Recently, the pastor at my church talked about tithing. I haven’t yet this year. What’s that say about me?

Compromise is a basic tenet of life. Yet, in some things, we refuse to compromise. These inflexibles are different for every person. Part of the interestingness of it all is discovering what they are in yourself and others.

And then, if you’re my kind of person, try to get others to seriously confront their stalwart beliefs…you know, to help them fire-test their core values.

Esotericism (yes, I’m aware this is not the correct usage of the word; I like the way it sounds) aside, I’d like to talk about an old adage today. The proof is in the pudding.

I’ve been a Seventh-day Adventist Christian since childhood. Even now, most Sabbath mornings will find me and my young family in church. Since my son is old enough that he doesn’t like sitting quietly for longer than a minute or two at a time, I find myself skipping out on the main part of the service most weeks. Today, however, was unusual in that he decided to sleep during the church service.

Pastor Steven Jencks is a nice enough guy. His strength undoubtedly lies in the sermons he gives. What makes them attractive to me is his fervor — it is evident that he actually believes what he is saying, and, while talking to his congregation, he is also preaching to himself. He knows he isn’t any more perfect than ‘normal’ folk and is unashamed to admit it.

With the economy the way it is, it is no surprise that churches are having a more difficult time paying their bills. As his sermon progressed, Pastor Jencks turned to the topic of church finances. I have yet to find a situation that doesn’t mirror the 80-20 rule, and giving patterns at the church are no exception. My parents have always been uber-involved with church doings and so I have had access to inside information about who contributes and who doesn’t at various times throughout my life. Until a few years ago, I was in the 20-80 side of the equation. Now, I am not.

It is easy enough to say that I’ve got a family and they need to eat and have shelter and all that sort of stuff. Yet the point remains that if I say I am a Christian and am not nice to people, my faith is a joke. In the same way, if I go to church and think churchy thoughts, yet do not give a faithful tithe; I might as well have stayed at home and watched a smutty movie. Cognitive dissonance is a powerful force which can either motive or embitter a person. Which route will I take?

As a closing thought, consider the following. If an obese person really wants to lose weight, s/he’ll tell friends and family that s/he wants to lose weight. The positive peer pressure this creates may effect a change on said person’s weight. Tithe has always been portrayed to me like voting - both are personal business between you and your God/government. There is no need to discuss them because others may gain a glimpse into the real you.

Why did I make my thoughts part of the public domain?