Season of Giving

Hello Church!

The prophet Isaiah declares, “Arise! Shine! Your light has come; the Lord’s glory has shone upon you.”

The psalmist sings, “Be merciful to us, O God, and bless us, show us the light of your countenance and come to us.”

Eugene Peterson’s rendering of Jesus’ instruction in the Gospel of Matthew is, “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine!”

Our faith is to be a light to the world. We shine the love of God in the shadowy places of despair, fear, and hopelessness. We shine the God-colors of blessing, joy, and new beginnings. 

So, it is no surprise that the church has employed stained glass windows to reflect the glory of God for over a thousand years. At St. Jude’s, we’ve marveled for thirty years at the beauty of light refracted through our Apricot Window. We’ve just completed a complete renovation of our window, and we’ll be re-dedicating our Apricot Window to God’s glory when Bishop Lucinda visits on October 29th. 

We look forward to many years of light streaming through this symbol of God’s provision and presence in our lives. The original designers of the window noted that the “use of clear glass set in simple grids, [gives] the feeling of worship set in the midst of God’s creation. It speaks of a church not closed off from the world, but one which embraces and seeks to be involved in that which surrounds it.”

We endeavor to continue that witness of a church not closed off from the world but one that embraces and is deeply involved with the world around us. 

To accomplish this vision of our light shining on through our windows and our lives, we need your help. 

I invite you to consider how the Spirit is calling you to contribute your financial gifts to our faith community. Over the next several weeks, you’ll hear stories of how members of our parish have shared their resources and experienced God at St. Jude’s. On November 5th, we’ll distribute pledge cards to return on November 19th, when we’ll have an InGathering service to offer our pledges of financial support for the year ahead. 

Whether near or far, I am thankful for each of you and how we shine our God-colors for all the world to see.

In Christ,

Rev. Aaron Klinefelter

P.S. If you’re ready to pledge right now, then visit https://saintjudes.org/pledge/ to pledge online. It’s quick, easy, and ensures that our Treasurer and Pledge Secretary can read what you wrote! Or you can wait for a pledge card to be handed out at church on November 5th to return at the Ingathering on the 19th. (Even if you pledge online, we’re asking that you still return the pledge card with the “I pledged online” checkbox marked.)