I have been worrying about money lately. It’s January, and that means budgets. It’s a challenging year for everyone, and that trickles down to the places people support. Tough decisions have to be made. Cuts and compromises. This is no different than we do in our own homes. But in a space that holds diverse needs and priorities, and every decision has pros and cons, things can get complicated. It feels like there is no good decision. And that is because there isn’t.
It isn’t anyone’s fault. I know some of my beloved clergy colleagues are taking this year hard. Church leadership feels extreme pressure to make everyone happy. But no one thing or one person caused global economic crisis, a pandemic, and the anxieties and griefs all the changes of the past 3 years brings. And there are no easy ways to fix the consequences.
Of course this calls to task our faithfulness. If we trust God enough certainly all will be well. But that is not what God promises. God promises to be with us in all things, good and bad. God promises to love us no matter what. Trust in God is never misplaced, but using that trust to sway God to a particular outcome is probably not a good strategy. All will be well. It is just not clear how.
My spiritual director asked me what this all means in terms of our (my) spiritual life. And I deeply believe that where we will be judged is by how we treat one another. Civility is the lowest bar. Will we really listen to opposing views? Will we treat with respect people with whom we disagree? Will we believe in each other, that we all want what is best for our beloved church? Will we love one another, and those whose lives we impact, as members of the Body of Christ?
I’m not sure what the answer to our money problems will be but I know that we need to build a foundation of growth and abundance, an attitude of respect and a genuine discernment of God’s will. We will have money issues every year. It’s the nature of church life that hard decisions always have to be made. I feel blessed to be wrestling with these hard questions with people who are kind and caring. If we take care of each other, the church will be fine.
Holding my church and your church in prayer during these challenging times.