Reading for the sermon: "The Prime Scolder" by the Rev. Robert Thayer, Minister of the UU Church in Brockton from his book Offerings: Remarks on Passing the Plate. (Boston: Skinner House Books, 2004)
In the church's mission statement, it says "We stand today as a beacon of the courage, love and perseverance of all our members." I think that's a great statement. "We stand today as a beacon..." It sounds so hopeful. It says that we believe in ourselves. We believe that First Parish Church... a spiritual community that spans four centuries in Taunton... can continue to make a difference. This community of people here in this chapel makes a real difference in the lives of its members and friends and families. Standing as a beacon, it also makes a difference in the city and society around us. This spiritual community has made a difference in the past and can do so even more in the future as it continues to grow and flourish.
First Parish Church stands as a beacon in so many ways. Its mission statement celebrates that fact that the people in the pews... you here... aren't just passive recipients of ministry (mine or anyone else's), but are burning candles. You shine as lights of love and compassion as you care for each other in times of need... or celebrate with each other in times of joy. You shine as lights of generosity when you donate money or labor to the church as an institution. You shine as lights when you donate funds and serve people beyond these walls.
This congregation has shown itself to be a true beacon of courage and perseverance. When the future of the church was less certain, less bright, you had faith in the future. You stuck together, laboring through some tough times, until the church begin to change and grow and thrive again. Its light was made brighter by your faithfulness.
This community stands today as a beacon when it provides a safe religious home for the stranger, just as you were once strangers. It is here where people feel the fresh breeze of religious freedom when they walk through the doors and begin to listen to what we have to say and observe what we do. It is a place where no one is condemned for their questions about God and faith and spirituality. Here no one is forced to accept a creed and no one is rejected for their beliefs. Here no one faces rejection for differences in race or culture or sexual orientation. It is here where people of all ages are encouraged to explore and grow in their spiritual lives.
This church stands as a beacon of liberal religious values. It is here where your children are educated not only in Unitarian Universalism, but also taught to question, to think for themselves and trust their instincts. It is here they learn about religions of the world and are taught to be open-minded, although with a critical mind. It is here where they are taught to act with kindness towards each other and with generosity toward the world.
It is here in this church that the words "a different kind of trinity: freedom, reason and tolerance" bring knowing smiles to our faces and nods of agreement.
Now I have a question. How are this courage, love and perseverance that you have shown and show today reflected in your generosity to the church? Are you inspired by this wonderful church and its promising future to support it in your giving? I am not asking that you give until you feel the pain of sacrifice, but only that you give as you are able until you feel the joy of giving. For giving to a church or a worthwhile charity is a spiritual practice.
"How is giving a spiritual practice?" you may ask. Isn't a spiritual practice something like praying? Or cultivating a loving attitude? A spiritual practice is certainly those things, but it is also more. One church fundraiser put it this way, "A vital church that is relevant and compelling to those who are seeking God ... provides opportunities for worship, service and spiritual growth." You may not personally be seeking God, but you are here, I would guess, to find something inspiring, something greater than yourselves... whatever name you give it. But service includes giving. And this church provides you the opportunity of service every Sunday morning with the ritual of the offertory.
Actually, donating money has been recognized as a spiritual practice for centuries. There are more references in the bible to money and its wise stewardship than there are references to prayer. Jesus talked a lot about money, about acquiring it and about giving it away. Not that good people were supposed to live in poverty, but they were to have just enough to satisfy their needs. Both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament advocated wise stewardship of resources, but not greed and hoarding of wealth.
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is quoted as saying, "Sell your possessions, and give alms." (Luke 12:33) The most anti-materialist saying of Jesus is in the Gospel of Mathew: "No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." (Matt 6:24)
You know the old saying "You can't take it with you"? I think that's based on this passage in Matthew: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matt 6:19-21) Loosely interpreted, don't act like a greedy Enron executive, but have goodness in your heart, practice generosity and you will be blessed.
Many Christian churches and Jewish temples today are more straight-forward ... and successful... in asking for pledges than our own UU churches. Some Christian preachers speak of the joy of generous giving. They say that we think we possess money and other forms of wealth, but these are merely lent to us by God. Even our very beings, our bodies and minds, our talents and our interests, are gifts. And it's our responsibility to be good stewards of all these gifts. We are not to spend them foolishly, or to save them greedily, but to use them wisely. It is good to use them not only for ourselves and our families, but for the general good, such as charities and religious organizations whose aims we support.
More than a responsibility, using these gifts well is an expression of gratitude. The more traditionally religious might say, "Being a generous giver is a spiritual response to God's goodness." In more secular terms, we might say that it is natural for those who are loved to want to give love in return. We see this in the natural generosity of children who are loved and tenderly care for. Indeed, generosity is a sign of emotional and spiritual health in human beings. We feel good about giving because we possess empathy and know the happiness it brings to others. That is what is meant by the joy of generous giving.
Now down to brass (or golden) tacks. Am I suggesting a particular amount that each of you pledge for the coming year? No, not exactly. I've been given different advice... and sometimes conflicting advice on this issue. So here it is.
Some fundraising experts suggest asking for a range of 2.5 to 5.0 percent of your net income. This seems downright small when compared to churches that require a tithe or a tenth of their members' income. We Unitarian Universalist ministers like to mention those other churches, those conservative Evangelicals who require tithing, since it makes our request seem so modest and reasonable without seeming too cheap. We're still challenging you, but we're only asking a quarter or a half of what they ask for. And we're only asking that you give it freely out of your generosity, not demanding it as a ticket to heaven.
I've also been told to ask you to increase your pledge each year by a percentage equal to at least the cost of living increase just to keep up. That's about 3.5 percent for 2005. I think that's sound advice, but it works only if you're already pledging at a fairly generous level.
One expert told me that all these percentages confuse people. He said to simply ask for you to pledge $1,000 if that's possible. And less if that was too much. So if your not good with math, just think of that nice round number.
I've been advised to tell you what my husband David and I pledge to inspire you. Well, I tell you that we pledge $1,200 a year to this church. I'm proud of that, but I also know I'm fortunate to have a husband who's working at a well-paying job, far more than my own compensation as your minister. I'm not complaining about that, but I'm grateful for the two incomes in my family that make our generosity possible. (You can thank David when you see him.) And I hope my confession and honesty inspires you to stretch a little more.
Of course, we know that everyone's circumstances are different. You and your families have different incomes and different needs. I offer another handy little biblical quote from Paul's letter to the Romans, "We have gifts that differ according to the grace given us." (Romans 12:6)
Some of you are on fixed incomes or have health concerns or need to save for your children's college or need to save for retirement. We understand that. And know, too, that your initial pledge ... hopefully made next week at our Pledge Dinner... is not a binding contract. Your financial circumstance might change for the worse during the year. I certainly hope not, but it might happen. If it does, just tell Kim, who keeps the records, what your new pledge is and he'll change it with no questions asked. So don't be afraid to put down on the pledge form what amount you think you can contribute according to your present circumstances.
I do not want to scold or make you feel guilty. My appeal is to your heart and mind and I add to your generosity. May this congregation, the First Parish Church in Taunton, stand strong as a bright beacon of hope for many years to come. And may peace be with you.