I haven't been to church in a while cuz I've been traveling back and forth to my hometown for the past month and a half. Although I was home AGAIN this weekend, I felt convicted for opting to get on the road early to avoid the crazy azz traffic on I-95 rather than attending church with my fam. Yesterday, I decided to get my church on and I'm so very glad I did! The sermon was awesome!
The youth pastor spoke (he ain't no more than 25 or so, if that) and got the congregation into a Holy Ghost frenzy!! Everybody was on their feet hollering and hallelujah'n as he led us on to/in to Glory.
After the sermon, he invited folks to Christ. You know the whole "If you don't know the Lord God as your personal Savior..." People were still up praising and worshipping and flapping their arms above their heads thanking God for His grace and His mercy.
As people started to settle down (nobody came to Christ) the young preacher said, "I know this isn't for everybody but I'm challenging you to give a love offering to the church. I'm challenging you to not only be hearers of the Word but doers of the Word. I don't want you to just say that was a good sermon, instead I want you to plant a seed of thanksgiving and show the Lord that you are because He is! I wouldn't ask anybody to do anything that I wouldn't do. I'm a senior in college taking 18 credits and my car acting funny but I'm giving $100 and I'm challenging you to give. Everybody who will give $100 please line up in the center aisle!"
You could hear a pin drop. No more hand raising, no more praising, no more hallelujah'n. Nothing but a bunch of blank stares.
I'm not comfortable with whole center aisle thang because who needs to know that I'm giving $100? But I did as the young preacher asked. Me and my raggedy checkbook stood in the center aisle and asked Jesus to forgive me for five-finger'n (read: stealing) parking passes from work last week. I pray $100 will cover it! *sigh*
Durty
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Good blog! I'm gon find me a minister, member - somebody who agrees with this center aisle phenomenon and ask them what the point of it is. For real. Is God more pleased with your $100 than my $25 if I'm sacrificing more to give it than you are?! Even if it was the same sacrifice, why we gotta prance down the center aisle, or hold it in the air, or be called up to place it in the basket first and all the other nonsense? Show me in the Bible where that kind of thing is called for. *waiting*
Look how quiet the church got when he asked for people to take the center aisle. That CAN'T be a good thing!
I went to a service like that before. We had to stand in line, we were asked to give a hundred dollor love offering. I gave. But after that, it was like the minister keep begging. That bothered me, because everybody got in line to give. I was like, what if a person doesn't have $100...
Not that I don't love the Lord but uh I simply don't think the church should have a hand in telling you HOW MUCH you should give and especially not on the basis that it's what the next person was able to.
Girl, I'm so tired of fighting this one...I can't even touch it, but HEY!!! :)
LAWD HAVE MERCY!!! girl I'm not gone lie. I began to laugh when you said no more praisin, arms flyin LOL.. it was like all of a sudden soon as he mentioned money everything came to a screechin halt and the visual I got just made me LAUGH!!!
fantastic post and I'm sure that $100 more than covered the parking passes and anything else you did.. As long as you gave it with a clean heart then you are straight!
It's unfortunate how visiting preachers, or preachers who only get to preach at their home church airy-now-and-then, especially young ones, feel like they gotta go for the whole enchilada if their message was bangin'. Yeah, yeah, Minister Dixon, I know you gotta go as the Spirit leads you. I just think it's more your own ego that causes you to power trip and do an alter call, lead a song, have your entire family--in-laws included--stand up and be introduced one-by-one, walk up the aisles preachin' just 'cause you're wearin' a wireless lapel mic, have not one but TWO offerings just 'cause "the Holy Spirit is telling me that this church can do a much mightier thing!" (not to mention that it just happens to be the month when the "sons of the churh" get a percentage of the final tally, ahem), pray the greatest prayer that ever tickled God's ethereal ear, direct the choir over-top the actual director just 'cause they singin' your song, and then shed a tear for Christ at the end. Whatever happened to humility, brah?
This whole thing bothers me. Why did he have to say the money was a "love offering"...Christ aint gettin the money! Maybe those folks didn't have a c-note to spare.
You know the church folk talked about you for being the onliest one to go up there! LOL!
I'm so GRATEFUL for YOUR's and the youth pastor's transparency. Raggedy checkbook stuck to sticky fingers and funny-acting automobile and all. I know The Father was pleased with you, his daughter. People really urk me though. I'm not putting my mouth on the Pastor. If he was led, by HIS SPIRIT, to offer an offering amount, it is up to the person to obey THEIR SPIRIT and give what the spirit leads them to give. I know many times people don't always write their check out for the asking amount, but they still give. The church will cash the ones made out for $10 just as well as the ones with the extra zeros.
I believe that God knows what you can afford to give. Tithing yes but if you can't afford it, the Lord would not love you any less.
Church occurs when you have a group of folks together praising Him....not a building with High def screens and wireles capabilities.
God doesn't need all of that...he's God.
I love the Lord with every fiber of my being, and I enjoy going to His house to worship Him. But I don't enjoy being told how much to give. It's a beautiful thing to be able to give, but to be made to feel less than because the dollar amount of your sacrifice isn't what they asked for isn't right. There's no need to put everyone on front street and have them stand in the center aisle. Your intentions and spirituality can be good and strong whether you can give $100 or $10 or nothing at all but your time.
wow...what a powerful blog. I'm playing catch up and glad i didn't miss this one.
excellent excellent post
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