Monday, February 15, 2016

Dumpster Diving for Donations

Driving around town you may have seen an old desk, sofa, or a lamp or two along the curb, but would you pick them up and bring them to your Church? I understand they are “still perfectly good,” but does that mean the Church should have them? Have you ever purchased a brand new TV or computer, and then turned around and donated your old outdated computer to the Church? The computer is still good, right? Why not let the Church use it. The Church has other more important expenses to worry about. When we think about donating items to the Church, does it really matter where the item comes from? Is there anything wrong with donating our old items to the Church?

I remember hearing, “I’m just going to throw this away; do you want to eat it instead?” Of course, the food hadn’t actually spoiled, but what my friend was saying was, “Do you eat garbage?” After all, if it truly was “still good” then why get rid of it in the first place? Why purchase the new shiny model if the old computer is still working “just fine?”

What does it say when we think of the Church when we see items in the garbage? Is it that the Church doesn’t deserve something brand new? If you’re thinking that the item is “still just fine,” why throw it away in the first place? I admit we live in a disposable society and that many times we throw away items that are indeed in perfect working order. That is not my point here. The fact that we throw away healthy food rather than give it to the poor is not my point here. That is for another post.


My question is quite simple. If the Church has a need, and we want to fill that need, why not just go out and purchase the item for the Church? Wouldn’t the Church get better use of a new item? Is Church worth more than garbage?

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