Thanks for stopping by. And thank you for commenting. I have no doubt the staff of Edenton Street Methodist Church can justify the expense. And yes, the alabaster jar story is valid. But…

Jesus did not say “We have $50, so we can buy perfume, or we can buy food for this guy, right here in front of me, who is hungry. Let’s buy some perfume.” And any serious discussion of “The poor will always be with you” should be done in light of Deuteronomy 15, which Jesus was quoting.

Yes, in the kingdom of God there is abundance. However, in the kingdom of God there is also mercy, there is justice and there is love. God has told us what is required of us: to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God.

My argument is not one of scarcity; it is one of discernment. We obviously have the resources to feed the hungry and shelter those without; we just lack the will.

Thanks again for stopping by, and I would love to have a cup of coffee with you and discuss this as much as you want. Just hit the contact button up top there and shoot me an email.

Grace and Peace,

Hugh

When I read about things like $1.8 million spent on something I personally wouldn’t spend $1.8 million on, my gut reaction is often similar to what you expressed in your post. I totally agree that Jesus wants us to minister in physical, tangible ways to those he described in Matthew 25.

At the same time, as brothers and sisters in Christ, we need to be very careful about how we project our own personal calling onto others. Jesus was clear in Matthew 25. He was also clear when his disciples rebuked the woman for breaking an expensive alabaster jar of expensive perfume and annointing his feet with it. The disciples specifically said that the money should have been spent for ministry to the poor instead. Jesus rebuked them. He supported the woman’s extravagant worship.

Personally, a $1.8 million organ doesn’t help me worship any better. But, that’s me. And Jesus didn’t call me to tell Edenton Street UMC what to do. Maybe during the three years of planning, much prayer went into this project and God specifically led the folks at that expression of His body to break an alabaster jar because He is worthy of that kind of excess in worship. I don’t know. You don’t know. And it doesn’t matter.

I believe that as brothers and sisters trying to live out our lives in Christ, we are all much better off encouraging one another. You are obviously passionate about the poor and homeless. That is an awesome expression of faith and mission. The great thing about the Body of Christ is its diversity.

We need to remember that we think about resources, specifically financial resources, as limited. That is one of the backbones of our culture’s economic system. That is not a valid assumption in God’s economy. God can create more money. So, he can direct ESUMC to worship him extravagently and provide the funds for that and that doesn’t in any way diminish what’s available to Hugh Hollowell to worship him by crying with Skip and paying his bus fare and that doesn’t diminish what’s available to take care of AIDS orphans in Africa, or a business men’s fellowship to reach the rich, etc.

So, Hugh, be encouraged to keep doing what you are doing. I want to meet you someday, because what you write is awesome and what you do inspires me. But, after reading this, I want to go to Edenton Street UMC some Sunday and hear God worshipped on the alabaster jar of an organ they have there.