Did you see that Texas A&M University decided to fire its football coach, Jimbo Fisher, and bought out his contract for 75 million dollars? You read that right. They are paying him 75 million to do what Karla wishes I wouldn’t do, sit on the coach and watch football. A public university is giving a coach (a winning coach by the way) 75 million to go away. Jimbo might not have won enough football games for the Texas A&M fans, but he won the lottery and he didn’t even buy a ticket. I wonder how all the hard-working professors, class room aids, and janitors in Texas A&M Aggie-land feel about an idle football coach making slightly more than they do (by “slightly,” I mean more than they will ever earn in their entire life). If you need evidence we live in a crazy world with mixed up values, consider this “Exhibit A.”

Take a wild guess of how much Nazarenes worldwide in 2022 gave to missions?  

$75,482,018 

Nazarenes gave about the same amount for missions as what Jimbo Fisher will get for sitting on his couch twiddling his thumbs. 

$75,482,018 was given by Nazarenes to pay the salaries for missionaries all over the world, to establish medical clinics, schools and pay for a hospital in Papua New Guinee. It paid for emergency relief to disasters through Nazarene Compassionate Ministries. It paid for churches to be built; radio broadcasts to be made; and help to be offered in literally thousands of ways. It paid for the world-wide effort (well, in 164 countries effort) to evangelize and show and tell the world about Jesus. $75,482,018 did a whole lot of good.

It’s hard to raise $75 million dollars for missions. Back in the day in the Church of the Nazarene, there were two big offerings that funded the world-wide mission effort: The Thanksgiving and Easter Offerings. That was it. Typically pastors would stand in the pulpit on the Sunday before Thanksgiving (this Sunday) and encourage mission giving. Pastors would say stuff like, “The Bible talks about tithes AND offerings. Bring your tithe which will fund the local church AND bring an offering to be given for missions.” There were special Thanksgiving envelopes provided by the denomination and everything. The Thanksgiving Offering was a big deal. It was a reminder that we need to be generous toward missions. Some churches still receive a Thanksgiving offering this week (our Mission Outreach Sunday was in October when we took pledges for mission giving). All are efforts to raise around $75 million. 

I don’t know what Jimbo Fisher is going to do with his $75 million. I hope he tithes to his local church. I hope Jimbo is generous and does good with his money, but it won’t come close to doing all the good that is being done around the world with virtually that same amount of money. I hope you are generous with your slightly less than $75 million (by “slightly” I mean a lot less). Whether you have a little or a lot the Paul writes, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7.