June 2024
From the Pastor,
As we enter the month of June, we also enter the long green season of Pentecost. Essentially, the Sundays in Pentecost offer us the opportunity to reflect on the ministry of Jesus. We learn of the miracles and parables of Jesus, and we grow spiritually as we follow this path in his ministry.
Finally, toward the end of November, we hear Gospel lessons relating to the final redemption of the world. And, on the last Sunday of Pentecost, we celebrate the relatively new Festival of Christ the King. As Lutherans, we also celebrate Reformation Day as well as All Saints Sunday (other liturgical Christians celebrate All Saints on November 1, but the Lutheran calendar calls for this remembrance on the 1st Sunday of November).
I am writing about these facts for a reason. The liturgical calendar is a way to structure the year spiritually. From the beginning of Advent through the Easter season, we move toward and through the ongoing story of Resurrection. Finally, with the season of Pentecost, we also celebrate the meaning of the Jesus’ ministry.
One of the ongoing ways this celebration occurs (regardless of the season) is through the work of the food ministry at St. Peter’s. A group of people in this congregation diligently prepares food each Sunday evening to distribute to those in need in our community. Several larger churches engage in this ministry too. And, every day of the week, food is available for people in need in this area.
One of the Pentecost stories involves the feeding of the 5000. In a very real sense, that miracle began a chain of events that continues to this day on Pawleys Island and throughout the world. If you consider the spiritual significance of feeding people for even a moment, you become aware of the mysterious power of the Holy Spirit driving these efforts where they occur.
My point here is that when we act as God’s own people, we do not act alone. We are always working with others (even if those “others” are not visible to us).
Through the South Carolina Synod, we are also involved in a variety of ministries in this state and around the world. As a congregation, we would have no way of participating in these ministries without these connections.
At the last Church Council meeting, our Stewardship and Finance Committees presented resolutions restoring our Mission Support dollars as a regular percentage of our offerings. This action is important for providing a connection to others who are working as Christ for the world. However, it is also important for us. We are God’s people who are called to serve. Needs exist all over the world—not just in Pawleys Island.
We can all give thanks for the ministry our Lord provides. And we can certainly give thanks for those whom God continues to call to serve in our congregation and in our community (wherever we find community in the world). Truly, as we enter a new Pentecost season, God is shaping us through the power of faith and the gift of love!
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Scott