The Coffers

Belonging to the Orthodox church is allot like the Catholic Church,we do not tithe so stewardship,donations and fund raisers are our ways to help keep the coffers full and stave off the wolves from our door.
The problem with these events is it can distract us,both mentally and physically, from the time we could be donating and assisting our community.
Money is a good thing when gotten to pay the bills but being a church we have to walk the balancing rope of spending to much time worrying about money and not enough time worrying about worship.
Sometimes these things can blend and fund raising can seem almost has important as time spent with God.
This is not a new issue,in the New Testament Jesus goes into the temple and over turns the tables of the money changers,to show that this building is a house of God and not a bank.
We always have to remember that the main reason we have a church is for worship and even if the doors were to close,due to lack of money,we has the people of the church can praise God in the parking lot,he doesn't care.
Money is paper and coin and will gain us nothing in the end.
All things are dust and what has a beginning also has an end.
No one wants to see their church in financial straights,but if the fund raising becomes more respected then the prayer in the church then an issue has arisen and we need to rethink our priorities.
Render onto Caesar that which is Caesar and onto God that which is God.
Believe it or not he comes first,for with out him what difference does it make if we have a church or not,if he is not with us then all we own is a beautiful structure,man made not God made.