By Rev. Chris Harris
Ever since I began attending church in my 30s, I have had a desire to grow deeper in my faith: to feel God’s guiding presence in my life, to more readily put my trust in God, and to experience greater peace knowing that, no matter where life takes me, God will always be there. Over the years, I discovered that, for me, the most reliable means of growing in that faith is through spiritual practices such as daily prayer, weekly worship, and serving others. There was just something about embodying my faith in these kinds of regular, consistent practices that made a real difference in my journey of faith.
I don’t know exactly how, but spiritual practices help my faith to feel less theoretical and more alive—and for God to feel more present in my life more often.
But there is one spiritual practice that doesn’t always come to mind but is perhaps the most important: giving.
If that sounds odd, think about it. God gave us our life and gave us God’s only Son, who in turn gave His life so that we might have eternal life. Giving is God’s love in action. When we give, we enter into the divine dance of love-fueled generosity while simultaneously stepping out of the fear-based rat race of materialism and scarcity. So, it should not be surprising that Jesus says, “Where your treasure is, your heart will be also.” Just as giving was God’s way of moving closer to us, giving is our way of moving our hearts closer to God.
And when we turn that giving into a pledge, we take all of those spiritual benefits and multiply them tenfold!
When we turn our giving into a pledge, we transform what can sometimes be a spontaneous or random act, subject to the whims of the day or our mood, into an intentional and committed practice. Pledging invites prayerful, thoughtful reflection on the blessings of our life and invites us to commit to a specific amount and/or regular schedule. This forces us to make conscious decisions and to prioritize our giving, which in turn fosters a habit of generosity, much like other spiritual practices.
In short, like daily prayer or weekly worship, giving regularly in a more committed way, as we do when we make a pledge, brings an intentionality and a commitment that can stretch our faith and deepen our trust in God.
If you have never pledged before, I invite you to try it on as a spiritual practice in 2025 and see where the Holy Spirit leads you—and see if you, too, don’t find your heart moving closer to God.
If you are ready to make your pledge to support the mission and ministry of God through this church, click here. And if you have any questions about pledging, please don’t hesitate to reach out anytime: charris@christchurchcranbrook.org