Am I now currying favor with human beings or God? Or am I seeking to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ.
Saint Paul readily boasted of his freedom to preach the gospel as he understood it. We celebrate his willingness to tell it like it is, regardless of who liked his message and who despised it. He had the energy and the courage to walk away from any town or village that refused to hear his word. He didn't seem to need their support, and when he did they readily provided it. He never failed to thank them for that.
The Church, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, canonized the saint and his writings. He made it sound easy to faithfully preach the gospel regardless of the sacrifice.
But it's not so easy when a parish, hospital, school or social agency depends upon the financial support of benefactors, friends and family. It's even more difficult when the institution relies heavily on one wealthy donor. There may be salaries to pay, infrastructure to maintain, insurance and taxes, operating expenses, plus the goods, services and money that are distributed to the needy. Ministers are sorely tempted to curry favor with their donors.
As the director of a retreat house in Minnesota, I encouraged people to choose a charity and commit to it. Do not donate to everyone who asks. Rather, ask the Holy Spirit within the sanctuary of your own heart which causes you should support. Most donors, remembering a particular tragedy or calamity they have suffered or witnessed, choose a charity that responds to it. Others will support a church or school dear to their hearts.
I encouraged people to commit to that charity, get to know its staff, read their literature, watch their operations and understand that good people sometimes make foolish mistakes, even with time, money and resources. A charity's benefactors are vital members of the team; they should be fully informed of it's operations, advances and setbacks. "Believe in what they're doing!"
Every Christian church has members and consumers. Consumers are welcome but we don't rely on them. They shop around for the gospel they want to hear, at a convenient time and place. If they suffer one "bad experience" they go elsewhere and never return.
We rely on our members; they are gifts of God, drawn to us by the Holy Spirit. If they don't like something they speak up, and listen to the response. They influence the workings of the ministry by their presence, their encouragement, their complaints and their reliability.
Consumers complain also, but from ignorance. They don't know what we're about to start with. We might hear their grumbling but cannot take it seriously for their spirit may be alien to ours.
The movie Field of Dreams urged Americans to follow their dreams. "If you build it, they will come!" If the Holy Spirit urges us to build a church, school, clinic, retreat house or homeless shelter, donors will come. Not because we invited them but because the Holy Spirit led them.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.