Kopp Disclosure
(John 3:19-21)
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I don't remember
much useful from
seminary.
It's kinda like
the old pastor with a growing church and no formal education told me just after
I arrived in town (Parkesburg, Pennsylvania) so freshly ordained with my
academic hoodie to serve a church that had been dying for a decade, "You
can't give away what you ain't got for yourself."
True...for
pulpiteers and pewsitters.
That's a big clue
as to why so many churches are closing shop.
It's worth
repeating...and then looking in the mirror: "You can't give away what you
ain't got for yourself."
Anyway, I'm
reminded of one of the few things that has stayed with me from those heady days
in seminary.
A guest preacher
in Miller Chapel caught my attention with this opening sentence, "A
trustee went to see the pastor because the church couldn't afford to pay its
bills."
I thought,
"Yo! This is Princeton, man! We don't talk about stuff like
that! We're into Barth, Rahner, Moltmann, and, uh, Chavez! This is
so...proletarian!"
We were and maybe
remain such arrogant little...
Well, he caught
my academic attention because he was so, uh, practical and I hadn't heard too
many practical things since...
Be that as it was and may remain, he
continued, "The pastor said to the trustee, 'I'm a
scholar/theologian/pastor and, ergo, I am only concerned with the
spiritual problems of the church. I don't concern myself with
financial problems. You need to talk to the rest of the trustees and
elders about this."
"The trustee
returned to the pastor after meeting with the other trustees and elders,"
he went on, "and said, 'Pastor, we have a serious financial problem in our
church. It's so bad that we may not be able to pay your salary!'"
The pastor asked,
"Why didn't you tell me it was that serious? But as you know, I'm a
scholar/theologian/pastor and, ergo, I am only concerned with the spiritual
problems of the church. You need to bring up this financial problem
at our next board meeting."
At the start of
the next board meeting, the trustee stood up and addressed the pastor,
"We've got a spiritual problem in our church."
I'll never forget
that.
Truth.
There are no
financial problems in churches; especially American ones.
Financial
problems expose spiritual problems.
Ouch.
Another quip from
that old pastor with a growing church and no formal education: "People
don't give a rat's ___ what Cyril of Alexandria said. They want you to
tell 'em what Jesus has to say about being one of His children."
O.K., that may be
true; but it could blow the posing cover off those...
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The preceding
came to mind as I consider our current renovation and expansion on the corner
of Lincoln and Main in Belvidere, Illinois.
Aside from the
tough economic climate, I've never served a church with so many financial
problems.
Uh, I mean...
Despite the
fidelities of many who get it/Him, our bills exceed our expenses so much that
we've had to almost exhaust our endowment to finish off the renovation and
expansion.
Good news!
No debt!
Bad news!
No $!
Or as I mixed
metaphors for a receptive elder on Sunday night, "We've been trying to
satisfy champagne diets on a beer budget."
That doesn't work
well with teetotalers.
Psst.
I'm talking in
reference to Acts 2:14ff.
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A friend who is pastor
of a poor church near Kansas City called last Saturday.
Overlooking/forgetting/ignoring/disrespecting the context of his ministry, I
whined about exhausting our endowment to pay the remaining bills of our
renovation and expansion.
We go way back;
so I anticipated some comforting and caring counsel.
Instead, he said,
"What's wrong with you? Where in God's name did Jesus ever say we're
suppose to store up treasures on earth like latter day Scrooges? Doesn't
your Bible include Matthew 25? And what about His confrontation with the
rich young ruler? You should be happy God is removing the sin of storing
up a pile of money so you can get your church more prepared to meet the
increasing needs of people in your neighborhood. It's not about money
anyway. It's about being missionaries in your community. Didn't I
read that in your bulletin the last time I was with you? Beacon!
Safe haven! What's wrong with you? Praise God you're being faithful
and using money for Him rather than stockpiling it like rich old..."
Ouch.
Repeat.
Ouch.
True.
As a matter of
recollection, the churches that I've served that didn't have financial problems
didn't have endowments.
Hmm.
That's gotta mean
something.
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Our Lord never
said money was the root of all evil.
He said the lust/idolizing/greediness/stinginess that
we often have for/about $ is at the root of all evil.
I look back at
our endowment - looking back 'cause it's almost gone - and realize I liked it
because there was always a cushion to pay salaries and pretend we were more
mission-minded than we are as we'd use interest off dead people's $
to...
I liked it
because I trusted it.
I trusted our
endowment for our security.
I trusted the
generosity of dead people to pay bills when expenses exceeded...
How, uh,
unfaithful.
Trust is suppose
to be in God alone!
Trust is suppose
to be in God alone through people who know trust is to be in God alone!
Psalm 62.
I may be wrong;
but the corner of Lincoln and Main is in for one of His greatest, uh,
disclosures/exposures in a Matthew 25 who's
your real daddy/Daddy kinda way.
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Advent 2011 is
more about preparing for His final advent as glorious King of
kings than celebrating His first advent as Babe of Bethlehem.
Part of the
preparation is stewardship of what He's entrusted to us.
Did He bless us
in order to put it in a bank for use at some later date?
Did He bless us
so we could gloat in the growth of our portfolio?
Did He bless us
to live off the interest?
Did He bless us
for trickles or rivers?
Did He bless us
in order to spend it, depending upon our frail human judgments, in ways that
will honor Him by being a beacon for Him and safe haven for His?
Did He bless us
in order to act like the antithesis of the rich young ruler?
Did He bless us
so we could say so gleefully with the young tart hawking electronic books on
TV, "It's more blessed to receive than give!"?
Did He bless us
to be safe in the harbor or...?
Did He bless us
to pick up fruit from the ground or go out on the limb for...?
I'm not sure.
Really.
I don't pretend
to have all of the answers.
I'm only human.
Yet I remember
another story about the stewardship of investments.
Matthew 25:14ff.
Paraphrased
punchline by Peterson: "Take the thousand and give it to the one who
risked the most. And get rid of this 'play-it-safe' who won't go out on a
limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.'"
Whoa.
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Question.
Which is wiser?
Storing it all up
for someone/something for some use, uh, later on?
Giving it all up
for Jesus now for
then?
I'm not sure; but
I'm gonna try to figure/pray it out before His next advent.
I don't want to
be on the wrong side of the, uh, ledger.
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Blessings and Love!
2 comments:
Bob:
As we know, and we are striving to teach to the people, the greatest investments we can make are into the Kingdom - His dear Church! Those investments are eternal. Praying more see this and don't hold on so tightly when it comes time to give to the work of the Lord. Remember Nehemiah - Lord, we will put your house first!
when we were about to launch our homeless/transitional shelter in town, fellow came to visit and asked if what we were doing would include single men -- said sure -- he hanged himself that night (there's one for my counseling abilities) and made our shelter the beneficiary --- about 1/2 million -- the shelter lived on it for a decade --- and the board took its eye off the ball, let the executive do what she wanted -- and the money evaporated --
best thing that ever happened to us... now she's gone, new board, and we have to earn it --
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