St Luke's Church Eccleshill - Articles from "The Link"

Why I tithe

The Rev'd Tom O'Dell, newly appointed Priest-in-Charge at R E Lee Memorial Church, Lexington, Virginia, in their parish magazine "Cross and Crown".

Believe it or not, my pilgrimmage toward a life of tithing was punctuated by an exchange I heard about on the "Butterball hot line!" Yes, the makers of Butterball Turkeys have a toll-free number that people may call regarding any questions they have about the bird they have bought.

Here is the exchange I recall: a woman called in with this question: "We just emptied out our freezer and found a turkey that had been in there for 18 years! Is it safe to eat?" And the response: "Oh yes, it would be safe, but it would have a horrible taste."

"That's what we were afraid of," the caller replied. "We're thinking we will just give it to the church."

Years ago, when I first heard of this exchange, I was shocked. I was shocked and convicted, for I recognized in the woman's off-hand remark a reflection of my own giving to the church.

My pledge was simply an afterthought. An "expense" that I tacked on at the end of my budgetting process, after housing, food, etc. Something like country club dues or magazine subscriptions... . "Oh just put me down for the same as last year," I would tell the canvasser.

Then it occurred to me: "This is not what God wants!" God wants us ... all of us ... and he longs for our giving to his church to come from the very centre of who we are.

The ancient Israelites knew this. They responded to God's call to contribute the "first fruits" of their fields in the form of a tithe (10%).

The woman's comment hit me like a ton of bricks, and from that moment I became a proportionate giver ... one who gives to the church a predetermined percentage of one's income as a kind of "first fruits" offering to God.

By doing this, I began to express in a symbolic and very real way a faithful, thankful, response to the recognition that all I am and all I have comes from God. My first such expressions were timid: 3% in the first year; 5% in the second; 7% in the third; then 10%; then more.

This pilgrimmage towards tithing has been one of the most exhilarating of my life. It has freed me from the clutching idolatry of possessions, and it has opened my heart in new ways to the liberating love of Jesus. I share it with you ... neither as an afterthought, nor as an obligation ... but as an opportunity for personal and spiritual growth.

Grace and Peace. Thomas P O'Dell

John Hartley

	*St Luke's Church, Eccleshill - The Link* magazine** The Link is published monthly at 40p (Senior Citizens 35p), and we deliver free within the parish and post copies (at the reader's expense) to those who request it. Please contact us if you would like a free copy for a trial period. November 2001, Page 2.
Home Page. Index of articles. Money: index, All from you, Steward, Test me, Why money, Why I tithe, Off the top. In this issue: (November 2001) Vicar's Letter, Tithing, CW Books, Question.	Why I tithe The Rev'd Tom O'Dell, newly appointed Priest-in-Charge at R E Lee Memorial Church, Lexington, Virginia, in their parish magazine "Cross and Crown". Believe it or not, my pilgrimmage toward a life of tithing was punctuated by an exchange I heard about on the "Butterball hot line!" Yes, the makers of Butterball Turkeys have a toll-free number that people may call regarding any questions they have about the bird they have bought. Here is the exchange I recall: a woman called in with this question: "We just emptied out our freezer and found a turkey that had been in there for 18 years! Is it safe to eat?" And the response: "Oh yes, it would be safe, but it would have a horrible taste." "That's what we were afraid of," the caller replied. "We're thinking we will just give it to the church." Years ago, when I first heard of this exchange, I was shocked. I was shocked and convicted, for I recognized in the woman's off-hand remark a reflection of my own giving to the church. My pledge was simply an afterthought. An "expense" that I tacked on at the end of my budgetting process, after housing, food, etc. Something like country club dues or magazine subscriptions... . "Oh just put me down for the same as last year," I would tell the canvasser. Then it occurred to me: "This is not what God wants!" God wants us ... all of us ... and he longs for our giving to his church to come from the very centre of who we are. The ancient Israelites knew this. They responded to God's call to contribute the "first fruits" of their fields in the form of a tithe (10%). The woman's comment hit me like a ton of bricks, and from that moment I became a proportionate giver ... one who gives to the church a predetermined percentage of one's income as a kind of "first fruits" offering to God. By doing this, I began to express in a symbolic and very real way a faithful, thankful, response to the recognition that all I am and all I have comes from God. My first such expressions were timid: 3% in the first year; 5% in the second; 7% in the third; then 10%; then more. This pilgrimmage towards tithing has been one of the most exhilarating of my life. It has freed me from the clutching idolatry of possessions, and it has opened my heart in new ways to the liberating love of Jesus. I share it with you ... neither as an afterthought, nor as an obligation ... but as an opportunity for personal and spiritual growth. Grace and Peace. Thomas P O'Dell John Hartley
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