By Marcia Brown, Mission Interpreter

When the ten lepers were healed and only one came back to say "thank you", we are shocked. Only one in ten? Such a small number? When God asks us to return to him one tenth of what he's given us, we say, "So much?"

One tenth. A tithe. Ten percent.

As we go into January, most congregations will be passing budgets for 2012 at their annual meetings. There should be a line in there for missions, whether your congregation sends it to synod, or directly to the organizations. In the same way that members are encouraged to tithe to the congregation, the congregation is also encouraged to tithe its income to missions. Before voting on that budget, look for that line, ask questions about what percentage it represents. These monthly messages have been showing how that money is used all over the world to feed people, clean up after disasters, educate, send missionaries, and control/eradicate malaria. The need is great. So speak up. It would be great to hear that someone (maybe you, reader?) raised their hand and asked, "What percentage of our income goes to mission?"

Ten percent? If someone says it's too much, remind them of the lepers.

God's work, our hands.