't thank me. She said, "Those mittens look warm."

My files are full of stewardship sermons. So it came as a shock when people would say, “We know you don’t like to talk about money.”

Docetic offertory prayers imply that the money inside the envelopes in the offering plates is unimportant, even embarrassing.

Most fund-raising board meeting discussions, when stripped to the core, become one common, persistent question: "How can we persuade people to give more?"

People who are satisfied and content do not seek Jesus—only those who know there is something missing from their lives.

Why does Paul resort to both shame and pride to raise money for the Jerusalem church?

The widow tossed the only shred of independence she had into the offering plate, but she kept intact her complete dependence on God and neighbor. She is our spiritual mentor standing there on the margins of all we hold dear. Her way is a life of faith grounded in the love of God, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the communion of the Holy Spirit. It’s a life lived in the conviction that we are stewards of all we have in our hands and our lives, not the owners of these things.