Summer Preaching at First Olympia

Last week we celebrated Pentecost, a time when the church remembers the coming of the Holy Spirit upon our community. The Pentecost Scripture tells the story of diverse voices suddenly understanding each other through the Holy Spirit. Those who spoke different languages, were born in different places, had different upbringing and education, all started to understand one another.

Pentecost reminds us of the diversity within the church and the blessings we realize in embracing how we come together in the unity of God’s love while also remaining unique people with varying experiences and perspectives. We are better together! 

Pastor Alexa and I both value our call as Ordained Elders to preach the Word. We claim our responsibility and authority for this ministry as one of the gifts given to us through our ordination.  We also embrace the message of Pentecost that invites us to see that God speaks to us through a variety of voices.

As a means of embracing the diverse Spirit of Pentecost, we are inviting some guest preachers to the pulpit this summer. This week, June 4, we will introduce Jessie Gray as our preacher. Jessie is a Certified Lay Speaker from ELMA UMC. Jessie often worships with us, she volunteers at Kids Church Party, and leads our Rainbow Fellowship. She will bring us a Word from the gospel of Luke called Potluck for All.

The next week, Pastor Alexa and I will both be out of town and Indu Thomas will be preaching. Indu is well-known to most of us. She will bring her deep wisdom to her sermon and will offer us the opportunity to learn and grow through her preaching.

In August, Pastor Kellen will be preaching. Pastor Kellen is our quarter-time visitation pastor as well as pastor at Tumwater UMC. Pastor Kellen will be the first of the South Sound Cooperative pastors who will be preaching as the co-op begins a pulpit swap.  Each even month, on the second Sunday, the co-op pastors will swap pulpits. Pastor Kellen will be here in August, Pastor Kelly from Shelton in October, and Pastor Denise from Lacey in December.

We pray that all the voices bringing us God’s Word this summer and beyond will be a true blessing to this congregation and our community!