June 26, 2022: Sunday Sermon by the Rev. John Kennedy

The Rev. John Kennedy preached at our celebration of the Holy Eucharist on the Third Sunday after Pentecost. To learn more about St. Paul's, visit our website: www.stpauls-church.org Excerpt: In Steve Plank’s letter to the parish on concluding his 25 years as our choirmaster, he reflected on chapter 3 of the book of Ecclesiastes. Specifically, “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.” And, at last week’s Vestry meeting, Chris Smythe, one of our vestry members, led us on a meditation, inspired by Steve’s letter, on Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 and the song “Turn! Turn! Turn!” by the Byrds from 1965, originally by Pete Seeger. And, Steve noted in his letter, these turn out to be quite similar; the words of “Turn! Turn! Turn!” are taken almost entirely from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. Now, you didn’t miss something: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 is not one of today’s readings, but this is a day — and a time — of turning points. It is the first Sunday of summer; a time of turning seasons. And, along with that, it’s a few days after the Summer solstice — the longest day of the year — a turning point in our annual journey around the sun. And, of course, and in the time since I prepared this sermon, there’s been an overturning of a supreme court decision, which has ramifications and consequences that have and will continue to send shockwaves through American life. And, here in the church, a we settle into the long liturgical season of Ordinary Time, we find ourselves faced with other turning points. Last Sunday, we switched from the Gospel of John, which carried us through Easter Season, Pentecost, and Trinity Sunday, to the Gospel of Luke, which will take us through Ordinary Time until Advent. And today, within the Gospel of Luke, we find an important turning point in in Jesus’ life and Luke’s narrative. Luke tells us: “When the days drew near for Jesus to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.”