In November of 2002 I attended the Annual Peace Colloquy at the Temple, part of Community of Christ International Headquarters complex. The theme of the 2002 Colloquy was Toward Economic Justice. One of the Sessions I went to was entitled Dignity and Aid to with the Poor: Ministry of Oblation. Today as I write, some of my thoughts will be drawn from that session while others from scripture, and other life experiences and education.
As some of you who know me or have read past posts on The Journey of Lyle may know I serve in the ministerial office of Deacon within the ordained ministry of Community of Christ. (Having been ordained 9 years ago on the 23rd of this month) In describing this ministerial office the Priesthood Manual: 2004 Edition states in part:
The deacon also cares for members and friends relating to the temporal aspects of life. This ministry includes being aware and sensitive to people’s physical and spiritual health and financial needs. They teach about stewardship as response to Christ’s ministry and they teach the principles of Disciples’ Generous Response.
page 42
It also describes a series of ministerial focuses, divided into serving and sharing. Among the sharing focuses are:
- Seeks out the needs of the poor, sick, the helpless, and the unloved, reaching out to provided assistance.
- Is Sensitive to the spiritual, physical, temporal needs of individuals and families
- Assists persons in their understanding and response as generous disciples
page 43
Thus perhaps this part of the understanding of the office I have been serving in for these past nine years has influenced me in part to reflect upon the issue in ways or at times I may not have otherwise, it is hard to say since, but I think it may be a possibility.
Bishop Ken Schnell who led the workshop session in 2002, which was in part aimed at those who were deacons, provided some definitions for terms he was using and a few scripture quotations from the new testament.
Oblation: A gift offered to God; usually in the context of communion service; expresses gratitude, thanksgiving, and compassion.
Dignity: Self respect, quality of being worthy of respect, honor, esteem
Poor: having little or nothing in the way of wealth, goods, or means of substance; lacking means to procure the necessities of life; dependent on charity; meagerly supplied or endowed with resources or funds; spiritless, trifling, unimportant, insignificant
“Blessed are the poor in Spirit” Matthew 5:3; “This poor widow has put more into the treasury than all others,” Mark 12:43; “whatever you did for the least of these, you did for me” Matthew 25:40
The Oblation Ministry of Community of Christ provides aid and assistance to others. Ken broke down what it provides as: 10% Disaster relief throughout the world, 20% funding Tangible Love grants to jurisdictions throughout the world, and 70% providing financial ministries for people’s needs such as medical, transportation, food, clothing, utilities, and housing. The aid addressing needs that have been caused by a variety of things including poor management (credit…); temporary setback (loss of job, prolonged illness/injury, marital separation, uninsured loss…); and inadequate base income (inadequate education, growing family, retirement…). Oblation ministry is a world mission fund that is administered locally by congregational financial officers and Mission Center (mid-level jurisdiction) financial officers.
Temporal stewardship has a long heritage within Community of Christ. In our earliest years we experimented with various forms of tithing and other offering and ways fro caring for one another. In the first few years of existence would find experiments including living with all things in common. Perhaps that a large portion of the early members were poor aided in the understanding of the need to be with the poor, and seeking pathways out of the injustices of poverty. As those early saints of the restoration encountered injustices they sought to overcome them, such as the formation of various secular and religious schools within the first sacred space constructed by them “The House of the Lord” or “Kirtland Temple” so that the lack of education could no longer be a tool those with education could use to take advantage of other with.
The oblation fund itself is rooted in early understandings of how the Holy was calling us. On 7 August 1831 in Missouri and inspired document would be presented that we would latter canonize as scripture and today is known as Doctrine and Covenants Section 59. Verse 2h reads “but remember that on this, the Lord’s day, thou shalt offer thine oblations, and thy sacraments, unto the Most High, confessing thy sins unto thy brethren, and before the Lord.” Which has lead in part to present day practice that when we partake of the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper (typically today on the first Sunday of the month) all undesignated funds received in the offering go to the Oblation fund. The 1st Sunday of March and September going to the World Hunger Fund (though people can give specifically to these funds at any time).
In 1917 the World Conference (the General Conference) passed the following resolution on 10 April:
That every branch should comply with the law by receiving oblations at Sacrament services, as found in Doctrine and Covenants 59:2, and that the amount so received should be placed with the bishopric in harmony with Doctrine and Covenants 42:8
GCR 773 Oblation
Section 42:8, an inspired document presented 9 February 1831 in Kirtland, Ohio, reads in part:
…behold, though wilt remember the poor, and consecrate of thy properties for their support, that which thou hast to impart unto them, with a covenant and a deed which cannot be broken; and inasmuch as ye impart of your substance unto the poor, ye will do it unto me, and it shall be laid before the bishop of my church and his counselors…
The Oblation fund today seeks to provided funds to those in need as a gift that will help provide a bridge to aid people in times of need with encouragement to as they are able to give through the Oblation Fund to aid other in their times of need as well. Part of the process of providing the fund often includes spending time with them to help develop and understanding of why the need is there as well as helping to find pathways to sustainability on the other side of the bridge. In best practice the ministry is much more than the funds, that may be part of bringing forward healing, aid, and wholeness and recognition of the worth of person.
In my life time I have seen this fund used in ways that have aided and helped people, I have also seemed some who prevented the funds from being used to aid those in need, and I have heard of some who have attempted to abuse it, which is perhaps part of the reason for the restrictions that exist along with the desire to ensure it does serve as a bridge to move forward and beyond.
As I think of stewardship, as I teach of stewardship, I seek to focus on the whole of one being. All the gifts and talents one has to offer the world, and the One who creates us all. For some that includes monetary gifts, for some it does not. It is however an inseparable part of discipleship, at least in the theology and understanding of Community of Christ. As expressed in recent inspired document canonized as scripture:
You have been given the principles of generosity, rightly interpreted for a new time. These principles call every disciple to tithe faithfully in accordance with means and capacity. Those values, deeply rooted in the Restoration faith, affirm that stewardship and discipleship cannot be divided and are dependent upon each other.
Doctrine and Covenants 162:7c canonized 31 March 2004
Now that I have written all this, and as there is more on my mind, but I feel it is to long as it is, I turn to something I wrote in that 2002 workshop as we dealt with the office of Deacon in response to “My Unique calling is to:” that I will need to reflect upon in how it relates to my present day understanding of my calling. Unfortunately parts of it are a bit illegible to me… I’ve tried my best but may have made some mistakes decoding my handwriting (????=unable to determine word, if I can tell what the word starts with will be before the ?s… )
To guide others in their ministry, to make all feel loved, welcome and free to worship. To help people to be free to share without j???? and to help to keep j???? from happening. To listen to and love all. To seek out that w???? b???? & p???? com??? w/ HF & help to find ways a??? that so th???? ???? have a better relationship
Perhaps this should be explored in context with my “ultimate goal” as described in a previous post, and on reflections on how that ultimate goal has evolved and changed since 2007… exploration to be found in future posts…
Peace be with you this day and all days,
— Lyle II