Sunday’s Recap, Monday’s Call

October 12th, 2026

Sunday’s Recap: Creativity

Guiding Scripture: Luke 7:36-50; Mark 6:30-44

Making change involves feeling compassion for the areas of the world where there is suffering and working in collaboration with others to amplify our effectiveness. Yet many problems we face today are complex and difficult to address, even when our hearts are in the right place and even when we work together. Many modern problems require innovative solutions. In week three of our Changemakers series, we remembered that we are made in the image of a creative God. We have the capacity to be creative because God is creative.

The miracle of feeding the crowd of 5,000 shows us that if we can break out of a scarcity mindset that says we do not have enough, we can begin to see how what we have can make a difference. When Jesus tells the disciples to look at what they have, they seem to see only the major food shortage in front of them. But Jesus knows it will be enough.

Creativity does not always begin with finding new solutions to problems. Sometimes, it is simply a matter of seeing things differently. In our passage from Luke, Simon the Pharisee sees the woman at Jesus’ feet as unworthy of his attention. But Jesus sees her differently and challenges Simon to let go of the way society has taught him to see her and to learn to see as Jesus sees. Jesus shows us a creative way of seeing people as more than what society has labeled them.

Reading these two stories together, we find a message that creativity flourishes when we see people, problems, and situations differently. Rather than focusing only on what we lack, we can recognize and use the gifts, resources, and opportunities already before us. We do not need to bear the weight of solving complex problems on our own or all at once. Instead, we can work together to address the parts of a complex problem that are manageable for us.

Throughout this series, we have kept returning to the idea of avoiding a scarcity mindset that tells us there are not enough resources: time, money, energy, ideas, and more. We should be good stewards of our resources, and part of that involves acknowledging where there are shortages. But we cannot get stuck there, as the disciples did when they looked at their meager five loaves and two fish. Jesus saw what they had differently. In his hands, it became enough.

What if we saw the ways we give of our time, talents, leadership, and finances differently? Giving these things is not simply an obligation, a response to a church’s needs, or something we do out of guilt. It is a spiritual practice through which we participate in God’s work.

When we begin to see the abundance around us rather than focusing only on what we lack, we begin to see in the way our creative God sees. We can stretch our imaginations and allow God’s creativity to work through us, our actions, our imaginations, and our spiritual practices. Whatever we have in our hands can be enough to make a difference when we choose to see it and use it well.

Monday’s Call

This week, our invitation is to strive to see the world in the way our creative God sees. If you have compassion and people to work with, you already have a great start. Now, let us stretch our imaginations and use what we have to be changemakers in our community.

As you move through your week, consider trying one or more of these spiritual practices:

• 👁️ Seeing Differently: When you encounter a person or situation that frustrates you, pause and ask yourself: What might I be missing? Consider how someone else might see the situation and what you could learn by looking at it from a different perspective.
• 💭 Stretching Imagination: Think of a problem in your community that you would like to help address. Instead of immediately focusing on what is missing, make a list of the people, skills, resources, and opportunities already available to you. Ask yourself: What is one thing we could do with what we already have? Let yourself imagine possibilities before deciding what is practical.
• ✍️ Reflect and Journal (by Rev. Kathi McShane):
  • Can you describe a very creative approach to solving a problem that you’ve watched or heard about?
  • Often, our creativity gets stifled by trying to tackle a problem that is too big for us. We get paralyzed by our inability to do everything that is needed. Think of a problem in the world or your community that you’re concerned about. Hear Jesus asking you, “How much bread do you have?” Is there one small thing you could do to make even a tiny difference? What if a few people gathered together and multiplied that difference?
  • How do you see the connection between the church’s work of meeting people’s spiritual needs, connecting them to God, and the work of loving our neighbor in practical ways through justice and service? What do you think Jesus would say about this? How would you describe our church’s commitment to these parts of its work? Are they appropriately balanced?
• ⭐ Bonus: Explore the Changemaker Initiative website to learn more about the movement that inspired this series.

As people made in the image of a creative God, may we stretch our imaginations and use what we have to make effective change.