Today’s Scripture Reading (March 14,
2015): 2 John 1 & 3 John 1
The late
Oral Roberts has become a poster boy for image of Christian excess and
questionable fundraising. I remember in the 1980’s hearing Robert’s plea for
money (at the time it was a request for millions in donation funds) or else God
had said that Oral would be called home. It almost seemed like God was playing
the role of the great punisher and if we did not get in line with Robert’s
vision, although it is entirely unclear who was being punished – Oral by the
end of his ministry or us because we would no longer have Oral Roberts, God
would bring down his judicial hammer. The fund raising campaign sparked a
number of interested watchers fear that Roberts was suicidal and would take his
own life if fund raising goals were not achieved. There was even an unsubstantiated
rumor at the time that Roberts received the final sum toward his fundraising
goal from a non-believer who requested that Roberts undergo psychological
counselling before continuing with his ministry work. But whether or not that
actually happened, the view of the world toward Oral Roberts was of a man
obsessed by money and power – and because this was a prominent Christian
organization, the rest of the followers of Jesus were painted with the same
brush. Christianity was, and still is, often seen by the world as a money grab,
a ruse practiced by unscrupulous snake charmers out to take advantage of their
unsuspecting followers.
The
unfortunate thing is that there have been enough public failures, especially in
the financial arena and by various parts of the Christian Community, that even
Christians begin to wonder about the fund raising practices undertaken by the Church.
The truth is that the vast majority of Christian religious ministries (mine included)
operate on a small and tightly maintained budget. We work hard to make sure
that every dollar spent is making a difference and that the gospel of Jesus is
proclaimed. And there is no need for staffers to airbrush out our gold bracelets
and diamond rings (a practice that Oral Roberts staffers had to continually
perform on the publicity photos of their leader), we possess nothing (I wear a
gold wedding ring and that is all the jewelry I own) that needs to be airbrush
out.
For the
ministry that I am connected with, most of (if not all) of our fund raising is
done in house. In other words, the money that we use are raised from other
members of the ministry. Together we share what we have in order that the
gospel of Jesus might be proclaimed to the neighborhood and the world – and we
take pains to make sure that when we are out doing something in the
neighborhood, that there is no cry for money.
This seems
to be the intent that John has in his mind as he write these words to his good
friend Gaius. John wants to make sure the proclamation of the gospel is not
mixed with fundraising demands. The problem was that it is too easy to tarnish
the image of Christ with our own love of money. And John seemed to know that if
Christianity was simply seen as a method to raise money, the Christian Church
would die an early and gruesome death. Our priority as Christians is always
Christ, and nothing else can be allowed to enter into that realm. The
proclamation of Christ is for everyone, believers and non-believers alike. But
John is clear that fundraising is never to be done with those who do not
believe (those that this passage calls the pagans). Fundraising is always done
among those who believe, and are willing to sacrifice in order for the Gospel
Message of Jesus to be proclaimed.
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading:
Revelation 1
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