We now begin that other part of the church year, the “Sundays after Pentecost”, also known as “Ordinary Time”. (Remember, it’s called “ordinary”, not because it’s boring or average, but because it’s counted, as in “the 2nd Sunday”, “the 3rd Sunday”, and so on.) There are few major festivals to break the rhythm of week after week, Sunday after Sunday. And so, freed from exciting distractions, we are able to notice the work of the Spirit among us in quieter ways, as we go about the regular business of our lives.
At the same time, we are also moving into what I think of as “Assembly Season”. Across the country, synods have already begun to gather for yearly assemblies—our Southwestern Minnesota Synod will meet June 12-14. This year, all four of our congregations are planning to send voting members. Although it seems ordinary and commonplace to us, our presence all by itself is a sign of hope in our region, where many other congregations are considering entering into parish relationships, some for the first time.
This year is especially important because it’s also a Churchwide Assembly year. As the entire ELCA prepares to gather in Minneapolis in August, our Presiding Bishop has asked that we all spend some time in prayer for 50 days before the assembly, beginning June 29. Some sample prayers will follow in this newsletter; more suggestions are available at elca.org. And I figure, why wait for June 29? Why not start now? Those of us who will be at synod assemblies will also appreciate prayers for wisdom and discernment.
Some of the business conducted will be routine—and, yes, even boring. Some of it will be more exciting, and will need extra prayer support—you may even hear about it on the news. All of it is about of how we try to live together as God’s people, called to be saints but also knowing that we are still sinners!
And may God’s love and peace be with us all, in this and every season.
~Pastor Sarah
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