In my sermon last Sunday, I shared a quote commonly attributed to Martin Luther: “There are three conversions necessary in the Christian life: the conversion of the heart, the mind, and the purse.” I then shared my own conviction that the first two are never complete without the third.
To me that conviction is at the heart of the rationale behind Consecration Sunday. Faithful stewardship of our finances, including the portion that we render back to God through Christ’s church, is a necessary component of spiritual maturity. Indeed, I’ve come to believe that the single best indicator—not determinant, but indicator—of the level of a person’s maturity in the Christian faith is their giving.* Growing ever more faithful in our stewardship of the resources God has entrusted to us is a necessary, though not sufficient, condition of continuing to mature in our faith. Consecration Sunday serves to remind us of the necessity of giving—not for the sake of the church, the body of Christ, as a whole, but for our sake, as individual members therein. By helping to prompt growth in our giving, Consecration Sunday helps us, as individuals, to grow and mature in our faith.
I am learning to preach, to teach, and to talk about financial stewardship without embarrassment or apology. I’m learning to proclaim the necessity of faithful stewardship without worrying about what people (especially first-time visitors) will think. I’m not there yet, but I draw closer every year.
*There are other indicators, of course. Other disclaimers: I believe it’s possible that there are people who are growing spiritually, but still giving sparingly. I believe that there are people so wealthy that even a very high level of giving does not require much sacrifice and therefore may not indicate spiritual maturity. I’m quite certain that there are people who practice giving at a high level, but are not spiritually mature. In addition, I should note that our financial support is not the only way we are called to contribute to the cause of Christ and that the mix of time, talents, and treasure may vary from one faithful person to the next. We are called to give of what we have, not of what we don’t.