Called: 2021 Pentecost and After Pentecost Sermon Seeds Series

On the Day of Pentecost, the Spirit breathed life into the Body of Christ, and like the bones depicted in Ezekiel’s vision, they came together and stood up. That church stood up for the good news revealed in Jesus Christ and in their emerging ministry in the world. Today’s church is also called by God to live and to proclaim life abundantly!

— Rev. Dr. Cheryl A. Lindsay

The Sermon Seeds Series for the Day of Pentecost and the immediate weeks after will flow from the theme, “Called,” and explore the nature of our calling to be church. Below you will find the weekly themes and focus scripture passages along with a couple of quotes for further reflection.

May 23, 2021 | Day of Pentecost

May 30, 2021 | Trinity Sunday

  • Isaiah 6:1-8 
  • “Called, Cleaned, and Committed”
  • Sermon Seed

June 6, 2021

  • 1 Samuel 8:4–20, 11:14–15
  • “Unanticipated Vulnerability”
  • Sermon Seed

June 13, 2021

  • 1 Samuel 15:34-16:13
  • “Unexpected Leadership”
  • Sermon Seed

June 20, 2021

June 27, 2021

  • 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27
  • “Compassionate Leadership”
  • Sermon Seed

July 4, 2021

“The call of discipleship is the invitation to follow Jesus. The condition for discipleship is to engage in a ministry similar to his. We are called to engage in life-affirming, God glorifying, agony-eradicating ministry. We are called to partner with Jesus in service, not pain. Pain is a consequence of discipleship. It is not a lifestyle, a life sentence, or a life goal. Pain only signals the level of opposition to ministry. It is not the measure of discipleship; ministry is.”

― Raquel Annette St. Clair

“Although God clearly provides gifts for ministry, greater influence comes through character, the fruit of God’s Spirit. Charisma, winsomeness, popularity, charm, cleverness can matter. The greater testimony, however, comes from a character shaped by the love of Jesus, consistently demonstrated in ordinary action.”

— Mark Labberton

The Rev. Dr. Cheryl A. Lindsay, Sermon Seeds Writer and Editor (lindsayc@ucc.org), is a local church pastor and worship scholar-practitioner with a particular interest in the proclamation of the word in gathered communities.