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Articles by Dave Albertson
What Jesus Thought of Giving Good Money to Bad Religion - OnFaith
One of the most famous stories about Jesus is about him and his disciples watching people come to the Temple to give money.
OnFaith Finds - What to Read Today - OnFaith
Here’s what we’re reading, Favoriting, Liking, commenting on, and otherwise thinking about this morning. – Tabet Magazine publishes a parody in-flight safety video in response to the recent rise in cases of male Orthodox Jews refusing to be seated next to women. (Tablet) – What are the 10 most important changes in each century of the last 1000 years?
What Will the End of the Offering Plate Mean for Christian Worship? - OnFaith
Churches have tried all sorts of ways of raising money: membership dues, pledges, bonds, patronage, investments, bulletin advertising, fees for services, gift shops, holy day activities, cultural festivals, facility rentals, “poor boxes,” and honorary dedications. But in America, the most widely used of all the fundraising tools is the collection plate. It was not always thus.
5 Delicious Jewish Recipes for Thanksgiving - OnFaith
Thanksgiving meals aren’t just mashed potatoes and turkey, and Jewish foods aren’t all canned gefilte fish and potato latkes. For example, my Jewish food blog, Neesh Noosh, includes weekly recipes inspired by the Torah portion that reflect Jews’ ongoing interpretation of Torah and what defines Jewish foods. Jewish foods echo the diversity of the countries and cultures that Jews have lived in for thousands of years, from Morocco to Iran to Italy.
Why Christianity and the Middle Class Are Both in Decline - OnFaith
The church is a bourgeois institution. And not just in our times — it’s always been this way. From the very beginning, Christian communities were composed of urban dwellers of the middle class. Saint Paul’s travels were focused on cities that had established synagogues and vibrant marketplaces. He engaged the intellectual establishment, praised those who patronized the early movement, and described his work in Rome as a fundraising trip for the poor church in Jerusalem (Romans 15:22-29).
10 Things I Wish Everyone Knew About the Black Church - OnFaith
For most of my life, I have been in and out of the black church, and it has been a spiritually formative and resonant space. The dynamism of the preaching, the soul of the music, the embodiment of worship, the scents of soft peppermints or smoking gold balls (yeah, they exist) — all these characteristics combine to create the black church experience. Even when I have turned my back on it, the black church beckons me with her call to justice and endurance in the black community.
Your iPhone Might Be Making You Less Religious - OnFaith
When Guy Kawasaki became Apple Computer’s chief evangelist in 1983, he didn’t mess around with the evangelism part. He even attended the Billy Graham School of Evangelism to learn the tricks of the persuasion trade from the greatest religion persuader of modern times. Today, “evangelist” is a commonplace term in the business world, and it’s just one small aspect of the ways big business and consumer culture are intersecting with religion.
4 of Christianity's Biggest Financial Blunders - OnFaith
Many well managed Christian organizations have done a lot of good in the world and are worthy of our appreciation — take a look at Samiritan’s Purse, Lutheran World Relief, Food for the Hungry, Catholic Relief Services, and World Vision. But plenty of major mistakes have been made, both unintentional and otherwise — some of which changed the world. Here is a list of four big financial mistakes in the history of Christianity.
Be Fruitful and Multiply - But How Fruitful? - OnFaith
“Are you sure? This procedure is very hard to reverse,� the doctor said. He was my age, the type of guy I could watch football and eat Buffalo wings with on the weekends. Instead, he was planning to slice me open and make it so I could never have kids again. Are you sure? I thought about the possible implications. What if my wife died and I remarried? What if a year from now we no longer feel done? What does God think? I wasn’t expecting that last one to cross my thoughts.
Why Christmas Makes You Go Into Debt and Donate Money - OnFaith
In this season of economic excess, lots of us are like the Grinch at the end of his story — wondering if Christmas might mean a little bit more. But the financial power of the holiday season shouldn’t be quickly dismissed. Let’s look at some numbers. The holiday shopping season lasts 10% of the year, but it generates 20% of total retail sales.
The Economics of Modern Death: How Money Shapes the End of Life - OnFaith
Every year, about .8% of the American population dies. That’s 2.5 million people succumbing to heart disease, cancer, strokes, illness, accidents, and violence. For the past 75 years, this percentage hasn’t changed. What has changed, though, is the cost. Dying isn’t cheap. In America, the entry-level funeral costs about $8000. For that much, you get a memorial service, embalming, a decent casket, a concrete vault, a grave, and a headstone. Want some upgrades? The sky’s the limit.
How to Reconcile the Divided States of America - OnFaith
Note: Russell D. Moore is president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention and a former professor of theology and ethics at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Late last night, he posted the following note to the readers of his blog. The mood in Ferguson, Missouri, is tense after a grand jury decided against indicting a police officer for the killing of unarmed African-American teenager Michael Brown.
Why Christmas Makes You Go Into Debt and Donate Money
In this season of economic excess, lots of us are like the Grinch at the end of his story — wondering if Christmas might mean a little bit more. But the financial power of the holiday season shouldn’t be quickly dismissed. Let’s look at some numbers. The holiday shopping season lasts 10% of the year, but it generates 20% of total retail sales.
How Rich Pastors Are Getting Richer (While Poor Pastors Stay Poor)
According to §107 of the US Tax Code, all “ministers of the gospel” are free from income tax on their housing expenses. A pastor who makes $50,000 a year and spends $30,000 on housing only has to pay tax on $20,000 of his income. While there are rules about self-employment tax and fair rental values, the tax perk normally comes to about a 15 percent break.
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