By Don Harting
Rev. Robin’s story about tithing in this month’s Steeplenotes really got me thinking. In response to the issues she raised, I’d like to share the two most powerful tithing stories I know. They are written in the lives of my mother and my mother-in-law.
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| Kit Harting with the author, 1957 |
Kit, my mother, was born in 1925 and died in 2002. She was a tither who gave 10% of her income to the Lord’s work, even after her husband divorced her in 1973. As a displaced homemaker, Kit struggled many years to find her place in the workforce. Still, Kit insisted on regularly giving a portion of her income away. Besides the Roman Catholic Church, Kit’s favorite charities included James Dobson’s Focus on the Family, Dennis and Barbara Rainey’s Family Life Today, and a prison ministry at the former Lorton Reformatory outside Washington, DC.
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| Rev. Doris S. Bray, Easter 2014 |
Doris, a retired priest who lives in Palmerton (north of Allentown), is also a tither. She and her late husband, Marvin, always gave a large portion of their tithe to the Episcopal Church. To respect her privacy, I won’t share what her other favorite charities are, except to note with gratitude that Doris recently wrote a generous check in support of the same children’s book ministry that so many other parishioners here at St. James have already supported. In a note dated April 2011, Doris urged me to set aside 10% of my inheritance from my father to God’s work of helping others.
Laura and I try to live up to the stewardship standards set by our mothers. It isn’t always easy. Many wants and needs compete for limited dollars. Fear often gets in the way. But I must tell you: I trust the message I receive from Kit and Doris. It’s illogical, in some ways, to think that life will be richer if you give more money away. But isn’t mystery a part of what it means to follow the resurrected Christ? I am studying life science at West Chester University. Who can explain to me, scientifically, exactly how God raised Jesus from the dead? At some point we all have to believe. And when it comes to inspiring belief in others, actions speak way louder than words.
Now I’d like to close with a short prayer: Thank you, heavenly Father, for the faith-inspiring actions of these two mothers.