Pastor’s Reflection
This week we continued our core values series with Belonging Matters. In Matthew 12, Jesus shows us that people matter more than religious gatekeeping. He feeds the hungry, heals the hurting, and refuses to let religious systems decide who deserves mercy.
This message also connected with Pride Sunday and New Spirit’s identity as a Reconciling in Christ congregation. Being RIC is not just a label we put on a website. It is a public promise that LGBTQIA2S+ people are fully welcomed, loved, and part of the body of Christ here.
At New Spirit, we want people to hear in our words and in our actions: there is a seat for you here. Not after you prove yourself. Not after you have everything figured out. Right now, as you are, because grace comes first.
From Sunday’s Message
In Matthew 12, Jesus meets hungry disciples and a hurting man with mercy instead of delay. The religious leaders knew the rules, but Jesus showed that love, healing, and human need matter more than systems that exclude. Pastor Hartman reminded New Spirit that belonging is not earned. In Christ, there is a seat for you here.
Sermon Thread: There’s a seat for you here.
Read the Sermon Blog: Jesus Says You Can Sit Here: Why Belonging Matters in Faith
This Sunday at New Spirit
Scripture: Romans 5:1-8 and Matthew 9:35-10:8[9-23]
Worship Time Reminder: 10:00 AM
This Sunday we will be blessed by having Father Allen Breckenridge leading us in worship. Pastor Hartman will be traveling back from Synod Assembly and will return to worship June 21st.
Life at New Spirit
One question we sometimes hear at New Spirit is about the balance of music in worship. Are we singing enough hymns? Are we singing enough contemporary songs? Are we still rooted in the Lutheran tradition while also making space for music that speaks to people today?
Over the past year, we have been looking more closely at our worship music. What we found is that since Sunday, September 4, 2022, which was Pastor Hartman’s first Sunday at New Spirit, our Sunday worship has been fairly balanced: about 45% hymns and traditional songs and about 55% contemporary worship songs.
That balance reflects something important about New Spirit. We are rooted in the faith handed down to us, and we are also listening for how the Spirit is speaking now. Worship at New Spirit is not about choosing one style over another. It is about helping the whole body of Christ sing, pray, listen, and grow together.
In other words, New Spirit is not simply a traditional church that occasionally sings contemporary music, and we are not simply a contemporary church that occasionally sings hymns. We have developed our own blend of Lutheran hymnody, contemporary worship music, justice-oriented songs, seasonal music, and congregational favorites. That mix is part of who we are becoming together.
Upcoming Opportunities
- Sunday Worship – Sundays at 10:00 AM.
- Pray Without Ceasing – Wednesdays at 9:00 AM.
- Check the New Spirit calendar for additional event details and updates.
Prayer Requests
- Pray for LGBTQIA2S siblings, especially those who have been hurt or excluded by churches.
- Pray for migrants, refugees, neurodivergent people, and all who wonder if there is room for them.
- Pray for New Spirit to keep practicing courageous welcome in visible, concrete ways.
To be part of the email Prayer Chain, contact the church office. The email Prayer Chain is where specific individual prayer requests are distributed.
Weekly Spiritual Practice
Pull Up a Chair: This week, look for one person who may be standing at the edge of the room, literally or figuratively. Make one intentional move to pull up a chair: start a conversation, offer an invitation, sit with someone who is alone, or speak a clear word of welcome when someone is being pushed aside.
Helpful Links
Sermon Blog: Jesus Says You Can Sit Here: Why Belonging Matters in Faith
Livestream: Sunday, June 7, 2026
Church Website: https://newspiritlutherantucson.org/
