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Dear friends,Grace and peace to you in the name of our risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Summer is here, well not officially until June 21st, but you get what I am saying. School is out, we’re enjoying outdoor services (when it’s not raining), and we’re journeying through the season of Pentecost (also known as Ordinary Time). You may not realize it, but the season of Pentecost runs all the way until Advent!We may call it Ordinary Time, but there’s nothing “ordinary” about it! This is a time and a season where we get to focus more on the broader teachings and parables of Jesus. During the rest of the church year, our seasonal focus is much more narrowed. During Advent we’re focused on the upcoming Nativity and Return of our Lord, during the Christmas season we’re focused on what the Nativity of our Lord means for the world, we celebrate Epiphany and the season that follows (also known as Ordinary Time), then we reach Ash Wednesday and the Season of Lent which prepares us for Holy Week and the Crucifixion and Resurrection of our Lord, we celebrate the resurrection throughout the Season of Easter, then we observe the Ascension of our Lord followed shortly by the celebration of Pentecost. 

There are no major holidays during the season of Pentecost until we reach Reformation Day and All Saints Day. After coming through months of several church holidays, Ordinary Time can seem a little uneventful. But, it is a time of year where we get to hear and discuss other important stories and teachings in the life of Jesus that aren’t AS focused on the liturgical life cycle. And, as a bonus, since we’re in Year A of the lectionary, we’re working our way through Paul’s letter to the Romans. Isn’t that exciting!?

It’s a laid back time in the liturgical calendar for a laid back time of the year. So, I look forward to digging into the scriptures with you this summer as we discern what these lessons meant for the people who first heard them and what they still mean for us today, as we journey alongside one another in discipleship.And, if you find yourself traveling on any Sundays this summer, I encourage you to pop into a Lutheran, Episcopal, Methodist, or Presbyterian church wherever you are and see how the Spirit is at work among them.

Your Sibling in Christ,

Pastor Robert