Today’s
Scripture Reading (September 29, 2012): Leviticus 1
I have always been uneasy with the idea of selling tickets for things
that happen inside the walls of the church. It is not that I have never sold
tickets for church events. I admit that I have – for instance, there have been
certain youth functions that have happened inside the church that tickets have
been a necessary way of covering expenses. But at the same time, I have also
endeavored to make sure that it was not a lack of money that caused someone to
miss the event. I have always tried to find other ways of covering the cost in
extreme cases. But, still, the uneasiness continued.
There is a reason why church’s do not have (or at least should not have)
a cover charge. And it is not because that
then no one would come. It is because the idea of taking an offering – of paying
the dues or the tithe - has to be voluntary. We are not selling our services to
the highest bidder, but rather we are making them accessible to all. God will never
force us to be generous; he only promises us that if we are, he will bless us richly
in return.
And that was the way it was under the old sacrificial system. The people
brought their sacrifices freely - each man according to his wealth, offering
the sacrifice at the entrance to the place of worship. There were no provisions
for a temple tax collector to go out among the people and make sure that the
sacrifice was paid. It was a voluntary act of worship that arose from the heart
of the worshiper.
And this voluntary sacrifice would be the hallmark of true religion
until the Messiah chose to become substitute sacrifice that would end the need
for sacrifices. He laid down his own life, of his own accord (no one forced him
to do it) so that we could be truly free.
Tomorrow’s
Scripture Reading: Leviticus 2
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