What Do You Have to Offer?

As the offering plate passed around the St. Philips
Cathedral, I noticed the colorfully dressed Ugandan people placing coins and
crumpled bills into the woven basket. As it continued to make its way around
the pale yellow pillars and walnut stained, intricately carved pews the people
continued to give what they could. As the ushers carried the basket to the
front of the cathedral, there were 12 tan eggs, a huge jackfruit, and a broom.
Yes, a broom was placed in the offering. It made me smile to think what people
would say in America if they found, instead of a check or a $20, a broom in the
offering plate. Just when I thought is couldn’t be more unique, during the second
service the priest auctioned off a pumpkin and some maze meal that had been
placed in the offering. (Oh, and I must not forget to mention that a goat
walked down the isle while Amanda gave the message.)

 

As funny as this church service struck me, it also
served as a meaningful reminder. The people here do not have large bank
accounts to draw from when they give money to the offering, but they give what
they can.