Pastoral Letter: Watching My Child on an Autumn Morning
Dear SUM Family,
Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ.
This week has been filled with lovely days to enjoy autumn. Some days have felt a little like winter, with cool, crisp air. On others, I have watched the trees across the hills and fields sway in a warm breeze that felt like spring. And on warm, humid days, autumn has felt unexpectedly like summer.
One morning, my younger child said, “I’m off to school,” and headed out the door. As I watched my child walk toward the school bus stop, I noticed them looking around. Seeing my child lift their head and turn their gaze from one thing to another, enjoying the beauty of an autumn morning, made me so happy.
“Yes, may you fully enjoy this wonderful gift God has given you.”
That was my prayer as I watched my child walk away.
Are you enjoying this beautiful autumn, this precious gift from our Creator? I wonder where your eyes are resting, what you are noticing, what thoughts you are holding in your heart, and what words are finding their way to your lips.
Each of us is on a different journey, and the seasons within our hearts may be different, too. Some of you may be walking alongside the changes of autumn. Others may be living through days that feel as cold as winter, or days that leave you feeling as though you have been working up a sweat in the summer heat. Others may be welcoming new days little by little, like spring just awakening from winter’s sleep.
As we live through these different seasons, gratitude can become visible in the way we care for one another. In a church, this may appear in a welcome offered, a prayer spoken, a meal prepared, a lesson taught, or a gift shared so that ministry can continue. We do not give to prove our worth or to carry the church alone. We give because God’s grace has already met us, and because we hope that grace will reach our neighbors through the life we share.
Each year, as faithful stewards and disciples of Christ, we enter a stewardship season to support the mission God has entrusted to SUM. Through the love and generosity of our SUM family, the day-to-day ministries of our church continue. Even when this work receives little attention or is not easily seen, it matters deeply. This Sunday, we begin Room for More, our stewardship campaign as we prepare for ministry in 2027.
Our SUM family has also decided to move forward with the Accessibility Project as an expression of faith. The capital campaign for this project is planned to begin during Advent. I know that some are praying with concerns born of their love for the church.
As we face this large project, we bring our prayers and hopes before the Lord. We prepare for this ministry with the humility of placing what we have in the Lord’s hands, like the five barley loaves and two fish in John 6:9. Thank you to those who have already shared financial gifts, time, and ideas for serving.
I think again of my child that autumn morning, lifting their head, looking around, and enjoying the beauty of the season. May we walk together, looking through the eyes of faith toward what God has prepared for us and what God will accomplish through us in the days ahead.
Whatever your journey holds, I pray that Emmanuel, God who is always with us, will watch over your body, your heart, and your thoughts.
Grace and peace,
Pastor DH
Simsbury United Methodist Church
sumct.org | pastordh@sumct.org