I was discussing the derth of close American communities with a good friend recently, so this passage jumped out at me.
Deu 26:1-15 …And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the LORD thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you. When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled; Then thou shalt say before the LORD thy God, I have brought away the hallowed things out of mine house, and also have given them unto the Levite, and unto the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow…I have not eaten thereof in my mourning…
Worship is normally a community event, and tithing is no different. This third-year tithe is not meant to be a burden, but an occassion for feasting and entertaining. It was given directly to the local Levites, the landless, widows, and orphans who were all invited to a huge party for that purpose.
“Good fences make good neighbours,” wrote Robert Frost, alluding to the value of common labor. He was right, but never forget the value of common merrymaking. Good parties make good neighbors too.