As of September 2004, our family had attended church only sporadically since moving to Michigan, with Christine and the girls attending much more frequently than I had. But that began to change when Christine found Advent Episcopal Church (www.advent-church.com). (We felt out of place at the less-than- orthodox Episcopal church we previously attended, particularly when the rector led a prayer to raccoons and other of God's creatures.) Our first impressions of Advent were stunning. We found it to be a true community of loving Christians. It seemed like home.
Without being too dramatic, my life was changed the first or second time I attended Advent. Father Warner's sermon that day addressed issues of Christian stewardship -- the proper care and use of the many material blessings (financial, physical, mental, emotional) that God provides each of us. (My plan is to someday insert here a link to a transcript of this sermon.) Tithing had always been something I resisted. There were always so many seemingly valid and reasonable excuses not to tithe.
I don't know the people who run this church.
I don't know how they'll spend the money.
I don't trust them to spend the money wisely.
We simply cannot afford to give 10% of our money away.
As the spouse primarily responsible for the financial order of our family (or disorder, as the case may be), my thinking prevailed for years over Christine's desire to tithe. As a result, we rarely offered more than a nominal amount, $20 here, $100 there.
