Pentecost (2) 2026 Cross Connection
Dear Family and Friends of St. Luke,
+ Grace and Peace
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ , who has blessed us in Christ with every
spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the
world to be holy and blameless before him in love. (Ephesians 1:3-4)
Paul shares with the church in Ephesus (and with us) these words of promise and reassurance
that may seem too good to be true. The notion that we have been chosen in Christ before the
foundation of the world seems, quite honestly, a bit optimistic for our 21 century ears,
tempered as they are by the harsh realities of our world. For many of us, figuring out what we
are to do next week may be task enough. What difference does it make in our lives that we
may have indeed been chosen to be holy and blameless?
I ask these questions, my friends, because I believe that God’s word is meant sometimes to
confront us with a vision that is intended to be scrutinized even as it calls us to acceptance and
faith. In other words, I think it is healthy to wrestle with the Word and to allow the Word to
wrestle with us. If you are open to (or at least curious about) this kind of approach to
scripture, then please plan to participate in the upcoming Bible Study series on Ephesians that
will begin in September (see page 5).
In these hot, humid, and hazy days of summer, I hope you have had time to abide in the loving
embrace of God and welcomed the invitation to come to Jesus for rest for your soul. It is
where we belong as God’s children who have been chosen in Christ before the foiundation of
the world.
In Christ’s love for you,
Pastor Frye
You can view or print this month’s newsletter with graphics by clicking here.
Keep scrolling to read text-only
St. Luke Memorial Garden
As the years go on, The St. Luke Memorial
Garden is becoming more and more established
as each passing year allows the various plantings
to become more mature. What also has
contributed to the beauty of the garden is the
dedicated team of folks who care for the
watering, pruning, and general upkeep of the
landscaping, plantings, and hardscape. We should
all be grateful for their time and talents.
This memorial garden also accommodates our
columbarium, scatter garden, and memorial wall.
There are various benches available to provide a
place to sit quietly and remember loved ones or
simply to reflect and pray.
A Letter from Presiding Bishop Curry
June 23, 2026
America at 250: Holding gratitude and humility
Dear church,
As we look toward the 250th anniversary of the
Declaration of Independence, many of us will celebrate with
fireworks, parades and barbecues. Independence Day often
brings us together with family and friends. Yet there is more
that connects us than our communal celebrations. We are
also connected through a common vision.
Signed in 1776, the Declaration of Independence proclaims
a vision of equality for all people. While there were other
nations pushing for equality at the time, the declaration was
and is a monumental document in the way it names the
aspiration so boldly. As we observe and celebrate the 250th
anniversary of that signing, we also affirm the vision of
freedom and equality it casts. We can be grateful.
And with contrition and humility, we acknowledge all the
ways we have failed to embody that vision. As members of
this church, we are called to “pray, participate in, and
advocate for civic life in the United States that reflects
God’s activity and call, which seek both the well-being of all
people and a creation marked by justice and peace” (ELCA
social statement Faith and Civic Life, p. 89).
As Lutherans, we know the importance of naming realities
for what they are. As citizens, we confess the ways we have
not yet realized the vision of the Declaration of
Independence and, more importantly, as Christians we
confess the ways we have participated in or been complicit
in failures to live into the vision God provides. This vision is
rooted in creation and redemption. God crafts each person
in God’s own image and sends Jesus Christ to redeem us,
setting us free to follow Christ’s new commandment to love
one another.
The history of the United States is complex, and all too often we have fallen short of our stated values.
Indigenous peoples across this land have been forced to cede their ancestral homes and pushed to reservations.
Women and men have been prevented from voting because of their sex and race and spat on and jailed when
they demanded their rights. Japanese American families were interned during World War II. Queer and
transgender people’s lives are obstructed by federal and state orders.
There is a photograph of Elizabeth Eckford, one of the nine Black teenagers who integrated Little Rock Central
High School in Little Rock, Ark., in 1957. Books under her arm, she faces forward as angry white people crowd
behind her. She was just trying to go to school.
Holding both the failures and the vision in our hearts and minds, I invite us to ask ourselves, “What does it
mean to celebrate a promise that is real and yet still unfolding? What does it mean to be a people who always
live in ‘the already but not yet’”?
