Between Sundays: Light for the City, Hope for the Moment
This week we step into Stewardship Month, a season to remember who we are, what we are called to, and how God invites us to respond with faith, generosity, and hope. And the reality is not lost on me, brand new pastor, this crazy world we are living in…. what a moment to do it!!
I feel all the things right now; election anxiety hangs in the air. Federal workers and families dealing with shutdown disruptions. Food insecurity grows as our partners at the Frederick Food Bank work hard to keep shelves stocked. Uncertainty is loud right now. But the Church has never been called to retreat when the world trembles. We are called to shine. This Sunday the Word will continue to be proclaimed!
The Church is the Body of Christ living in the world!
When Scripture calls us the Body of Christ, it is not a metaphor of convenience, it is a sacramental identity. The Church exists so the world may touch grace, see grace, taste grace, be embraced by grace. In worship, in fellowship, in serving the hungry, in singing hymns, in carrying casseroles to a grieving family, in praying for a stranger, in lighting candles for the world, we place Christ’s light in human hands.
The Church is the sacrament of God’s welcome. The visible sign of invisible grace. A living lighthouse of mercy. When people encounter us, they should encounter the warmth of God. Not judgment. Not exclusion. But welcome. This! This is what it means to be light for the city. This is why stewardship matters. Stewardship is not just about budgets or buildings. It’s about being who Christ calls us to be in a world hungry for peace, belonging, and hope. It is about offering our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service, and our witness so that this church can continue to be:
- A place where neighbors are fed
- Children learn they are loved
- Worship lifts weary souls
- Community is strengthened
- Hope shines in dark places
Your generosity is not charity; it is participation in God’s mission.
So, as we enter this season, let us resist fear and scarcity thinking. Let us lean into trust, courage, and joy. Let us give and serve and love in ways that proclaim: God is here. Love is real. Hope lives.
Thank you for being the church, not only on Sundays, but every day in between.
Until Sunday, and all the days between,
Dr. Hutton