Greetings in Christ Jesus!
[We're doing something unique. We're seeking your support for our mission right now, which includes a big plan for some powerful Kingdom building through Advent, Christmas and into the New Year-- leading up to our Kingdom Builders Banquet (Thursday, January 10, 2019).]
If you're like us, you delight in perusing old family photo albums. The faces and places of those who've gone before us. Like Robin Williams' character in Dead Poet Society, they whisper things like, "Carpe deim"! More importantly, these ancestors connect us to our roots. They inform us of who we are.
Accordingly, you can't imagine my delight in discovering recently that we Schlueters have Jewish ancestry (Ashkenazi). And after weeks of delaying this much-needed appeal (it is very humbling to ask for partnership in building the Kingdom), I came upon a little encouragement from a Jewish brother named Celso Cukierkorn, in his book Secrets of Jewish Wealth Revealed!:
“One of the great differences that set Jews apart from other cultural groups is that we see our wealth as a means to partner with God, as a way to bring God’s kingdom into this earth."
Turning further to our common roots, in this Sunday's Gospel Jesus shares that He's about to suffer and die. The disciples completely miss it. They discuss who is the greatest. They just don't get it. At heart Jesus is inviting us into authentic faith. Intimacy. Fulfillment of our deepest desires. But His Way. We're called to follow. It means everything.
Particularly today our non-believing needs our witness: Do we live what we profess?
Here's the question that rocked my world many years ago, and also ignited great blessing: "What percentage of your life and possessions belong to God?" Like you, I answered correctly (100%). Until the big follow-up: "What does your W-2 reveal about your belief? Are you minimally tithing 10%?"
The word "tithe" literally means "one-tenth." For the math-challenged among us, that means if you make $40,000, you need to be tithing $4,000 ($333/month). If you make $100,000, you need to be tithing $10,000 ($833/month). And so on.
A sad fact: The average Catholic only tithes 1%.
Jesus did care about money. (link)
- Sixteen of His thirty-eight parables had to do with money.
- In the Gospel one out of ten verses deal directly with money.
- While there are 500 verses on prayer, more than 2,000 verses are on money and possessions.
Here's a big point: How we spend our money reveals what we worship. Tithing is a quality of a disciple of Jesus Christ. A Kingdom builder. God blesses us for this purpose only: To be His blessers.
By all means, we need to be part of parish communities that are evidently committed to holiness and building the Kingdom, worthy of our donation (Jesus says that we need to do more than mindlessly throw money; we are called to be good stewards!). The most challenging pastors suggest we give as much as 7% there, with the balance going to other organizations.
So, if you're looking for a Catholic organization committed to building the Kingdom here, and seeing it happen in evident, impactful ways, please consider helping us at Image Trinity / Mass Impact.
WE'RE ABOUT BUILDING THE KINGDOM HERE.
In the past four years we've reached tens of thousands. This has involved innumerable conversions, saved marriages, families and lives transformed. 90% of what we do is free. Made possible by roughly 60 people who regularly contribute between $5 and $1000/month. Each one of these would give testimony to how God has blessed them to be blessers.
Please consider this an invitation to be united with us.
We want to break out and reach places we've never been before. We're getting geared up to to PROCLAIM, EXPERIENCE and LIVE IT a powerful message: "Give Presence for Christmas." Please help us by contributing now at our GoFundMe Campaign. Donations of $50+ includes a ticket to our 2019 KINGDOM BUILDERS BANQUET (The Pinnacle, January 10) featuring Grassroots Films Founder/Executive Producer JOE CAMPO!
VIEW THIS TRAILER NOW: OUTCASTS.
Please consider becoming a Kingdom Builder. When you click on the credit card icon HERE you can set it up to contribute monthly automatically.
THANK YOU!
Veni Sancte Spiritus.
Greg Schlueter
Executive Director,
Image Trinity | Mass Impact
Greg@MassImpact.us |
