your
article on Money and the Church had me both
rattling around in my past and ironically looking at
the present. In my 40+ years as a church member, I cannot
remember when there has ever been stated that there was
enough money to cover all the various needs of a parish.
I both have been and currently am unemployed and have
been put in the uncomfortable position of being convicted
in the course of more than a few Stewardship Sunday sermons,
past and present.
As
someone wanting to be a good steward, I felt very guilty
about this and had a talk with my rector. (This back
in the early 1980's.) He assured me that God understood
that I needed to make sure I kept a roof over our head
(I was married) and enough to eat. There were other ways
of giving than cash. As I was able to, I gradually came
to consistently give (nearly) a tithe in my last years
at that parish before I moved away this past spring.
But in the interim I gave by being an active choir member
and musician involved with both church and community.
I gave by penning a mass setting that was singable and
giving it to my director; we used it for years and years
until even I was tired of it. I became involved in Stephen
Ministry for as long as the program was promoted. I mowed
the (substantial) lawns with a push mower and trimmed
hedges the times I wasn't working full time. Later on,
I was integral in getting a decent sound system installed
in our sanctuary and helped train operators. I helped
with Shrove Tuesday pancake suppers, usually over a hot
griddle. I even taught a bit about C.S. Lewis when called
upon to sub for the current lecturer when she was called
out of town. I cleaned toilets, vacuumed carpets, raked
leaves, hauled trash. Later on, I was asked to serve
on Vestry and did so. And did even more.
I
state none of this to brag; far be it from me to do so.
I state none of this to sound like a long-suffering martyr
either. What may have started as servanthood had instead
turned into the Joy of Doing. Like many things, the Joy
is only seen in hindsight, though I admit that there
were often glimmers of it while immersed in the work.
I would guess, based on my 30 years of experience in
one parish and as a vestryman for one term, that the
biggest problem facing parishes is not necessarily the
funds (though these are often scarce indeed) but volunteers:
people willing to sacrifice their time and talents, not
just their treasure. In my previous parish, there seemed
to be the same 20 or so people who did the bulk of the
volunteer work. These were people who cleaned, fed, taught
Sunday School or Adult Ed, sung, played the piano for
midweek gatherings, answered phones, and all the innumerable
little tasks that are involved with not only running
but “being” a parish. And, I might add, think
nothing of doing so, people, who at the end of their
service would only say, "we have only done what was expected
of us." There are more ways to grow the Church than
just throwing money at it.
I
find myself again unemployed (temporarily, I hope), and
again, unable to give financially to the support of my
current parish. But the work continues. I'll continue
to sing while I have breath (and a decent sense of vocal
musicianship), play while my lips can form an embouchure
and my fingers can work keys or fret a bass guitar. God
has far more richly blessed me with talents than He has
with wealth and there's where I find my tithe and give
it back to Him, who has freely given to me. And as I
am able, I will give financially when and as I can, as
He blesses me to do so. But in the meanwhile, there's
always work to be done. There is my heritage, the valuable
heirloom that has been handed down to me from others.
Robert
Frederick
Church of the Ascension and Holy Trinity
Pueblo, Colorado, USA
9 August 2010
