Saturday in The Week of The Festival of Pentecost (06/06/09)

May my meditation be pleasing to him,
for I rejoice in the Lord.

--Psalm 104:34

On this day the "festival half" of the church year draws to a close. Tomorrow, the "non-festival half" of the church year begins.

At the heart of the word festival is the word feast, and a feast is quite a bit different than grabbing a sandwich on the go. A feast is a celebration! And, during the first half of the church year, there were two big ones: The Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord (Christmas) and The Feast of the Resurrection of Our Lord (Easter). In a manner of speaking, these are the "twin peaks" of the church year. Looking at the church year in another way, the first half of the year focuses on the person, words, and work of Jesus Christ; the second half seeks to take what we've learned in the first and applies it -- always with the gifts and under the direction of the Holy Spirit! -- to our own lives. Faith goals animate the first half; life goals characterize the second. When the Season of Advent rolls around, the entire cycle repeats itself. In this yearly repitition, the growth in faith, love, and learning never end! As far as the teaching of Christianity is concerned, the church year is akin to a tenured professor who holds an endowed chair, and we have the privilege of being students as we gather for worship and then carry what we've learned into the living of our days.

Psalm 104:34, one of the verses appointed for this week, provides a fitting theme and prayerful thought for our lives as we live in the rhythm of the church year. The theme is Rejoice in the Lord! The prayerful thought is May my meditation be pleasing to Him!

PD