Welcome to the long, long liturgical season of Pentecost. As the fifty-two Sundays arrive at LCM, they are divided into two parts, two seasons. The first season focuses on Christ – his life and work (Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter). The second season was just launched with both Pentecost and Holy Trinity Sundays. We are now in a season of twenty-six Sundays focusing on the life of the church. To see it clearly:
Season A – the life of Jesus (26 weeks)
Season B – the life of the Church (26 weeks)
Some worship planning has taken place. You might notice in the weeks ahead and emphasis on the challenges of being church in 2024. The Sunday morning liturgy will feel a little less formal. I will make a couple promises for each Sunday, we will sing at least one favorite hymn you know well and one contemporary hymn that might feel new. It is this combination of new and old that both honors the past and welcomes God’s new. If I am able, I will introduce the songs with good background information.
The sermons might be a little more theme-based or topical. I recently heard a set of words that might shape sermons during Pentecost. I heard the words, “a faith for our time.” Those words were spoken by Jim Wallis who feels an urgency as Americans seek a faith for our time. His bio reads: a globally respected writer, teacher, preacher, and justice advocate, currently at Georgetown University, chair of the Center on Faith and Justice. He has been a trusted commentator on things spiritual and things political, who believes Christians can be political without pledging allegiance to partisanship. My question is how? I will lean heavily on his new book, The False White Gospel: Rejecting Christian Nationalism, Reclaiming True Faith, and Refounding Democracy. In anticipation of a tumultuous election season, you might be interested in studying this book in September.
Rest assured: The sermons during Pentecost will not be “political.” I think you might be desperate too, for “a faith for our time.” A faith that restores hope in a fearful, distressing time for our world and our country. A faith that “doesn’t go left, doesn’t go right, just goes deeper.” Deeper into scripture as led by the Spirit of God that “bears witness with our spirit” that we are Children of God.
Pastor Kirk
Comments