The Spiritual and the Financial

Because of my involvement in the Finance and Stewardship Committees, I have often heard the complaint that there is “too much talk of money” in our church life at Emerson.  The idea that one’s religious life should be untainted by such “worldly” aspects as money can be deeply rooted.  However I do not think it serves us well individually or as a congregation.

I believe bringing our values to bear on our choices and actions in all areas of our lives is vital to spiritual growth.  This is at the heart of the connection between our religious lives and our choices about money.  How we chose to allocate our financial resources, at least in part, demonstrates what is important to us.   It has been said, “You can learn what someone values by looking at their check book.”  In this light, I find the financial matters of budgeting, spending, giving, and investing, all become spiritual practices.  The acts of discernment and allocation based on religious values work to elevate what could be mundane financial necessities to deliberate expressions of faith; much the same way mindfulness can transform a walk into a meditation.

I believe that nurturing spiritual growth is an integral part of Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church’s mission.  Therefore, it is imperative that we engage in conversations that challenge us to see if our choices and actions are in line with our values, including our choices that involve finances.  Talking about the financial realities of membership and congregational life should be as natural as talking about the challenges we face when we celebrate diversity.  Money is an integral part of our lives and our congregational life.  All too often, we act as if we are ashamed of that fact.

I believe that if we only talk about finances at annual budget time, if we do not make the conversation about finances a part of ongoing congregational life, we send the message that it is separate from the daily business of our lives.  Alternately, we can encourage others and ourselves to deepen our understanding of how money affects our individual and congregational lives by talking openly, naturally and often.  We can examine how our daily financial choices work to support the expression of our faith.

The Stewardship Committee is committed to engaging the congregation in this conversation.   We ` start by working our way through the following list of questions, in part adapted from Creating Congregations of Generous People by Michael Durall:

• We are not asking for a pledge.  The challenge is to become generous people.  How will our members react to this challenge?
• We will lead lives that go against the grain of the prevailing consumer culture.  Are we called to lead lives of dedication, commitment and sacrifice?
• Should members be asked to forego the purchase of consumer items, and make gifts that are more generous to the church or to other causes?
• Financial Stewardship is not just the amount we give to church and charity, but how we spend all our money.  Do we live our lives differently from those that do not share our religious values?
• Many churches give from 10 to 15 percent (some more) of their budgets to the less fortunate.  What is our obligation beyond our four walls?
• Should there be an expectation of yearly increases in their pledges as member’s tenure in our religious community increases?

I look forward to engaging in the conversation with you!

Billye Smith, Stewardship Committee Chair