One of the first speakers I ever heard on the subject of giving—at a time when “stewardship” was an unfamiliar word in the Episcopal Church—said that Christians shouldn’t make donations to the church out of a sense of duty. Nor should they tithe because they felt guilty if they didn’t.
Rather, he said, Christians should make their offerings from a sense of gratitude for all that we have received from a loving God. We should give because we are thankful; we should give because we enjoy the fruits of God’s creation.
And not only is this the right attitude. It also feels better! —J. Douglas Ousley
Tags: Manhattan church, spirituality