October 5 – World Communion Sunday / Women's Storybook Project: "Mustard Seed Faith" (Luke 17:5-10)

Summary When disciples plead "Increase our faith!" Jesus responds not with a growth plan but with images of mustard seeds and mulberry trees, revealing that faith operates through rootedness and humble persistence rather than size or spectacle. The mustard seed metaphor suggests that authentic faith, however small, can accomplish seemingly impossible things like uprooting deep-rooted obstacles. The accompanying parable about servants doing their duty completes the teaching—faithful action flows naturally from relationship and calling, not from seeking recognition or reward. World Communion Sunday reminds us that our small faith participates in a global body whose collective witness embodies Christ's presence everywhere. The Women's Storybook Project exemplifies mustard seed faith through volunteers quietly stepping behind prison walls to help mothers read to children, creating bridges of love across barriers of concrete and steel. These small acts may seem insignificant compared to massive systems, but they plant seeds of hope and connection that grow in ways we cannot predict or control.