Dear Pali Pres,
It sure feels like we finally turned the corner into “summer” here in the Palisades. I know…technically summer doesn’t begin until June 20th. But with the weather turning nicer recently and school letting out this past week (both LAUSD and our church preschool) it feels like we have entered a new season around here.
Additionally, this past Sunday was our wonderful Music Appreciation Sunday, during which we celebrated God’s gift of music and the amazing talents of our Chancel Choir and Contemporary Music Band. Our choir will now take a break through Labor Day, though we will continue to be led in worship each Sunday by our soloists and our full band.
In the spirit of the new season we have entered into, Pastor Grace and I have planned a Summer Sermon Series entitled, “Exploring the Parables of Jesus.” Beginning this coming Sunday and going through the end of August, we will explore a new parable each week with an emphasis on the parable’s theological and practical impact. One of the resources I will use in my sermon preparation is Tom Long’s excellent new book, Proclaiming the Parables: Preaching and Teaching the Kingdom of God. To borrow from the book’s description, “Long sees parables not merely as creative figures of speech but as GPS devices taking hearers to those places where the event of God is happening all around us.”
I very much look forward to unpacking several of Jesus’ parables this summer in fresh and creative ways, with an aim for us to further understand how “the event of God” (as Long puts it, which I love!) is happening in our world and in our everyday lives.
I do hope to see you in church—as your summer vacation plans allow, of course—as we delve into Jesus’ timeless parables together!
Grace and peace,
Pastor Matt