"Fear not!" We're talking about money…

There are a few topics that make most preachers shake in their boots at least a little. They tend to all have some close ties to our cultures abiding realms of taboo – money, sex and power. It strikes me as very intriguing – but off topic for this email – how often those three end up as elements in the same story in our culture. At any rate, I thought maybe one of those topics per week would be sufficient, so this Sunday we’re going to be on about money. More to the point, giving.

I really like the way The Table as a community has chosen to approach this matter to date. It feels to me like we’ve been direct, honest and integral in keeping folks up to speed on our fiscal realities, and have managed to stay clear of the sorts of manipulation that sometimes accompany this topic in a religious setting. One of my goals in preparing to teach about this topic is to continue those trends.

I suppose that is a round-about way of saying “Fear not!” about this coming gathering. For my part, I’m interested in trying to figure out a bit more about what the Bible has to teach us about giving (and so far, it seems to me like the biblical teaching is a remarkable combination of gentle and compelling), and also to have us learn from those in the community that have grappled with this in their own life and practice. So that’s generally where we’re headed – a bit of examination of the sacred text and a bit of story telling / story hearing. No “prosperity gospel”, no “magic formula for blessing”, no “if you want to behave like a church member, pull out your wallet” speeches. Just the people of The Table trying to figure out together what this aspect of the life of a community of God seekers and Christ followers might look like in our setting. Come and be part of the conversation.

Peace,

Tim

Just a reminder to come out for WJAC, a casual time of great conversation this Thursday evening, Feb. 17th  8:00 – 10:00PM at The Peasant Cookery 283 Bannatyne Ave.