An Acceptable Offering (Midweek Message)

An Acceptable Offering

Fr. Tony’s Midweek Message

November 21, 2018

As we come to the close of our annual Stewardship Pledge Campaign, I was struck by today’s first reading for Morning Prayer, from the last book of the Old Testament.  It speaks of the need to place offerings and sacrifices to God first in our priorities.  It criticizes priest and people alike who might want to do worship on the cheap, and thus “nickel and dime” the Almighty.  Here is how I translate the passage: 

An oracle. Yahweh’s word to Israel by Malachi.  Children honor their parents, and slaves their owners.  If then I am your parent, where is the honor you owe me? And if I am a master, where is the respect due to me? Thus says Yahweh of the heavenly armies to you, O priests, who despise my name. You say, “How have we despised your name?”  By offering polluted food on my altar. You say, “How have we polluted it?” By thinking you can belittle Yahweh’s table.  When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not wrong? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not wrong? Try presenting that to your governor; will he be pleased with you or show you favor? says Yahweh of the heavenly armies … O that someone among you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not kindle a meaningless fire on my altar! … For from the rising of the sun to its setting even the gentiles honor my name and everywhere offer it expensive incense, and offerings that are pure; for at least the gentiles honor my name as great, says Yahweh of the heavenly armies. But you profane my name when you say that Yahweh’s table can be polluted by making the food for it a second thought.  “How boring!” you say to me, with rude gestures, says Yahweh of the heavenly armies.  You bring me road kill or sick or lame animals you want to cull as your offerings! Shall I accept such things from your hand? says Yahweh. Cursed be the cheat who prays with a vow to sacrifice his flock’s finest stock, but then sacrifices to Yahweh some poor blemished thing; for I am a great King, says Yahweh of the heavenly armies, and the gentiles, at least, reverence my name  (Malachi 1:1, 6-14). 

Malachi argues that without careful intentionality, worship fails to serve its purposes of drawing us closer to God.   He protests the corruption of worship by priest or people who give it insufficient attention, and place it in low priority, far behind their desire to build their wealth and security.  Jesus took this critique further when he chased out the money-changers from the Temple and went after those who cheapened worship by turning a “house of prayer” into a “den of thieves.”  In both cases, the issue is intentionality and having the right priorities.   

Our giving to the Church is an act of community, where we draw nearer to each other.  It must not be an act of competition or objectification, where we draw away from others.  It must be an act where we take responsibility for God’s work, not where we try to take control of it.  

When all is said and done, it is about faith.  John Wesley used to inquire into the spiritual health of churches he had planted by asking them, has your faith affected your pockets?  If it hasn’t, then it probably is weak and feeble.   Again, this is a matter of priorities and intention. 

We at Trinity are a pretty intentional group of people.   People are invested in our community life and worship, and generally place it high upon their list of priorities.  Witness the growth of our Celtic Service, our Winter Shelter, the quality of our music and altar service, our pastoral care and social justice ministries, and the increased giving and pledging we have seen in the last few years. 

Thanks be to God.