“The best way to cheer yourself up is to try and cheer somebody else up.”
Mark Twain
We can get so inward-focused, can’t we? If we’re not feeling right, if we get caught up in the world’s drama, we can get find ourselves in a downward spiral of doom and gloom. How do we get out of a deep funk? Cheer someone else up!
Asking for donations can be a tricky business. While there are many generous people, it isn’t hard to find someone who is reluctant to give for any cause. After all, you can’t squeeze blood from a turnip!
Where in the world, did, the phrase come from? When I did a search, it appears it’s one of those proverbs that came out of nowhere. I forgot that “you can’t get blood from a stone,” is a variation on this, I wouldn’t recommend trying to get blood from either one.
There was a time when giving at church was as easy as passing the offering plate down the aisle. But these days are different. Welcome to texting to give at church!
Of course, when a new technology appears, there is always someone trying to exploit it. When I thought about that, it led to this cartoon.
Granted, texting to give doesn’t allow for IOU’s. Because if that did exist, we know someone would exploit it. Rather, a donor’s cell phone carrier typically bills them.
Here is a good article on how text-to-give works for nonprofits and churches. The concept goes back to 2010 when the Red Cross raised funds for the earthquake in Haiti. At that time, the campaign raised $487.6 million for the cause.
Some of us would assume that church culture is not ready for text-to-give. But we would be wrong. According to the article I cited above, 96% of Americans own a cell phone today.
In churches, seven out of ten parishioners text. Those stats have changed dramatically since text-to-give was first introduced eleven years ago!
So do not fear! When it comes to texting to give at church, we have entered a new era. And you need not worry about the wise guy that formerly added an IOU to the offering plate!
I drew this cartoon for the November 2022 CHOGNews.
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
James 1:17 (KJV) from BibleGateway.com
Today is the first Sunday of Advent. I’ve written before how I love this time of year.
This holiday weekend, I’ve read about flash mob robberies. It is where a group of thieves organize themselves to rob a store. The number of criminals overwhelms store employees so that they get away with the goods through brute force. As a result, thieves take what does not belong to them There is nothing good about taking what doesn’t belong to you.
You can’t take a gift. No one can take what is already given. When a gift-giver gives something with no strings attached, it is a sign of goodwill and generosity. A gift isn’t earned. It cannot be taken. It is frequently a sign of affection and love.
I have witnessed love through generosity and affection this weekend. And I will witness it today as I go to church and get ready to teach elementary kids about how contentment can prepare our hearts to be generous no matter how rich or poor they are. We will say, “You can always use what you have to help someone else.”
Good and perfect gifts come with no strings attached. There is no emotional baggage or terms. Advent reminds me that a good and perfect gift is coming. It will change the world forever. While it’s true the world can still be a dark place, there is hope in a good and perfect gift.
May the light of this season illuminate our hearts as we realize we can be the recipients, and perhaps the patron, of good and perfect gifts.
“The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.”
Isaiah 9:2 (KJV) via Bible Gateway
Welcome to the wonderful world of contactless tithing! There are things we used to take for granted that has now been complicated by the coronavirus. It has also generated some new phrases like…
We are all looking for various ways to avoid spreading the coronavirus. One advantage of the Internet is we can do various tasks without the need to be in contact with anyone. It even makes it possible to tithe without darkening the door of the church building.
Hi-tech giving in the church has been around for at least five years. I drew a cartoon about five years ago about the awkwardness of giving online when the ushers pass around the offering plate. How can you say, “I already gave,” without being obnoxious? Well, why not have a t-shirt proclaiming your actions?
Of course, with any new technology, some find a way to misuse or abuse it like this cartoon shows:
Just like other businesses and organizations, churches are learning to adapt to new ways of operating. I have to admit, it is very strange to visit a church now and not have an offering plate being sent down each pew.
But I suppose it is just as weird to see the enforced distancing at churches as well as sporting and community events. It’s also an adjustment to see people worshipping with masks on. It’s become that much easier to sing along without knowing the words. Humming while participating has never been so much more attainable!
On the plus side, electronic giving has now come into the mainstream. It has been around for several years, but now it is a lifeline to churches that have congregants watching from home. A paper airplane may have a limited range for contactless tithing, but texting to give, by app, or through a web site are now great ways to keep participating while we wait for this season to pass.
This cartoon was published in the October 2020 CHOGNewsletter.
