The Joash Chest
Over the next two weeks we’ll celebrate two baptisms, and on Sunday, November 22, Consecration Sunday, we’ll receive new members and bring our commitment cards for 2027 forward to the Joash Chest. If you’ve ever wondered where that name comes from, the story is tucked away in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles.
Joash became king of Judah when he was just seven years old. By the time he grew up, the temple in Jerusalem was in rough shape. Years of neglect had left cracks in the walls and work undone. Joash told the priests to collect money and make the repairs. And then, nothing happened. Years went by, the money came in, and the temple stayed broken.
So, Joash and the priest Jehoiada tried something new. They took a simple wooden chest, bored a hole in the lid, and set it by the entrance to the temple where everyone could see it. Then they invited the people to bring their gifts.
Scripture says the leaders and all the people rejoiced, and they kept bringing their offerings until the chest was full. Then they filled it again. And again. The money went straight to the carpenters, builders, and stonemasons who restored God’s house, and those workers handled it so honestly that no one even needed to check their books.
Nobody in that story was shamed into giving. The people saw what needed to be done, they trusted where their gifts were going, and they gave gladly. The chest became a picture of a community that believed in its future.
That’s what I hope the Joash Chest means for us on the 22nd. When we walk forward with our commitment cards, we’re not paying dues. We’re saying, together, that we believe in what God is building at Calvary. We’re saying yes to the new members standing at the front of the sanctuary that morning, yes to the children we’ll baptize these next two Sundays and every child who will grow up in this church, yes to our neighbors who will find a home here, and yes to the missions and ministries that carry our light into Frederick.
This year I’m asking each of us to consider a small stretch, something like a cost-of-living increase in our own giving. If you’ve never made a commitment before, this is a good year to start, at whatever level feels right. Every card in that chest helps us plan for the year ahead with hope instead of worry.
Your Light for the City booklet and letter will have everything you need, and you can also make your commitment online through our pledge portal. But if you can, bring your card in person on the 22nd. There’s something about seeing that chest fill up, together, that does a church good.
Not obligation. Gladness.
Until Sunday, and all the days between,
Dr. Hutton