Reflections on "Giving Made Easy" Malachi 3: 8-12; 2 Corinthians 9: 6-15

I found this to be an interesting sermon.  As I heard the texts for the sermon read, however, I thought of several ways in which the sermon could have been tied more directly to the text.  Again, a challenge when starting with the idea and then moving to the text.

Two weeks left in the iPhone theology series.

“Giving Made Easy” November 1, 2015; FPC, Troy; iPhone theology series; 2 Corinthians 9:6-15; Malachi 3: 8-12

Introduction:

• Connect2give
• MobileCause
• mGive
• Mobile Commons
• SumoText
• Mobile Giving Foundation
• Text-to-Pledge
• BidPal
• Accelevents
• Givebycell
• Egive

Have you ever heard of these groups? These are some of the groups that provide platforms for making donations by using your iPhone or Smartphone.

Because the iPhone is connected to the Internet, there are a variety of ways in which the phone can be used to give, just like using a desktop or laptop computer: give with credit card on a group's web-site; direct your bank to make a donation to a particular group; set up automatic withdrawals from your bank account; use bill pay to have your bank automatically send checks to the group to which you want to make a donation.

But, you can also text and give. That's right, by texting to a particular number, you can make a donation.

Stewardship meets the iPhone!

But does it make us better givers?

Move 1: Impulse giving

a. Powerful tool for giving.

1. consider that in 2008, the American Red Cross initiated its first Text 2HELP campaign. Initial results: $190,000USD raised through through 38,091 text messages to provide relief for victims of natural disasters like Hurricane Gustav and Hurricane Ike.
2. That's probably the first time you saw advertisements about giving through texting.
3. That same year to commemorate Nelson Mandela's 90^th birthday, is charity established a way for people to text in a birthday wish to Mandela and make a donation. $85,000 USD in July 2008 were raised.
4. Fast forward to 2010 and the American Red Cross effort for the Haiti earthquake relief – The American Red Cross has raised over $32 million within one month after the disaster, and has demonstrated the unprecedented potential for small text-message donations. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_donating

5. there are still questions about text giving – administrative costs; is a $10 gift less than you might otherwise get from a donor; etc.

       6. but texting and giving offers a powerful opportunity for giving

b. Typically, text giving is an impulse donation.

1. Catastrophic event somewhere; you see instructions for text giving; you give.
2. Or a special event like Mandela's birthday.
3. The immediate impulse to give is met with an easy opportunity to give.
4. When we read Paul's letter to the Corinthians, we are reading an old-school approach to impulse giving.
5. Paul wants to the Corinthians to be aware of the struggles of the persecuted Christians in Jerusalem, and he wants to move them to make special gift, take up a special collection to be given to eh church in Jerusalem.

6. If this were taking place today, we would see a commercial about the persecuted Christians in Jerusalem and then be told how to text a donation.

Early evidence is that text giving can be used very effectively at times for impulse giving.

Move 2: Can new technologies help us become faithful givers.

a. Easy does not necessarily mean better.

1. Just because text giving can be done in just a few seconds using our phone does not necessarily mean it helps us grow in our giving.
2. To use Paul's words: does text giving help us sow bountifully and give us an opportunity to reap bountifully?

b. From a discipleship perspective, the desire is to become a patterned giver.

1. To see our giving tied directly with our discipleship as one of the tools we have to help us grow in our faithfulness to God.

2. Giving as more than just an impulse to an appeal or obvious need, but giving as our faithful response to God.

3. that, of course, is one reason the commitment to tithing has historically been part of our understanding of giving.

4. The tithe has a biblical foundation, but it also establishes a goal and pattern for our giving.

100. can technology be a part of faithful giving?

1. absolutely.

2. My wife and I use bill pay for our giving.

3. twice a month, a check comes to the church from our bank account as set up by me.

4. The check arrives whether I remember to give or not;

5. the check arrives even if my wife is mad at the minister that particular week.

6. as we establish what our tithe will be for the coming year, we are able to utilize technology to make that giving happen.

7. compare that with the way I gave when I first was out of college and working. I had a box of envelopes (some of you still like to use envelopes!). I would set the envelopes out on a table and each week would use one. If I did not make it to church, the envelope waited until I did go. If I missed several weeks, I had several envelopes to fill and take to church. Of course, there was a huge temptation to just throw away the envelopes and start over if the pile of unused envelopes grew too high. Technology helps me avoid that temptation.

500. As we think about our faithful response to God through our giving, it demands more than a impulse giving.

Conclusion: Paul did not see impulse giving and tithing as either....or; he saw them as both...and.

The church in Jerusalem needed help, so he asked the Corinthians to give extra to the special offering.

As followers of Christ, he called the Corinthians to be faithful in their giving back to God and to see their giving as part of their calling.

Amen.