Father, Son and Spirit, I begin my day in desperate need of complete communion with you. Yesterday morning I had a great converstation at the Waffle House low bar with a couple regular customers. We talked about our faith, church attendance, and then then one of them brought up tithing. How his church struggles to get people to tithe. I shared with them one of my most powerful experiences on tithing.
“When David went home to pronounce a blessing on his own house, Michal, Saulʼs daughter, came out to meet him. She said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself this day! He has exposed himself today before his servantsʼ slave girls the way a vulgar fool might do!”
David replied to Michal, “It was before the Lord! I was celebrating before the Lord, who chose me over your father and his entire family and appointed me as leader over the Lordʼs people Israel. I am willing to shame and humiliate myself even more than this! But with the slave girls whom you mentioned let me be distinguished!” (2 Samuel 6:20-22)
Last night at our house church gathering in my home during our worship time together we sang the song “Gratitude.” The lyrics to the chorus of the song are:
“So I throw up my hands and praise you again and again
Cause all that I have is an hallelujah, hallelujah.
And I know it’s not much, vut I’ve nothing else fit for a king,
Except for a heart crying hallelujah, hallelujah.”
Last Thursday evening I went to the first Thursday monthly Kairos reunion service in the chapel inside of Limestone Prison. About 100 inmates attended the service. At the begining of the service the praise band made up of inmates led us in the song Gratitude. And as we sang the chorus to the song I looked around at all the inmates in the service. They all had their hands raised in in worship offering themselves to God. I was moved deeply as looked around the chapel knowing that these men, had absolutely nothing to offer Jesus. No collecdtion plate was passed among this congregation. They had nothing that is except, themselves, their very lives in complete offering of worship. It was a powerful “living” powerpoint video of the songs lyrics
Several years back I went on a mission trip for a month to Southern Darfur, Sudan. The area has been ravaged by years of civil war as the Muslims of Northern Sudan continue military attacks and raids of kidnapping and rape against the indigenousChristians of Southern Sudan. There are thousands of orphans in Southern Sudan. The Muslins would raid the villages and kidnap the women and carry them off to the north for forced marriages/sex slaves. The men in the village they would either kill or carry off as well for slave laborers. The children of the villages would flee and run off into the bush and hide, and come back out after the Muslim raiders left, now orphans.
These children are poor of the poor. Each child has only one outfit of clothing, and their only possessions are a small plastic bowl and a spoon, which they hold onto for dear life as it is the only way they receive food. If there ever was a group who’s life and childhood experiences could cause them to take on a “victim mentality” it would be these children. However they are not depressed or seeking pity. Instead, every morning they would line up at 8:00am. And they would sing! Out of their hearts in a body of absolute physical poverty would come the most amazing joy filled worship! They would sing an offering of their love for Jesus and thank him for all the blessings they receive from Him.
During my month there, I attended and helped lead the Sunday church gatherings held in a large grass roofed hut. When it came time for the offering, those attending the service had absolutely nothing of any monetary value to offer up, tithe, or put in a passing plate. So they offered up and tithed themselves and put themselves into God’s hands. As the time in the service for the offertory began, the ushers would move down the pews starting in the front sort of like we do in our churches and people would get up and leave their pews, walk down the side aisles to the back of the church and line up. Then as the drums beat and the congregation sang, each person would offer them selves up to the Lord in a dance. They would dance down the aisle spinning, and leaping in front of God and the congregation in an offering dance of all they are. When they got to the altar in front of the cross they would drop to their knees and bow in complete surrender and then return to their pew. This continued until the whole church did an offering dance. The followings Sundays I was there, I as well joined in and danced down the aisle in offering myself to God.
In the USA churches struggle to get people to tithe 10%. And what ever amount people put in the passing plate they feel justified from their giving. I just sit here and try to imagine how different our churches would be if every member, every Sunday danced down the aisle and offered all that they are to God. How different every marriage and family would be if families together led by their parents would dance down the aisle and surrender themselves together as a family to God. How different our communities would be if we un-shamefully danced together in front of the Lord and gave him all we are. How different our governments and nation would be if our leaders would say like David, “I am willing to shame and humiliate myself even more than this!” and dance and surrender their potion of leadership to Jesus.
My family, as we move towards Thanksgiving Day, I pray today during your time of devotion you will get up in you living room, kitchen, go out in your yard or go someplace, and simply but powerfully dance before the Lord and offer all you are up to him. It would be the most fragrant gift pleasing to him you could ever offer. And I pray your dance of offering would continue throughout your day. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share any reflections from this blog in the comments box below.
Gary Liederbach- Lead Follower
One Direction Community
Email: garyl@onedirection.community
Website:https://www.onedirection.community
Facebook: One Direction Community-ODC
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