Dear St. John’s Family and Friends,
Memorial Day is not only the kick-off to summer but it also is a day when we are called to pause to remember those who served with courage and sacrifice. We remember lives given in service to others, families who carried burdens quietly, and the cost that freedom and peace so often demand. Memorial Day is not simply about history; it is about gratitude. It reminds us that healthy communities are sustained when people recognize they belong to something larger than themselves. As we gather on this Memorial Day and on the day after Pentecost, we hold together two important truths: remembrance and renewal.
Our readings on Sunday were both the traditional reading in Acts 2 on the coming of the Holy Spirit but also the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 12 including “There are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit… To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” Those words feel especially meaningful this week. Paul reminds the church that no one person carries all the gifts, and no one person is meant to carry life alone. God creates communities where different people contribute different strengths, all for the sake of the common good.
That truth applies not only to the church, but also to society itself. Memorial Day reminds us that generations before us understood something important: service matters. Sacrifice matters. Community matters. People are connected to one another in ways deeper than convenience or self-interest. The Holy Spirit forms one body out of many lives and many stories. Different people. Different experiences. Different gifts. Yet still connected. Paul’s image of the body is powerful because every part matters. Some gifts are public and visible. Others are quiet and unseen. Some people lead. Others encourage, comfort, organize, pray, teach, heal, and show up faithfully day after day. But all are needed.
And perhaps that is one of the greatest lessons we can carry forward from both Memorial Day and Pentecost: we belong to one another. The church is strongest not when everyone is the same, but when people learn to honor one another’s gifts and work together with humility and love. Communities flourish when people ask not only, “What do I want?” but also, “How can I serve? How can I contribute? How can I help build hope for others?”
The Spirit that descended at Pentecost was not given simply for personal inspiration. It was given to form a people shaped by compassion, courage, generosity, and care for neighbor.
As we remember those who served and sacrificed this Memorial Day, may we also recommit ourselves to living as people guided by that same Spirit. May we use the gifts God has given us for the common good. May we become people who build bridges instead of walls, seek understanding instead of division, and work toward communities marked by justice, kindness, and peace. For in one Spirit, Paul says, we are all part of one body. And that Spirit still moves among God’s people today.
Grace and peace,Pastor Scott Siefert
St. John’s United Church of Christ
St. John's United Church of Christ 
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