Each of the church districts in Somerset County has two trustees. They took care of all the donations when ever there was a hospital bill or another need in the community as well as taking care of the church and school expenses.
Every five years they took a month to visit every family to go over all their financial information to decide how much you had to pay in church taxes. LV and I detested that meeting more than anything else. The bishop used to announce in church when they were planning to make their rounds and encouraged everyone to stay at home so that you would be available when they stopped in.
The head trustee in our district was a short pompous guy with a long scraggly beard. He strutted with an air of utmost importance at the job he had to do being in charge of everyone including the bishop.
The time had arrived that they were making their rounds again and we knew our turn to be interrogated would soon be here. I was only a few weeks away from having our baby and was in no mood to be stuck in the house with those men. LV made plans to take Sailor and me over to spend the day with my parents as soon as they arrived.
According to our plan LV gave me a ride to my parents and then hurried home to get the unpleasant deal with the trustees over. They had brought all their papers in their satchels and proceeded to need to know exactly how much money we had in the bank and in our pocketbook, how much debt we had and what we owned. The list of things they had that needed to be answered was ridiculous, it seemed the only thing they forgot to ask was how many rolls of toilet paper we had on hand.
Once they were done and went back out to the barn to get their horse one of our cats went on a spree, climbing up the legs of the little pompous guy and sitting on his shoulder. He removed it but it immediately turned and ran right back up. He was not impressed and his lofty dignity and importance seemed to crumble as he kept trying to get rid of the cat which was just as determined to not leave.
LV finally got it and held onto it until they left. We never did figure what made the cat act like that since it never climbed onto anyone else.
I love to get up every morning and check your blog! Your posts are so beautiful and inspirational. They remind me of the books by Beverly Lewis. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteWow.. what nerve. Sounds to me like he was quite proud of his position. Seems very unfitting for an Amish gentleman. Wonder how well he kept the information he possessed private. Seems maybe the cat sensed amiss as well.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a smart cat. I can imagine how uncomfortable that had to be laying it all out like that. I guess you couldn't just say, "NUNYA" as in nunya business! :) By the way, how many rolls of toilet paper did you have in the house??
ReplyDeleteSounds to me like the cat was trying to put him in his place and remind him he wasn't any better than anyone else. Smart kitty, if you ask me!
ReplyDeleteThat's hilarious! That's one intuitive cat.
ReplyDeleteI'm all for being transparent but my goodness, that whole process sounds terribly invasive.
LOL@ imPerfect Housewife
ReplyDeleteThat is horribly invasive. It reminds me somewhat of what is actually going on in evangelical churches now too. Churches basically ask for your financial information and then utilize it to come up with how much you should be giving each week/year to the church! Then if you don't meet your amount, they will come and talk to you about your giving! Ah! My husband is a pastor, and in seminary some classes actually encouraged this practice under "accountability"! My husband detests the practice!!! And in our church, which issues no "quotas" to be met, our little church's giving has exceeded the financial need of the church even with the economy the way it is! God really provides, and does so by touching the hearts of the givers.
I'm sorry you had to endure such invasive questions and the attitude of that little man. I say good for that cat!
I was always brought up to believe that financial information is not discussed in polite company. It is also my belief that God provides. It is obvious in some cases that some are not as well off as others, but I don't think that it up to the church to tell me how much I need to give them, it is up to the Lord to deal with the giver.
ReplyDeleteI've always believed giving to God (your church) was a personal thing between you and God.
ReplyDeleteThe Bible says a tenth of what we have, but it is up to you what to give.
How intrusive that must have been. And what a clever little cat!
ReplyDeleteWow to the trustee and wow to the cat! Our church believes in Tithing (a 10th of all your increase) but it is between the members and God. No one comes in and makes you pay 10%.
ReplyDeleteI also believe in tithing, but I do not believe that God needs middlemen.
ReplyDeleteIf I were Amish, I certainly would have invested my money in toilet paper!
Cats are so clever, they have a sense we lack.Maybe God used that little rascal to teach the tax gut a lesson?
Here in the south we call what your cat did to the trustee's pride, poetic justice! It's a beautiful thing. ;)
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your life with so many! Is it painful to recall some of these memories? You seem so full of grace. Have a wonderful weekend with your family.
ReplyDeleteMaybe that was God's way (of using the cat) to bring the proud man down a few notches. Who knows?
ReplyDeleteMaybe your kitty thought the pompous one was "a fat rat".
ReplyDeleteI've heard of a VERY LARGE Church in this area, (the town it is in and town I live in butt up together and in and out of one or the other with out realizing it) they do that. Tell you what you MUST TITHE or no need to be a member there.
Love that cat!!!
ReplyDeleteNo wonder you left that way of life. Good for the cat!
ReplyDeleteI've been reading your blog silently for over a year now, and I just became an "official" follower. I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed your stories. My grandparents are also former Amish, and now are born-again followers of Christ. My grandpa is 82 and still farms corn and soybeans on the farm he grew up on. His stories of life in an Amish family are very similar to some of yours. As your story and plot are thickening, I'm filled with anticipation. Like a good book you can't put down, I wait for each of your posts to unveil another piece of the story. You've blessed me immensely and I just wanted to let you know.
ReplyDeleteSincerely,
Lynell
I do like your cat! I can attest that other denominations have similar characters.
ReplyDeleteThat guy sounds like he would've been in good company with the Pharisees. I'm glad I belong to the church where the tithing is between us and God.
ReplyDeleteHow dreadful. I can't imagine submitting to an inquisition like that. I've been in churches all my life and have never encountered such a thing.
ReplyDeleteAnd good for that cat! Isn't it grand how God can use animals?
Just curious, what exactly were "church taxes"? Was that over and above an offering? Was it to pay for your schools or what?
ReplyDeleteWow, I have just finished scanning your blog and focussing on many posts. I cannot believe your dedication. I would have skipped right to the end by now. Thanks for taking it slow and giving so many beautiful details. I look forward to the happy ending of your story!
ReplyDeleteKaren, the Amish don't believe in tithing and you won't find any offering plates being passed every Sunday either. Twice a year, at communion they give alms.
ReplyDeleteChurch taxes were used to pay school and church expenses. And if there was a fire and someone needed to rebuild everyone would be taxed, or told what they have to pay again.
I think God sent that cat to do that to bring that pompous guy down a peg or two. it must have been hilarious! Blessings, Joanne
ReplyDeleteHAHAHAHA!!! How I love a happy ending! My mother-in-law has a sign that reads: "A cat's a cat and that's that!"
ReplyDeleteI do believe the Lord knew LV needed a humorous moment or two on that day... just one step closer to being led by the Lord to the freedom we have in Jesus :-)
On another note, the government does pretty much the same thing as your trustees ... asessing the value of your property to determine what your land and school tax will be. Not quite as intrusive, though...
3 cheers for the cat!
Seems that no matter where you attend church there are always those who want to control others. Prayerful worship and joyful giving come naturally to those who love God. Sharing and caring are part of who we are so gentle reminding should be all that is necessary.I feel sorry for those trustees. What a burden to bear!
ReplyDeleteI tithe and give offerings as I am able to missions ect., I do use electronic banking for my tithing but thats because it suits me to do so not because the church/pastor asks for it to be that way , we dont allways manage to get to church one distance is a problem two my health can also be a problem so it just suits me to tithe that way . I think I for one would resent being told by a person what I was to give thats for The Lord to tell me.
ReplyDeleteLove reading your blog thanks for putting to rest all the romantic notions we get from Amish novels.
Just WOW.
ReplyDeleteGo kitty, It's hard to be more prideful than a cat.
ReplyDelete