Friends,
I write this just a hour before I must submit it to Stephanie to include in this week’s e-news, so this is going to be pretty succinct. Normally on Thursday morning, I lock my doors and try to think of something meaningful to write you, and this Thursday was a particularly big day. It was our Day School’s Commencement ceremony, and for my family it was particularly big because it was our son’s last day in pre-Kindergarten. As we were putting on his seersucker suit for graduation the stomach bug hit our family like a ton of bricks, and much work simply had to go on the sidelines.
I thought I would take this abbreviated time to highlight a few big things coming up:
Pentecost: This Sunday is Pentecost, and we are having a combined service this the Ghanaian Methodist Church that worship in our space after we are through on Sunday morning. Pentecost marks the birth of the Church when the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and went out into the street proclaiming the Good News in everyone’s native language. It is particularly meaningful to bring out communities together on this Holy Day. For communities in diaspora Church can be a place where they can embrace the cultural things that make their communities and worship experience unique. I do not bemoan the existence of different denomination and expressions of Christianity. Many see them as a threat to unity, but I see the many Churches the make up Christendom as an expression of the tremendous diversity within our faith. Pentecost is a great time to get together, experience things that are new to us, share what makes us unique, and affirm each other’s faith. Also, this is far from a rule, but a neat tradition has been to wear red on Pentecost!
Summer Outdoor Worship: Three summers ago Kate Weber-Petrova and I made the decision to lean into our periodic outdoor worship and do it every Sunday in the Summer. This proved to be so popular, we created the 5:00 pm service to keep an untraditional option available during the school year. Now that the school year is winding down, we are going to start up the outdoor worship again! The last 5:00 pm of the year will be on June 2nd, and the outdoor services will start up on June 16th. I hope you join us, and don’t forget a camp chair!
Prayer Corner: While we had Rev. Cory with us, one of us would be in the corner of the Church during communion to offer blessings and prayers. I was surprised and heartened to see so many come to ask for prayers. This is something I would love to continue. Hopefully, we’ll have more help in the coming year, which would make this logistically easy. Since I will be solo clergy for a while, we won’t be able to continue this. Lay pastoral care members may be able to take over. If you ever feel like you need my prayers, know that I am available for you. If scheduling a time for me to visit for prayer feels intimidating, consider coming to the Wednesday noon healing service where we also offer special prayers.
Well, this is about all I have in me for the moment. Thank you all for being part of St. Luke’s and I look forward to seeing you at our wonderful services coming up!
-Nick