Minister's Memo
FIrst Unitarian Church of Worcester, MA
November 10, 2010

As our prayers end in the weekly service, the minister calls for the offering by saying "Now the morning offering will be given and received." The ushers then walk forward and the minister sends them forth into the congregation, collection plates in hand, with these words: "May our gifts be acceptable in the eyes of God."

At least that how it was done when I arrived here in 1999. And over the years since, Rev. Merritt and I have fiddled and jiggled with those phrases but always within that general framework.

From the very beginning, I sensed a little odd discomfort with that phrasing. A little disturbance in the Force, a Jedi Minister would have said. A tiny sense of disconnection and resistance. People, otherwise, seem to be in the flow with the rest of the service. They appreciate our covenant and they do want that "songs of faith and hope will arise, from all that dwell below the skies." But I could feel this little clunk when I would pray that God would find our gifts acceptable.

It's a little blip, and then the choir starts to sing and all is well again.

But then, over the last 10 years, I have noticed some other things.

First Unitarian Church, it seems, on a per member basis pledges at a lower rate than almost all other successful UU churches, even here in New England.

The pledge campaign is comparatively slow here; the pledge cards dribbling in for months after they go out. The pledge card is short and easy to fill out, yet people seem to file their income taxes more quickly.

People don't like fundraisers because they are asked to pledge; yet people don't pledge as much because we have so many fundraisers anyway.

But what should we expect: right in the Sunday morning worship service, when we come to the point that we gather up our money to do the work of the church, we do not inspire our giving with words that make sense to ourselves.

The offering liturgy "clunks" because it expresses our negative attitudes about giving. Our words sound like we are being forced to give a Christmas present to a boss we don't like. The boss is easily offended, and even angered, by a gift that does not meet his unknowable standards. So the best plan is to buy as inexpensive gift as you think you can get away with, wrap it up, slide it into the pile and pray that it is acceptable in his eyes. The words sound fearful.

I give to the church, and elsewhere, to pool my gifts with others to create something of pleasure and benefit, for me and for others. I can see the benefit and pleasure that my gifts to the church help create: a welcoming worship service of reflection, beauty and challenge, a program that awakens the faith of children, a network of people brought into caring and trusting relationship.

Faith tells me that even though the organizations to which I give are filled with people no better than me, together we can create something more than what I could do alone. If we make ourselves available, God will use us and our gifts for good. Or at least that is how the Universe seems to work.

I am start using new words to inspire our offering. I will try to inspire us with words of hope not fear. It will take a while to get these words right, so I invite your feedback and reflection. I will start this week with a new phrase:

"Through our gathered gifts, may we create a blessing for the world."