This is a central question for us not only as we mark the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of
Independence but also in our daily lives as people of faith. The prophets repeatedly remind us of the vision God
casts for all of creation, and they call us to account when, as God’s own people, we fall short.
When we fall short, we remember we are rooted in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We think, speak and live
out faith through God’s future. God’s future is resurrection. As a church, we are turned not only to the past but
to the future God is making possible right now through us as we love and serve others.
As Lutheran Christians, we believe that God calls us to:
- Remember our connection to each other through baptism, as Scripture teaches us: “We, who are many, are
one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another” (Romans 12:5). - Name sin for what it really is and to repent of it, as the Augsburg Confession and the catechisms remind us.
- Serve the common good in society as “earthly measures toward God’s intention” (Faith and Civic Life, p.11).
As we celebrate 250 years of the Declaration of Independence, we can hold gratitude and humility, possibilities
and shortcomings. We continue to live in the already and the not-yet.
And we hold fast to the most important promise of all: the presence of God with us, the power of the
resurrection of Christ, the accompaniment of the Holy Spirit and the ever-unfolding grace of God.
We celebrate this occasion neither as a perfect nation nor as a perfect church but as a people held in God’s
grace and called into community in service to all neighbors and for the sake of the world God so loves.
In Christ,
The Rev. Yehiel Curry
Presiding Bishop
Worship
Vespers in the Park
Throughout the Summer months, we will gather for Vespers (Evening Prayer) and fellowship on the third Saturday of each month at 6:00 PM.
August15
Greene Township Park (Just off Scotland Main Street at Elevator Street)
If you would like to participate in leading the service or reading one of the scriptures, please let Pastor Frye know.
Support
Council Highlights
Walk-Fahnestock Scholarship recipients – Luke Davies, Rowan Frye, Ella Jones, and
Scott Pettyjohn
Council/committees Collaborative Meeting September 21, 2026 6:30pm
June 14 email vote to provide monetary support to Choir Director James Martin to
attend a 2-day continuing education conference
Organ was tuned
Vespers in the Park – August 15 – 6:00 PM at Greene Township Park
Outreach
PENTECOST PROJECTS:
This year’s projects include the assembly of Personal Care Kits for Lutheran World Relief
(LWR) and collecting hygiene Items for the Nurse’s Closet at Chambersburg High School.
Providing essential hygiene items that support health and dignity of people lacking access to
them is a practical way we can serve neighbors in need. Lists of items needed are on the table
in the Gathering Area. You may respond by assembling completed personal care kits—
currently we especially need towels and bar soap, purchasing items for kits and/or the Nurse’s
Closet, or by donating money—make checks payable to St. Luke with Pentecost Project on the
memo line. Monetary donations will be used to purchase items needed to complete kits and to
stock the Nurse’s Closet.
LWR Kits will be assembled on “God’s Work. Our Hands.” Sunday, September 13. All supplies
collected for the Nurse’s Closet will be delivered to CASHS on August 17. However, we will
continue to collect Personal Care Kits, items for the Nurse’s Closet, and monetary donations
for either project through November 28, the last day of Pentecost.
Congratulations on an Awesome Accomplishment!
Christina Yarma joined CASHS Navy Junior ROTC upon entering her freshman year in the fall of 2025. In
February, she placed second in the American Legion Essay Contest sponsored by the Burt J. Asper
American Legion Post 46 in Chambersburg and was recognized in ceremonies at the legion and at the spring
Pass in Review at the school. The essay topic was “Why the 14th Amendment Is Important Today”. In March
Christina was named Cadet of the Month. At the end of the school year she was awarded ribbons for
exemplary behavior and maintaining a neat uniform.
In May she surprised herself by completing and enjoying a 7.5 mile march with her platoon. She plans to
continue with JROTC throughout her high school years and is considering entering the military in the future.
Education
Bible Study: On the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month beginning on October
13 at 11:00 am; there will be a Bible Study on the Ephesians led by Pastor Frye. Members
and friends of both St. Luke and St. Paul are welcome to join this class. We will meet in
the library at St. Luke. If you have any questions, please contact Pastor Frye.
Calendar
Visit our online calendar for the most current updates to meetings, events, and services.
Connect
2695 Luther Drive, Chambersburg, PA 17202
717-261-1213
[email protected]
