From the Pastor

That Time of the (Church) Year
(Acts 2:29-33)

It’s that time of year in North Carolina that summer has not quite arrived, but we know it’s on its way. NBA conference finals are almost over. Fireflies in the backyard have not yet given way to cicadas. It’s still a little too cool for that swimming pool. But never fear — summer’s around the corner!

What is “that time of year” when it comes to the Church Year? Perhaps it’s customary for us to notice the changing of the church year at its beginning… when Advent gets underway in late November. But noticing the time of year as we approach the middle can give us an appreciation of that green growing season of the church year often called “Ordinary Time” or “Time of the Church.” We move from a series of festival Sundays focused on important events in the life of Jesus to a time of year that we apply the teachings of Jesus to the Church. The color for this season is green. It’s a reminder that the teachings of Jesus that both call sinners to repentance AND give them the assurance of sins forgiven is where life-giving growth, by the power of the Holy Spirit, is found! Peter’s sermon on the first Christian Pentecost mentions how the crucified, risen, and now ascended Jesus had just poured out the Holy Spirit on the people gathered together that day in Jerusalem. And Jesus still grows the faith of His people — you and me — by gifting us with His Holy Spirit, through God’s Word and Sacrament.

Resurrection Lutheran Church in Cary is, by the grace of God, growing! Our worship attendance has been steadily ticking up since the pandemic ended. As I write this, our average in-person worship weekly attendance so far for 2025 stands at over 400. We have over 800 subscribers to our church’s YouTube channel. And we had almost 1000 people gathered in-person to worship with us this past Easter Sunday! More importantly, more of us are growing in our faith at RLC these days as we gather around God’s Word together. The number of those attending Bible, Christian doctrine, and Sunday School classes these days is higher, too. But our congregation (as well as each one of us) still has room to grow! The possibilities for what lies ahead in this season of our congregation’s life are fun to imagine.

Let’s keep listening to Jesus. Let’s keep our hearts open to receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit Jesus brings us again and again. As we do, we look forward to discovering where we all have room to grow. What will this summer bring? I can’t wait to find out.

Peace and joy in Christ,
Pastor Jonathan