By Father Casey

I want to use the precious space of these opening sentences (readership lessens the longer you have to scroll!) to remind everyone about our special weekend ahead. It is what we call "ingathering," when everyone is invited to submit estimates of giving for the coming year, and also our annual Fig Fest Celebration honoring our church's 70^th anniversary.

The Saturday service happens as usual, but on Sunday there will a single, combined service at 10:00am. It will be followed by a fun outreach project for all ages, and then we will spill outside on what promises to be a gorgeous day to enjoy the party. If you are the type to enjoy dressing up, we invite you to dress from the 1950s!

And lest anyone think it will be so crowded at that single Sunday service that they should just stay home, let me reassure you: not only is there plenty of room, but it's not a true all-parish ingathering if the church isn't full!

We've been calling the campaign "Journey of Generosity" in hopes of being a bit playful on a subject that can feel very serious: giving. Those who've been around for a little while know this is a pattern – anyone remember the extra-long table or the giant puzzle? Being an avid outdoorsman who loves to hike, I love this year's theme and the corresponding materials. Hopefully you enjoyed unfolding the "map" of the brochure and taking time to consider the giving pathway and ten statements of belief about generosity.

Generosity really is a journey. We are all moving down the path of becoming more generous. Even those who have been giving away a sacrificial portion of what they have for years are still growing in generosity, because generosity is like the flow of love from our lives, and it is impossible to ever reach a limit on love. The hope is that we never get complacent and stop moving down the path; that we never get too comfortable and stop growing in the sacred work of giving.

A big piece of this campaign has to do with how we will practice generosity toward Transfiguration next year – what we will choose to give to God in 2027 through our beloved church. Melody and I will be increasing our pledge by 10% next year, as we seek to maintain our practice of tithing. I trust that you, too, are thinking hard about what to give.

But "Journey of Generosity" has always been about more than a financial decision. It's about an orientation toward the world. It's about being more generous in spirit, in attitude, in time, in grace. It's about becoming more Christlike. That's what my sermon last week about the "most generous interpretation" was about, and it's a theme I'll lean even more into this weekend. Christ gives us a beautiful remedy for the burdensome weight of me-centeredness. It's really only a burden if we continue to cling to what we have so tightly; all we need to know the lightness and joy of God is to let go of more.

I can't wait to see you this weekend. It's going be wonderful.

Casey +