Eastertide #4:

On the first day of the week… collect an offering… for the poor.

(First Corinthians 16:1-4 & Second Corinthians 9:9)

From the beginning, Sunday morning worship had to do with an offering: “Now concerning the offering… On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income” (1Cor 16:1-4). Our church, like many, doesn’t take an offering—it’s all digital. Good thing during this time of virtual church. Yet, I miss the old seen collection—when the collection was part of our liturgy: “Would the ushers please come forward.”

That’s another thing that changed after Easter Morning: the offering. Before Easter, bringing an offering had to do with a sacrifice to God; or, for the pagans, “gods”. It was a way to placate the gods and to seek their favor. But now, on this side of Calvary, such offerings are no longer necessary. The sacrificial offering has been given once and for all (Hb 10). Whatever it is that needs to be done between us and God has been done. There’s no need to appease God. That means that the offering is now free to care for those in need. Charity takes the place of appeasement. Charity, as an act of worship, is new. It's an Easter thing.