Jesus spoke a lot about money. It was a topic
he returned to repeatedly. Sometimes Jesus spoke about money helping with
illustration: Luke 15: 8-10, the Parable of the Lost Coin is such an example.
This parable is less about money than it is about what was once lost now being
found, and the joy associated with that. Other times money carries a central
focus to Jesus’ message. In Luke 19: 11-27, money, and how it is invested by
various servants, plays a vital component in the parable. The familiar quote for
many of us on rendering unto Caesar that which belongs to Caesar (Luke 20:
20-26) uses money as the illustrative and, arguably, key point in the
establishment of priorities and values. My take on that passage is the Reign of
God and the Reign of Caesar are not equals: the Reign of God is the more
important.
One of the means we use as the people called
United Methodists to support the Reign of God beyond the local church is the
apportionment. In the Mountain Sky Conference we give the apportionment a symbolic
name: Mission Shares. This Legacy Yellowstone term communicates quite well: we
are asking local churches to use money to help share in the mission of the
connectional church. That connectional church is the conference as well as the
general boards and agencies that support the transformational mission of The
United Methodist Church nationally and internationally.
Read more at this link.
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