Truth and reconciliation
Today is September 29. Orange Shirt Day is September 30 so it is no surprise that the Presbyterian Church in Canada names this Sunday Truth and Reconciliation Sunday.
I don’t often divert from the Revised Common Lectionary, by which I mean I virtually never divert from the Lectionary. The Holy Spirit in her graciousness has consistently led me to uses of the Lectionary texts appropriate to whatever special day it might be. It isn’t that I’m a legalist about the Lectionary it is rather I don’t really trust myself “off leash” as it were and what is more, sticking to the Lectionary has made me an infinitely better preacher who has met the needs of various congregations better than I ever would if I chose my texts.
So why did I change my behaviour today? There are at least a couple of reasons. The first is as a sign of solidarity with the rest of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. I have said before how much I appreciate being part of a denomination. I am not about to say that all independent churches are bad because such a statement is nonsense. What I will say is that the checks and balances of a denomination are good for me and for most people I know who do preaching. The second is the Spirit told me to. I love dropping those sorts of things into conversation to see how people react. I did not hear an audible voice telling me what to do, Mother Spirit communicates in other ways to me most of the time. In this case, I simply knew the better way to talk about Truth and Reconciliation was to use these texts. I wonder if you will agree.
There are two other parts of the service you may find enlightening
Introduction to the service of Truth and Reconciliation
Prayer for the service of Truth and Reconciliation
As always, I would be delighted to hear what you think of the sermon, introduction, and/or, prayer.
Blessings,
