The "tithe," from the Old English word "toethe" means "tenth." One-tenth of our income, returned to God in worship-this is his basic expectation for every believer.

But some object to this expectation today. They say tithing is legalism, the product of the Jewish law. Since we're under grace, such legal requirements are no longer obligatory for us. However, Abraham lived six generations before the Law, and he tithed to God through the priest Melchizedek (Gen 14:21). His grandson Jacob did the same thing, three generations before Moses (Gen 28:20-22). Clearly the tithe was God's plan before there was a law. So it cannot be legalism.

Others say that tithing is optional for those who can afford it. Is this a biblical viewpoint? Listen to Leviticus 27:30: "A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord." This is to be given through the place of worship: "You are to seek the place the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go: there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks" (Deut. 12.5-6). We are to tithe to God through our place of worship.

Is tithing optional? This familiar passage from Malachi settles the question: "'Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me.' 'But you ask, "How do we rob you?" 'In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse-the whole nation of you-because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house" (Mal. 3:8-10).

Consider one other objection: tithing is outdated. This is the Old Testament, whether it started before the Law or not. We live in New Testament times, making this is an outdated obligation. However, in Matthew 23:23 Jesus told the Pharisees that they should continue to tithe while practicing justice, mercy, and faithfulness. In Hebrews 7:8 the tithe is still being collected by the church. And the early church in the years following the writing of the New Testament continued to teach tithing. In fact, they required it and considered it essential to Christian living.

God expects at least a tithe, a tenth, to be returned to him through our place of worship. This is simply the teaching of God's word.

Biblically, we give to God. Not to a minister or to a church, but through the church to God. We cannot write a check to "God"-he tells us to give through the church, and then he tells the church what to do with his money. We don't adopt a budget to decide what we want to do with our money, but how we think God wants us to use his money. We give to him, out of all that is his.

Unfortunately, many churches don't seem to understand this fact. We really do think we're giving to pay for what the church does, and so we can contribute as we wish. When the finances are good we don't have to give as much, and we can give to what we like or use.

Perhaps an analogy will help here. When Janet and I moved to Midland I took up golf. The local country club let clergy play for free on Thursdays, so that's where I would play. In the process, I learned how a country club works.

The club hires a head pro, someone who knows the game of golf better than anyone else. He gives lessons to improve the members' games; he stages tournaments and events; he keeps the course and club running well. And he hires a staff to help him, of course. The club is run by a board of directors which supervises the head pro, staff, and club. The members pay dues for what they receive. If they don't like something they'll say so and expect it to change; if it doesn't they stop paying for that, or leave the club for another one. The club wants more members, of course, but only the kind who pay their dues and raise the stature of the club.

Does this sound at all like most modern churches?

The church belongs to Jesus, not to us. He is the audience of worship, not us. The pastor is the servant-leader; the staff are ministers, not employees, here to help our members find their ministries for the Kingdom of God. And we want every person to be part of God's family, whether they pay as much "dues" as we do or not. Stewardship is not horizontal fund-raising but vertical commitment of our lives to God, through our local family of faith.

We judge wealth by how much of God's creation we possess. God judges wealth by how much of his creation we give. By his standard, how wealthy are you?