Inviting People to Give and Serve

Liturgical readings from the end of the Church year include many from the book of Revelation. I must admit that I have had a change of heart about the Book Revelation. I used to think it was just a spooky book about the end times, but over the last couple of years, I have learned to appreciate the book and find spiritual nourishment. Recently, in reading through Revelation, I connected two passages from the book that can lead to a profound change in how we invite people to give their time and money to the work of the parish.

The first comes from a passage that is read on the Feast of Christ the King:

Jesus Christ is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves and freed us from our sins by his blood, who has made us into a kingdom of priests for his God and Father, to him be the glory and power forever and ever. Amen

Revelation 1:5-6

These verses remind us that Christ is King of heaven and earth. He rules and he reigns but he does not reign alone. He shares his power as he builds a kingdom of priests. Every baptized person shares in the common priesthood of believers. What do priests do? They offer prayers and sacrifices for the good of others. We give to God in our place of worship as an act of worship so that others will know the abundant life that can be found only in Christ. In union with Christ on the cross, we partner with God to bring more of his goodness and grace into the world. Our prayers, our financial offerings, our efforts can make an eternal difference in their lives. What an incredible honor that God uses us, his royal priests, to make an eternal difference in the lives of others. As priests, our sacrifices matter.

The second passage comes from Revelation and looks towards the final judgment.

Revelation 11:18 says:

The nations raged, but your wrath has come, and the time for the dead to be judged, and to recompense your servants, the prophets, and the holy ones and those who fear your name, the small and the great alike, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.

Notice the disparity. There is destruction to evil on the earth. God sends his wrath to wipe out evil. On the other hand, God brings recompense and reward to his servants, to people who have sacrificed for the good of his kingdom. As Peter Williamson writes in his commentary on Revelation, “People today tend to think of judgment primarily in terms of its negative consequences for wrongdoers, but 11:18 and many other biblical texts celebrate judgment because it means vindication and reward for God’s faithful people. God’s servants are those who belong to him completely and obey his will.”

For people who serve God through their gifts of time and treasure in this life, the judgment to come is a time to enjoy our rewards in heaven that we built up on earth. This is why we should wholeheartedly and enthusiastically encourage people to give their time and money to the Church. When we invite people to make financial offerings and sacrifice their time in service, we really want something for them and not from them. We want them to enjoy the eternal rewards that God has in store for them. We want them to enjoy the privilege of reigning with Christ. If as church leaders we don’t make this invitation who will? (As an aside I believe we should separate our asks for time and money and not combine them, but that’s another blog.)

The next time you invite people to serve in volunteer ministry or to give financially to support the parish do it with enthusiasm. You are offering rewards that no other organization can offer.

Rooting for you,
Tom