Buck offers his 2 cents about plates
By Gene Owens
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Published: October 13, 2009
"What is the correct name for the brass plates that we pass to collect the offering each Sunday?” asked Jim Gordon of Oklahoma City. "Some say ‘offering plates,’ but some insist on ‘offertory plates.’ I suppose compromising with ‘collection plates’ would be an easy way out.”
Buck reckons each denomination or each congregation has to decide what to call the container in which worshippers deposit their offerings.
An offertory can mean either of two things: the part of the Eucharistic service in which the bread and wine are passed, or the offering taken at a religious service.
If you use the latter definition, and you collect the contributions on a plate, "offertory plate” appears to be an appropriate designation. But "offering plate” is less ambiguous.
Buck checked several religious supply houses and found that they use both "collection plate” and "offering plate” to describe the money dish.
Buck sees a subtle semantic distinction between a "collection plate” and an "offering plate.” "Collection” implies that you’re asking for money. "Offering” implies that you’re giving money. So, passing the collection plate would imply that you’re putting a strong arm on the congregation. Passing the offering plate would imply that the congregation is being given an opportunity to contribute willingly.
Advancing technology may remove the dilemma from Jim’s congregation. Churches are beginning to place "ATMs” — automatic tithe machines — at convenient locations so that parishioners can swipe their credit cards or debit cards and make their donations.
One church calculates the ingathering at $100 a swipe.
"The
Rev. T. Jubilee Beanblossom says somebody has been swiping money from the collection plate at the Swayback Church of the Holy Cow,” Gopher said.
"He says it amounts to $15 a swipe, which is about half the Sunday offering.”
Send questions for Buck to
Gene Owens, 315 Lakeforest Circle, Anderson, SC 29625, or e-mail him at Bucks
English@aol.com. Please let Buck know what town you’re from.
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