After being here for a few years, I am getting more used to the rhythm of summer here in Minnesota. It comes, moves, and will end quickly as we try to enjoy time with family and friends.
The gardens are producing. The fields are stretching toward harvest. Children are enjoying long evenings outside. Families gather around picnic tables, campfires, and lakeshores. There is something about the middle of summer that reminds us to pause long enough to notice the abundance that surrounds us.
That spirit of abundance makes this a wonderful time to gather as the wider United Church of Christ family for our annual Community Picnic Sunday at Oscar Olson Park in Glencoe. It is always a joy to worship alongside neighboring congregations, share a meal, laugh together, and remember that we belong to something much larger than ourselves.
This year’s guest preacher, the Rev. Wendy Vander Hart, Generosity Officer for the Minnesota Conference UCC, will reflect on Acts 4:32–35 in a message entitled “Braver Days Ahead.” It is a fitting theme for both our churches and our world.
The early church described in Acts was not remarkable because its members were wealthy or because they agreed on everything. They were remarkable because they trusted God enough to share what they had. Luke tells us they were “of one heart and soul,” and that “there was not a needy person among them.” Their generosity was not rooted in obligation but in gratitude. Having experienced the transforming love of the risen Christ and being filled with the Holy Spirit they discovered that open hands create open hearts.
Generosity is much more than money. It is the courage to share our time with someone who is lonely. It is the willingness to lend a hand when a neighbor needs help. It is offering encouragement when someone feels discouraged. It is opening our homes, our tables, and our lives to others. Generosity is simply love made visible.
Like those first disciples, we live in uncertain times. There are challenges facing our communities, our nation, and even our congregations. It can be tempting to respond by holding tightly to what we have. Yet the Gospel consistently points us in another direction. Jesus teaches us that hope grows when it is shared, faith deepens when it is practiced, and joy multiplies when it is given away.
Perhaps that is what brave generosity looks like today. It is trusting that God’s abundance is greater than our scarcity. It is believing that kindness can still overcome fear, that compassion can still heal divisions, and that communities grounded in Christ’s love can become signs of hope in the world.
May this summer continue to refresh your spirit, renew your hope, and remind you that God’s generosity surrounds us every day. Together, may we move into the days ahead with courage, open hearts, and open hands, trusting that the God who has blessed us so richly will continue to bless others through us.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Scott
St. John's United Church of Christ 
You must be logged in to post a comment.