Dear Friends,
As I reflect on these past few weeks, my heart is full. Our Stewardship Campaign was not just successful — it was meaningful. It was rooted in prayer, shaped by generosity, and carried by the stories and hopes of this congregation. You showed once again what it means to be Light for the City, and I am so deeply grateful.
If you have not yet returned your commitment card, please know there is still time. You may mail it, drop it off at the office, or simply bring it on Sunday. Every promise made, every prayer offered, and every act of generosity strengthens the ministry we share.
But as we turn toward Thanksgiving, I am mindful of these words from the Apostle Paul… “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18. Paul does not ask us to give thanks for everything, but in everything. Gratitude, for Paul, is not a reaction, it is a spiritual practice. A way of seeing. A way of living. Thanksgiving invites us to pause and look again at our lives through the lens of grace:
- To notice the small graces we might otherwise hurry past.
- To name the blessings we didn’t create or maybe deserve.
- To recognize God’s presence in places we never thought to look.
- To take a deep, steadying breath and remember that God’s goodness holds more of our lives than we often realize.
Psalm 100 gives voice to this deeper kind of gratitude… “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and bless his name.”
This is not a once-a-year invitation. It is a way of walking into every day, with hearts open, hands ready, eyes lifted toward God’s goodness.
And now, as Advent stands just around the corner, we prepare once again to welcome the Christ Child, the Giver of every good and perfect gift. Soon we will light the candles, sing the ancient hymns, and hold the sacred quiet of those winter nights. Soon we will embrace the gifts beneath all the lists: hope, peace, joy, and love.
But for this week, I pray that Thanksgiving gives you space to breathe, to savor, to remember, and to rest. Thank you, dear friends, for all the ways you embody Christ’s generosity. Thank you for your stewardship, your faith, and your presence. Thank you for being the church, not only in what you do, but in who you are.
May your Thanksgiving be rich in gratitude, gentle in pace, and full of holy moments.
With deep appreciation and joy,
Dr. Hutton