Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
I do believe I have been changed for the better
And because I knew you I have been changed For good
(“For Good”, from the musical Wicked)
If you stuck around for Youth Karaoke last week or passed through the 100 building after the Fireside Chat, you might have heard our youth and choir (gracefully) belting every showtune and karaoke classic imaginable. From Journey to The Greatest Showman, I have never heard the chapel roaring with such delight!
One evergreen source of karaoke classics is the musical Wicked- particularly the songs “Defying Gravity” and “For Good.” The latter brings poignant closure to a life changing relationship, invoking forgiveness and gratitude. The takeaway: our relationships with one another, as complex and messy as they may be, change us for good.
This coming weekend is our Stewardship Sunday, having pondered how to steward our community For Good: telling the truth, practicing goodness, and giving for good. We’re also celebrating with our Fall Festival, so there are bonus points to anyone who brings their Giving Estimate while dressed up as Glinda, Elphaba, or any of their other favorite Wicked characters! (More information on our All-Church Fall Festival located in the newsletter below)
While our stewardship theme is not actually based on the Broadway hit of the same name, the promise that each of our presence has a remarkable impact on one another is consistent across the two.
God shares with us, that we might share God’s goodness with the world.
We have spent the past many days considering what it means to steward the past and practice generosity in the present. Our recent Fireside Chat brought that into the forefront in a big way!
What does it mean for First Church to be here For Good?
Not because we’ve always been here, or to simply to keep the institution alive, or to maintain a building or to preserve programs, but here for good.
Here for the good news of God’s expansive love. Here for the people who have been excluded elsewhere. Here for the neighbors who need community. Here for justice. Here for young people who deserve a place where their voices lead. Here to repair what has been broken. Here to celebrate what is beautiful. Here to make a better future possible.
As we discussed in the first week of our series, we cannot change the past, but we can decide what we will do with what we have inherited. We can decide what kind of church we will be and what our resources will make possible.
This week, we are invited to make a concrete commitment to our shared future. We do this as an act of hope, because we believe that our church’s presence has a remarkable impact on the community around us, and that each one of our presence, prayers, gifts, service, and witness has a remarkable impact on our church.
As we prepare for Stewardship Sunday, we have great news from the Finance & Stewardship committee about our progress so far.
Before our official Stewardship Sunday has taken place, we are already over 50% of the way toward our goal of $900,000 in Estimated Giving! 10 households have made a giving commitment for the first time, and 31 households have increased their giving estimate for this next year.
What an exciting testament to our congregation’s commitment to share For Good!
As heartening as our current progress is, we know that we still have a long way to go. Your Giving Estimate matters very much. We hope that this Sunday, 125 more households will make a commitment to the impact of First Church.
If you’re in worship on Sunday, we’ll have a time of preparation and dedication for the Giving Estimates that we will bring forward. If you are one of the 65 households who have already made your commitment (thank you!!), we’ll have extra cards for you to place in the plate to be dedicated.
Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood,
First Church,
through the way we model holy relationships,
through the way we ask for forgiveness and offer gratitude,
through the love-filled Christian witness we share that heals old wounds,
through the hope of resurrection that we bring to a weary world,
through the dreams of thriving we have for our city and our communities,
through the welcome we share that deepens belonging,
First Church is changing lives For Good.
With love and gratitude,
Pastor Karyn