June arrives with summer warmth and brings a transition in our church life. We’ll be concluding our Psalms series and continuing with our combined 9:30 AM worship service that began on May 25th. These combined services offer a wonderful opportunity for us to worship together as one congregation. It gives us an opportunity to connect with members we might not regularly see during the year. I encourage you to take a moment to introduce yourself to someone new as we blend together for the summer months.
We begin the month with the final services in our Psalms series, celebrating God’s sovereignty in Psalm 97. Then on June 8th, we’ll observe Pentecost through Psalm 104’s beautiful recognition of God’s Spirit. For Pentecost Sunday, I invite you to wear something red as a visual reminder of the Holy Spirit’s presence.
In mid-June, we’ll turn our attention to 1 Peter, a letter that speaks with relevance to our contemporary context. Peter wrote to early Christians facing pressure from their surrounding culture. This is similar to situation today. He addresses them as “chosen exiles,” capturing the tension of being specially chosen by God while living as sojourners in a society with different values and priorities.
Rather than offering simplistic answers, Peter grounds believers in their identity in Christ while providing practical guidance for faithful living. Throughout this series, we’ll explore themes of holy living in challenging circumstances, our formation as God’s “spiritual house” built of “living stones,” and our calling to be distinct in our faith while remaining engaged with our community.
As we gather at our combined 9:30 AM service this summer, I look forward to our worship together. May the Spirit of Pentecost bring renewed energy to our gatherings, and may the wisdom of 1 Peter strengthen us as God’s people for this time and place.
Worship Schedule
- June 01 - The Lord Reigns (Psalm 97)
- Additional Readings: John 17:20-26, Acts 16:16-34
- June 08 - Spirit of Renewal (Psalm 104:24-35)
- Additional Readings: Acts 2:1-21, Romans 8:14-17
- June 15 - Chosen Exiles: Standing Firm in Shifting Culture (1 Peter 1:1-12)
- Additional Readings: John 15:18-21, Psalm 84:1-7
- June 22 - Alert, Sober, and Set Apart (1 Peter 1:13-2:3)
- Additional Readings: Matthew 5:13-16, Psalm 34:8-14
- June 29 - Living Stones: Building God’s Spiritual House (1 Peter 2:4-10)
- Additional Readings: Matthew 21:42-44, Psalm 84:1-4
