FROM THE PASTOR
A Good Word for Matthew the Tax Collector
As we have talked recently about “year-round stewardship” I remembered a suggestion once made, only half in jest, that the Church move St. Matthew’s Day on the liturgical calendar from September 21 to April 15 and refocus our stewardship emphasis, beginning on that day and continuing through the month of May. We can give thanks for Matthew the Tax Collector, the IRS, and all tax collecting bodies for truly making us aware of our financial health and stewardship.
It has been said that the IRS Form 1040 and the process of completing it is a confession of faith or at least, a statement of priorities. It gives us a clear picture of our income, the resources entrusted to us by God during the previous year. (And I don’t quibble about whether we should use line 9 total income, line 11 adjusted gross income, or line 15 taxable income.) If we are committed to returning a percentage of what we have received to God through the ministry of the Church, it is very easy to assess what our response has been – 1.0%, 2.5% (the average for U.S. Christians) or 10% or more. We simply divide total giving shown on our St. Luke’s annual financial statement by the income shown on our Form 1040. After doing the math we can decide if we are on target, doing better than we anticipated, or seeing room for growth.
Before the standard IRS deduction was raised in 2017, most of us, as good stewards, itemized our expenses for the year. I always thought of the parables where the landowner expected an accounting from his servants for the resources entrusted to them. While the new standard deduction exceeds for many of us our itemized deductions for the year, some of us (like my spouse) continue to track possible deductions. And it is a helpful stewardship exercise to see where we have chosen to place our resources – housing (usually the highest at 25- 35% of income), medical care, childcare, education, transportation. What priorities do our expenses reflect and are those priorities consistent with what we believe to be of highest value in our lives? Can we celebrate our stewardship? Are there shifts we might consider for the future? Is it possible to change priorities at this point or are we locked into financial commitments which will have to be seen through?
A review of our tax documents is not intended as a judgment on our choices but rather as a tool to see more clearly how we have stewarded the resources entrusted to us. Before we get too far away from April 15 and while the numbers are still clear in our heads, let’s go back to look at the notes and tax documents we have for our 2022 tax returns. And when we do this review, may St. Matthew the Tax Collector bless us.
Pastor John Schumacher, BCC
