Pastor’s Pen
This spring is flying by! We are still in the season of Easter which continues until Pentecost. This year, Pentecost falls on the third Sunday of May. The date for Pentecost moves each year since it always occurs 50 days after Easter Sunday, and we know that Easter shifts from year to year. Our annual congregational meeting will also take place on Sunday, May 19.
We will continue to work through the Gospel of John on the first two Sundays in May. On the first Sunday of May, we will look at John 15:9-17. The passage picks up immediately after our passage from the previous week. Jesus continues to give instruction to the disciples about how to live faithfully. Jesus talks about sacrificial love and how that love is the key to experiencing God. This week, we will look at true friendship as guided by Jesus, as well as celebrate the Sacrament of Communion.
The second week of the month brings us to the final Sunday of Easter, and we will focus on John 17:6-19. In this passage, Jesus prays for the disciples as he prepares for the events of Holy Week. Jesus reminds the disciples, through prayer, that we don’t belong in this world. We are part of this world to act as Christ on earth and share God’s love with others.
The third Sunday of May will be a busy one here at GPC. We will celebrate Pentecost by looking at the familiar passage in Acts 2:1-21. As we reflect on the flames of Pentecost, we will consider how we might be called to stand in the flames. Following worship, we will hold our annual congregational meeting where we will elect our new Deacons and Elders among other things.
Finally, on the last Sunday of the month, we will celebrate Trinity Sunday which is always the Sunday following Pentecost. According to the Book of Common Worship, “this theological festival celebrates the nature and mission of the triune God — an identity and purpose we share as those who are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” On this final Sunday of the month, we will take time to ponder what it means and why it matters that God is one God in Three persons.
I am looking forward to a wonderful month of worship!
Blessings,
Pastor Emily