Church Practice: What is Contributing Considered To Be?

Colossians 3:17 “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”

Matthew 4:18,21  “And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers….And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.”

Yesterday was quite a sorrowful day for us.  In my previous post I said that my husband and I were “taking a break” from our chapel, and yesterday my husband had a visit from one of the elders.  Before I state what happened at one point, let me say that my husband has a real problem speaking in front of a group of people, he has had this for all the almost 29 years that we have been married.  Rather he chooses to be a helper behind the scenes, whatsoever and wherever he is asked.

With this in mind, at one point the elder told my husband that he did not “contribute”.  And I am dumbfounded because according to the verses quoted above, what is contribution anyway?  “whatsoever ye do in word or deed”   Jesus saw Peter “casting a net”  and he saw James and John “mending their nets”..  I heard a wonderful sermon years ago which I have never forgotten because the speaker said that Peter was the outgoing one, the vocal one while John was the encourager, the quiet one.

And so I go back to the fact that the elder told my husband that he did not “contribute”..  well, that is true that my husband, at breaking of bread, did not read from his bible, nor pray by himself, but he did give out hymns on occasion.  But besides that he was always out the door very early in the morning in all kinds of weather all year round driving the 20 minute drive to another town to pick up some bible school students at the ferry.  He was always the first one at the chapel, putting out the emblems, the bread and the cups.  He took them into the kitchen afterwards.  On Saturday mornings he was out of the house before 6:00am to drive to the chapel to help get ready for the morning men’s prayer breakfast.  He helped take an old library apart and convert it into a beautiful new bathroom..  and many other things I have not mentioned here.  So again, it boggles my mind that this elder said that he did not “contribute”..  My goodness, by their fruits you shall know them.

So I say to you, dear reader,  if you are in a church, and you are not comfortable speaking in front of a group, be encouraged by Colossians 3:17 “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”  And don’t be discouraged if you are accused of not “contributing” by someone who should know better.

As for us, we are looking forward to breaking bread tomorrow morning, just the two of us but there will really be three because the Lord Jesus promises in Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”