Budgets, Buildings, and Beyond
I Corinthians 1:1–9
Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you— so that you are not lacking in any gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the partnership of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
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Introduction
It's a new year and an opportunity and another opportunity for us to fix all our problems by writing them down on a list that we'll set aside, lose, and then forget about until next year when we do the exact same thing again. Unfortunately, however, the church isn't necessarily afforded the same opportunity. We create not only lists with financial implications but are given a set of spiritual tasks that come from God. And so we find that we must become experts in budgets, buildings, and beyond. The question is whether we embark on this calling alone or together with the help of others, trusting that God will lead.
Budgets
Speaking of budgets, I'd like to take a moment to talk about the numbers that make up a church. I know, I'm the first to admit that budget talk almost immediately makes my eyes glaze over, and my brain starts compiling an agenda for the rest of the day. However, budgets are essential, especially for a church, because they are moral and spiritual documents. Do you want to know what's vital to a church? Look at its budget and see how it spends its money. The same is true for its members and friends; budgets tell a story, a story of what we value and what we prioritize.
In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul doesn't talk about budgets explicitly (if at all). Yet, he does write to say that their collective selves make up the church. And not just one church, multiple cells, or collectives of believers, which would still require material support. Unfortunately, we've boiled the church budget process to such a sterile practice of scrimping every penny and stretching every dollar to the point where most church budgets don't look like any document that contains a spirit of mission or faith. Even in our budget, you won't find much regarding the record of giving to causes close to our hearts (and the heart of God).
Yes, we give money to Putnam CAP, the Gilead Food Pantry, Midnight Run, and so on, but none of that is in our budget. It's not a formal part of our giving as a church.What would it look like to discern and work towards a place where we could consciously add line items that reflect our missional purpose in the new year? What would it look like for us to be conscious about how we contribute our one mite (the giving of our all) and the giving of our budgeted time to the faith and faith community that we belong to so that we, too, might be called "saints together."
Buildings
Now budgets are only a piece of the larger vision. Because what good is a budget without a building? For even the early Christian communities required a place to meet. There was a need for physical buildings (whether it was a person's home or public space) and a need for spiritual buildings (the place in our hearts where we worship God). And Paul makes it a little more complicated in telling the church in Corinth that a) they have everything they need if they turn towards God and b) their spiritual home is going to include people they don't like or agree with on other matters. As if the cultivation of faith wasn't already tricky enough, Paul throws in two seemingly contradictory things.
Or are these things contradictory in regard to the infrastructure needed for the type of vibrant community of faith to which Paul is writing too? The building that houses the community of faith then and now is open to people from all walks of life. Republicans, Democrats, Episcopalians, Catholics, and Methodists. Just as we balance the use of our building(s) between spiritual formation and community outreach, the building of the church (faith community) is founded on the balance of welcome of all God's people. Paul doesn't just say "their Lord," he says "their Lord and ours." We are the same as those we fear, don't understand, and loathe. We, too, are looking for a building where we can place our hopes and fears before the living God.
Beyond
I know you've heard me say it before, but this year and today, we must evaluate our commitment to this body of faith and fellowship. It will not take on the same form. For some, it means they will focus on the means of providing resources and materials; for others, it will mean a focus on their budgeted time and spiritual devotion; and for a handful, it will be a consideration of their gifts of leadership and discernment. All the work we've done up to this pivotal moment was meant to lay the groundwork for living into what comes next. And it relies on a dedication to cultivating our spiritual selves so that we might strengthen one another so that none are lacking.
Conclusion
I leave us with words from the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who said at the Washington National Cathedral in 1968, "We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice." The early church knew that in the midst of everything else, their lives were guided by the long moral arc of God's love. It was love that sustained, provided, and issued a vision of hope for tomorrow. Each day we choose to lean into that arc, we learn closer to the words of Paul, who said, "by whom you were called into the partnership of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."