Weekly News
June 3, 2026
Rev. Rebecca’s Note - Pentecost and Justice, Part 2
Now we’re in that long and amorphous time “after Pentecost,” also known as “ordinary time” in the liturgical year. Like the Epiphany, there are several Sundays after Pentecost (as many as 28, contrasted with the after-the-Epiphany possibility of up to 9). If you look at a liturgical year calendar as a circle, fully half of the year - from June through November - is ordinary time.
So what I’m hearing the liturgical year say to me is that it is ordinary for us to live in the wake of Pentecost, that it is downright Christian for us to hear and heed the Holy Spirit as a way of life. It’s all well and good to say that, of course, but what does it mean in lived reality? As for what Pentecost means to us as Christians, we turn to Herb Montgomery for a reminder:
“A gospel that only focuses on believing in Jesus so that a person can be forgiven and go to heaven after they die is insufficient. Having the same Spirit on us that was also on the Hebrew Prophets and Jesus means being dedicated, like them, to matters of justice and the social dimensions of Jesus’ gospel. Jesus taught about a God who had a heart for social justice. And that God called his followers to make sure others around them had what they needed to thrive.”
And Rev. Heather Blais considers what this looks like in the liturgical year and lectionary: “Ordinary Time is our response to the story of Jesus. In scripture, we hear story after story of the people of God, as we navigate the ins and outs of walking the way of love. In some of the stories we get it right, and embody the very best of God’s love and are engaging in the work of transforming the world into what God always knew we could be. Other times, we get sidetracked or self-involved, and are given growth opportunities that we may or may not have asked for. This is our story of doing our best to walk the way of love.”
As for what it means to live this out in life, there are many ways we can do this creatively. How do you feel called to live out social justice and work toward a world in which all people have the basic means to life, and indeed have what we all need to thrive?
Sources:
Blais, Heather. “Teaching Sermon: The Church Calendar and the Liturgical Year” at The Episcopal Church of Saints James and Andrew, https://www.saintsjamesandandrew.org/sermons/teaching-sermon-the-church-calendar-and-the-liturgical-year December 5, 2021.
Montgomery, Herb. “Social Justice in the Wake of Pentecost” on Patheos.com, https://www.patheos.com/blogs/socialjesus/2025/06/social-justice-wake-pentecost/ June 5, 2025.
- Rev. Rebecca
PrideFest StL 2026
We are part of a group of Open and Affirming congregations who come together as a group to support the LBGTQIA+ community via our participation at St. Louis Pridefest. We will have a booth at PrideFest in downtown St. Louis; please sign up HERE if you’d like to take part!
TPA Online - Drawing All Things to God
Our Online Spiritual Group, Drawing All Things to God, will go on through the whole Easter season and beyond. You are welcome to join us anytime. We will have a brief spiritual practice and a video of the author reflecting on an idea for us to discuss and reflect upon together.
| Join us on Sunday Nights at 6 pm For the Online Spiritual Group aboutDrawing All Things to God Sign Up Here or join our Think+Pray+Act Connect Facebook group for the Link! |
There is so much we can say about Jesus - and much has been said about Jesus, who is the center of our Christian faith! But who is he, really, and what does he really mean to us? As we’re in the 50-day Easter season, in this series we consider who he is through video, discussion, and spiritual practices. See you online!
South City/Tower Grove Youth Group
Youth group is taking a break for the summer and will reconvene in August.
What’s Next
| May 29-June 6 | Daily Bible Reading 1st Chronicles 3-4 - 15-16 |
| Sun, June 7, 6pmOnline | T+P+A Online: Drawing All Things to God: Go Down MosesHow did/does Jesus embody God’s liberating love for all that we see in the book of Exodus? |
| Sat, June 13, 12:30pmOnline | T+P+A Gathering: Juneteenth and Pride MonthWhat do the faith and theology of queer BIPOC people bring to us? |
| Sun, June 14, 6pmOnline | T+P+A Online: Drawing All Things to God: Celebrating the CracksWhat about Jesus stirs your imagination? Did he fail? What have your own failures taught you about life? |
| Sat, June 27, 12:30pm2725 S Jefferson Ave, StL, 63118 | T+P+A Gathering: Pride in the Time After PentecostPentecost may be but a day, but that day set a new standard for who we are and how we show up in community. What does it mean? |
| Sat-Sun, June 27-281315 Chestnut St., StL, 63103Sign up HERE to be at the booth! | StL PrideFest 2026Come show your pride and support the LGBTQIA+ community by attending and taking a shift at our booth with Gateway ONA! |
| Sun, June 28, 6pmOnline | T+P+A Online: Drawing All Things to God: The Cosmic Christ with Richard RohrWhat the heck is the Cosmic Christ and why should we care? |
What to Know about Think Pray Act:
We are an open and affirming faith community that strives to maintain open and free theological learning as an act toward justice. We welcome all spirit seekers into full participation in the life and membership of the community. We actively and faithfully accept as they are people of every race, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, nationality, ethnicity, relationship status, physical and mental ability, family type, and economic background.
We believe God calls us to do justice and love kindness, giving assistance and healing to others and the planet by following the teachings of Jesus. We promise to love our neighbors, respect differences, and build authentic relationships by learning who we are, taking just action, and breaking bread together. In our actions, God’s love moves and shines.
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