How much? To whom?

I've been wrestling with issues of stewardship. What does it mean to give faithfully? How much is enough? In an affluent culture, when are we satisfied with what we have? What does it mean to commit to give ourselves to God?

As a pastor, it seems important to be a role model in terms of tithing. I've intentionally done it since my first pastorate (as well as less consciously before that), but it disturbs me a bit that I haven't thought much before now why I do it. I know it's not for prestige or some misguided hope to gain God's special favor. I don't resent doing it, but I can't honestly say it's been a special joy either. Maybe that says more about the relative value I place on money than on faith itself. I do get excited about serving in a soup kitchen, working on a Habitat for Humanity house, or sitting with someone who is going through a hard time. That's stewardship too, but it's harder to define or quantify.

I don't want to give out of a sense of obligation, nor do I want to urge others to do so. Right now, I'm not sure how I want to encourage people to find a deeper reason and motivation for giving. In the midst of this pondering, I wandered over to Real Live Preacher. At the end of a video clip, he said something about different ways of seeing God's presence and mentioned giving ourselves as the only thing we have. To give ourselves as a response to a pulse in the universe, in the faith or bold hope that God is actively participating in life and cares about what happens pushes me to respond in more than a passive way. It's something to think about...