Please power off cell phones in the temple! You may think it's important and that you can't be without it, but you will survive.
Acquire and cultivate a spirit of Hesychia
Tithes and Offerings in this local parish
This letter responds to those who, while closely attached to us, have questions regarding giving.
How can I contribute to the maintenance and growth of this local parish? This is a very responsible question to ask. In fact, the question of money is no less a matter of faith than other questions that may be asked in this Holy place. As Orthodox Christians, we believe that piety has to do with rightly worshipping and knowing God. We believe that we can know that our sacrifice is acceptable to the Lord because He has made His way known unto us. When it comes to what we call spiritual issues, we rightly hasten to the scriptures and the works of the Holy Fathers. We believe that our experience as the Body of Christ is relatively uniform and that the holy fathers can answer our questions. At least when it comes to what we call “theological” or spiritual issues. Somehow, when it comes to the issue of financial support, many believe they are free to give or not as they see fit. But isn’t this a strange and seemingly arbitrary distinction? Is it correct or even safe? Isn't how we use our money a spiritual issue?
Consider how many times in the Scripture alone we are taught by lessons that have money and its proper use at heart. You might say that money and the relationship to it constitute a central teaching of our Savior. So why, when it comes to what we do with our possessions and especially our money, are we reluctant to allow the Scriptures and teachings of the Church to inform our thinking?
It’s probably safe to assume that you want a Church to go to regularly. A place to worship, receive the Sacraments, and raise your family. Most of all, you want it to be available for you whenever you need it. Presumably, you want it to reflect the highest level of beauty, order, and quality so that it speaks truthfully about the God worshipped there. And it wouldn't be stretching things to say that you want to have access to a priest whenever the need be. None of these things is available without someone funding them. However, the Church is not a human organization, and She does not operate according to the terms of worldly businesses.
The maintenance and growth of the Church are the result of the Worship of the Church! One of the ways the Orthodox Christian worships is with money, tithes, and offerings. This means the maintenance and operation of the Church is an act of worship. And the growth of a parish demonstrates and reflects the dynamic of self-sacrificial giving of tithes and offerings. In the same way, there is a relationship between the spiritual life of each giver, exemplified either by freedom from attachment or a miserly clinging to one’s money.
What is a tithe, and how is it different from an offering? A tithe is the giving of 10 percent of one’s income. The tithe was given in the Old Testament (as a matter of fact there were tithes), its practice is ratified in the New Testament and confirmed by the Holy Fathers. All Christians are obliged to give the tenth or tithe, as a minimum requirement, to the Church. This makes possible the above-mentioned place of worship, the clergy required to celebrate the services, not to mention books and all the other things necessary for Orthodox worship. The tithe is obligatory. This is what differentiates a tithe from an offering. An offering is not required per se, but is above and beyond the tithe. An offering is what someone gives who has satisfied the requirement to tithe, and because of gratitude or some other motivation, desires to give more. While the tithe is dependent on the income of the giver (10 %), the offering is not (as much as desired or possible).
Who should tithe? Anyone with an income. In our parish, we simply lay this teaching down and expect that people will embrace it. We try to make it easy to begin by stating that your tithe may come out after your taxes. This is a concession to our weakness, but we feel that it is necessary given the inflated gouge taken out by our inflated federal, state, and sales taxes. If your household has one income, that income is the basis for your tithe. If more than one, each income forms the basis of a tithe. Everyone from the priest to the teenager with a summer job is required to tithe. For those who may be nervous about getting started tithing, we can assure you that God will not, because of your giving, cause you to suffer. Also, because this is how we operate as a parish, you will know that your sacrifice is acceptable. In other places, different practices may work best. For our parish, this is the best model to follow. As we often say, what is most important is that we act with one mind and heart.
The offering, on the other hand, is a way for the thankful heart to express itself! That means that the amount is unregulated. The offering can be included with the tithe, but it does not replace it. Where the tithe is required for regular operations and maintenance, offerings represent our acknowledgment of God’s kind providence and the blessings He pours out on us!
When, or how often should I tithe? The frequency of giving the tithe is not as important as the faithful giving of it. It is quite common for the faithful to give on Sundays. This is a good discipline because it establishes good habits. It happens that someone will miss a Sunday or a service where they intended to give. Since we never pass around a plate or take up a collection, we expect people to be responsible for themselves. This is not a problem because the tithe is based upon one’s income and not the frequency of their visits to the Church. In other words, you don’t tithe only if you attend a service, or, maybe more clearly, you still tithe when you are absent. It is a simple math equation. If I make $40,000. after taxes in a year, I owe (it is a spiritual obligation) $4,000. Since we never pass around a plate or take up a collection, we expect people to be responsible for themselves.
I should also mention Gifts. How is a gift different from a Tithe or an Offering? Historically, the faithful have brought gifts to the temple that enable the services to be performed. These gifts include wheat, wine, and oil, without which, the services are nearly impossible. At our parish, the faithful bring these gifts that become the building blocks of Orthodox worship! Other gifts include charcoal and incense, and cleaning products. At times, gifts are acts of service as well. Matushka and I are always blessed when others show up early to help clean the church. When these kinds of gifts are brought, the quality of liturgical life blossoms in tandem to the closeness of the community!
There are lots of articles one could read that would improve upon what is said here. I am only trying to answer one question: How can I contribute to the maintenance and growth of this local parish? Some, who came from countries where there was a state-funded church, as in the former Soviet Union, may never have heard of these things. They may believe that this is an American or a protestant teaching. They should be reminded of the famous Church “of the Tithes.” This famous Church, known throughout the former Soviet Union, was built with money given by the great St. Vladimir. It was built through tithes! Still, others, who come from protestant or other backgrounds, may be surprised to learn some of the theology behind these practices.
The bottom line is this, we do not live in a society where the Churches are supported by the state. Often, they are supported by the Clergy who serve in them! In our GOC, many of our clergy work full-time jobs in addition to serving without pay. The tithes they collect include their own. Let us be inspired by their faithfulness, by the faithfulness of those who consider everything they have as belonging to the Lord! We should ask God to help us become Orthodox with our finances.
