Money Questions

Today, Pastor Amy and I had a conversational sermon on money. Or more to the point, it was on the worry, stress and power money has in our lives. It is so hard to have a genuine conversation about money. Many assume if clergy are talking about it they are just trying to get more more money for the church. This is understandable since part of our responsibility is to help make sure the ministry we share is adequately funded.
But there is a desperate need for a honest faith based conversation about money. So much of our life is impacted by the underlying assumptions we have about ourselves, our future, our security and our worries as they get lived out in our financial lives. The passage for today from Matthew 6: 24-34 that we read in church speaks of our inability to serve God and wealth. It called us to not live with worry. It also suggested God will provide for our needs. But I have worries in my life. I am not always at peace when I think about the financial picture of my life or the church I love. So how can I find the peace and joy of this passage of scripture and set my mind and soul at ease on every aspect of my life, including my finances?
This coming week, I hope we can have a conversation about faith and money.
I will share what we considered this morning. John Wesley suggested a template for Christians to follow for their financial lives. He said, "Earn all you can, Save all you can and Give all you can". If you want to read his sermon on money, you can find it here:
http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umhistory/wesley/sermons/50/ (Be aware it is written in 18th century English)
The power in his message is the integrity of how our faith in Christ is demonstarted in both how we earn our money, how we save it and give it. Faithful discipleship can be reflected in how we earn our income. The telling question is does the way we earn our income bring us peace? Are we injuring our health, our spirit or our relationships with others? Does our work reflect the integrity of the faith we desire?
As we strive to save, are our purchases in balance not only with our income but also our life as stewards of God's intent for life? John Wesley challanges us to consider if what we buy reflects genuine Christian character. Are we honoring God with our purchases? Are we pleasing instead the desires of our eyes, stomach, whims? Are we trying to impress others or keep status instead of reflecting balance and holy perspective?
Giving is both the inevitable fruit of our faithful stewardship and the foundation. Wesley rightly assumed Christians would want to invest in the kingdom work of God. But even that is expected in balance to the rest of our lives and the immeasurable grace we receive from God.
Some have taken this threefold mantra of Earn all you can, Save all you can and Give all you can and put an equation to it. It is live on 80%, save 10% and give 10%. More on this tomorrow.