Not Every Gift Must Serve a Mission

Based on John 12:1-8 – Mary anoints Jesus’ feet, and Judas objects to the waste.

Pastor Caleb Dawson sat in his office, staring at the blank page before him. His sermon notes for Sunday weren’t coming together. Not because he was uninspired but because his mind was somewhere else.

The church needed renewal—not just in spirit but also in its worship space. The sanctuary felt tired, and worship felt like an afterthought. Everything in the church budget went to mission work, and while Caleb believed in feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, and caring for the community, something gnawed at him.

Where was the space for beauty? For awe? For worship that lifted people beyond their everyday struggles?

He’d dreamed of a stained-glass window behind the altar for years. Something vibrant, something that would bathe the congregation in colour when the morning sun hit it. A reminder of the divine breaking through the ordinary.

But they didn’t have the money.

So, was it foolish to ask?

The next evening, he raised the idea in the finance meeting.

“We need to invest in worship,” he said, hands folded on the table. “I want to propose a stained-glass window behind the altar. We invite the congregation to give towards it—not from the regular budget, but as an offering of devotion.”

Silence.

Then Ethan Carlisle, the finance chair, cleared his throat. “Pastor, I’ll be blunt. We can’t afford it.”

“I know,” Caleb said. “That’s why we—”

“—ask people to give more?” Ethan interrupted. “When we’re already asking them to stretch every dollar for mission work?”

Heads nodded around the table. Caleb felt a lump form in his throat.

Ethan leaned forward. “Look, I get it. Worship is important. But what message does this send? We tell people the church is struggling, that every dollar should go to feeding the hungry and serving the poor. And then we turn around and say, ‘Oh, but we need a nice window’? It’s not just unwise. It’s irresponsible.”

A murmur of agreement rippled through the room. Caleb swallowed hard. He’d known this would be a hard sell. But he hadn’t expected to feel so alone in it.

Over the next week, the conversation spread. At morning tea, in small groups, and even in casual chats before service, people were talking.

“I mean, I love the idea of a stained-glass window,” said Linda, a longtime member, over her coffee. “But do we really need it?”

“It’s not about need,” said Grace Lin, one of the few who supported the idea. “It’s about what we give to God.”

“God doesn’t need coloured glass,” someone muttered.

The sentiment was everywhere.

Caleb wrestled with it. Was he wrong? Was this just ego? A misguided attempt to leave a legacy?

Late at night, he sat in the sanctuary, staring at the plain white wall where the window would go.

He prayed. And the words that came to him weren’t about budgets or mission statements.

They were about love.

People gave extravagantly to what they loved. That was just human nature.

And the way they spent their money revealed what they truly valued.

Two Sundays later, Caleb stood before the congregation. He took a deep breath.

“I want to talk to you about something I’ve struggled with,” he began. “Most of our budget—almost all of it—goes to mission work. Feeding the hungry, supporting shelters, running community programs. That’s good work. It’s work that reflects God’s heart.”

A few people nodded.

“But almost none of our budget goes to worship.”

Murmurs. Frowns.

“I’ve been asking myself: Why is that? Why do we spend everything on serving others but so little on creating something beautiful for God?”

He let the question hang.

“I’m not here to tell you that mission isn’t important. It is. But worship isn’t secondary. It isn’t a luxury. It’s the foundation. Without worship, without that deep sense of awe and devotion, mission becomes just another social program. And if we lose worship, we lose the reason we serve in the first place.”

Silence.

He took a slow breath. “I believe God is calling us to bring something costly, something extravagant—not because we must, but because we love. I want us to create a stained-glass window that will lift our eyes to heaven, that will remind every person who walks through these doors that this is sacred space.”

He paused. “We don’t have the money. I know that. But I also know that when we love, we give. And I am asking you—if this speaks to your heart—to give.”

At first, there was no response. People filed out quietly, some shaking their heads, some thoughtful.

Caleb went home that night wondering if he’d made a mistake.

Then, on Monday, Grace Lin was the first to call.

“I want to give,” she said simply.

By Wednesday, three more families had pledged donations.

By Friday, an anonymous giver pledged a sum large enough to cover nearly half the cost.

And on Sunday, Ethan Carlisle stood at the back of the church, arms crossed, watching the congregation fill out pledge cards. He hadn’t given anything yet.

But something about all of this gnawed at him.

And as the service ended, he reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet, and quietly slipped a cheque into the offering plate.

Even Judas, he thought bitterly, had to make a choice in the end.

Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction. While it may draw inspiration from real-life events, conversations, and church experiences, all characters, names, places, and dialogues have been created for narrative purposes. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or deceased, or real events is purely coincidental. Some details have been altered, adapted, or reimagined to serve the story’s themes.
The views expressed within the story are those of the characters and do not necessarily reflect the views of any specific church, denomination, or religious organisation. The story is intended to provoke thought and reflection, not to make definitive statements on church finances, worship, or mission priorities.

Not Every Gift Must Serve a Mission
(shorter version)

Based on John 12:1-8 – Mary anoints Jesus’ feet, and Judas objects to the waste.

Kalety Miotek, Poland, January 1, 2023: Stained glass windows in the church of St. Francis, seen from the outside in the evening. There is light inside the church, darkness outside. The anointing of Jesus’ feet.

Pastor Caleb Dawson sat in his office, staring at the blank page before him. His sermon notes for Sunday weren’t coming together. Not because he was uninspired but because his mind was somewhere else.

The church needed renewal—not just in spirit but also in its worship space. The sanctuary felt tired, and worship felt like an afterthought. Everything in the church budget went to mission work, and while Caleb believed in feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, and caring for the community, something gnawed at him.

Where was the space for beauty? For awe? For worship that lifted people beyond their everyday struggles?

He’d dreamed of a stained-glass window behind the altar for years. Something vibrant, something that would bathe the congregation in colour when the morning sun hit it. A reminder of the divine breaking through the ordinary.

But they didn’t have the money.

So, was it foolish to ask?

The next evening, he raised the idea in the finance meeting.

“We need to invest in worship,” he said, hands folded on the table. “I want to propose a stained-glass window behind the altar. We invite the congregation to give towards it—not from the regular budget, but as an offering of devotion.”

Silence.

Then Ethan Carlisle, the finance chair, cleared his throat. “Pastor, I’ll be blunt. We can’t afford it.”

“I know,” Caleb said. “That’s why we—”

“—ask people to give more?” Ethan interrupted. “When we’re already asking them to stretch every dollar for mission work?”

Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction. While it may draw inspiration from real-life events, conversations, and church experiences, all characters, names, places, and dialogues have been created for narrative purposes. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or deceased, or real events is purely coincidental. Some details have been altered, adapted, or reimagined to serve the story’s themes.
The views expressed within the story are those of the characters and do not necessarily reflect the views of any specific church, denomination, or religious organisation. The story is intended to provoke thought and reflection, not to make definitive statements on church finances, worship, or mission priorities.

Continue reading the full story here.