Grace and Peace, Beloved St. Lukers,
We are finally catching a glimpse of fall (maybe!) — those occasional cool breezes that surprise us in the morning and afternoon, the temperatures dropping ever so slightly below melting (😉), the taste of pumpkin spice showing up in just about everything, and the sense that the season is shifting as the days get shorter. And right on cue, pumpkins are coming back to St. Luke’s! Pumpkins are scheduled to arrive next Wednesday and the St. Luke’s Pumpkin Patch will open on Friday, October 17! Soon our back lot will be filled with orange joy — families taking photos, children playing among the rows, and volunteers serving faithfully to make it all happen. Yay, fall is in the air!
As we welcome this new season, we’re also continuing our October sermon series, Serve Joyfully, exploring what it means to find joy in the everyday acts of faithful service. Sometimes that joy doesn’t come with celebration or applause. More often, it shows up in small choices, quiet acts, and unseen work — the moments when we simply keep showing up and doing what God has placed before us.
This week’s message, “Dig Anyway,” takes us to 2 Kings 3:13–19, where the prophet Elisha tells the people to dig ditches in a dry valley — even though there are no clouds, no wind, and no sign of rain. God’s promise is clear: “This valley is going to fill with water.”
It’s a powerful reminder that joyful service requires faith-filled preparation, even when the results aren’t visible yet. God often meets us in the hard, hidden work of obedience — in classrooms, kitchens, hospital rooms, and committee meetings — long before the blessing arrives.
Maybe you’re a teacher who keeps showing up for students, a parent praying faithfully for your child, or a volunteer quietly serving behind the scenes. This week is for you. Keep digging. Keep trusting. Joy grows in the soil of persistence and faith.
Join us this Sunday as we “dig anyway,” trusting that God will fill the ditches we prepare — in God’s time, in God’s way, and always with joy.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Jad
