An invitation to Becoming the Church reflection series for Pentecost • Become a sustaining member to receive the series as an ebook • Explore a collection of Pentecost reads —Scroll down to find out May’s book giveaway winner!
Thank you, Lord, for May and welcome, June!
Dear friends,
I’ve been hoping to record this “Welcome to June” note all week. I even tried twice—and both recordings mysteriously disappeared. So here I am, on June 7th, showing up in words instead. And maybe that’s exactly right.
Welcome, June.
Welcome, you.
As we cross into a new month together, I want to pause in two directions—looking forward and looking back. First, let’s rehearse some of what May held. It’s a practice of gratitude, a way to name God’s goodness and faithfulness as we move toward whatever’s next.
This weekend also marks a turning in the liturgical year: the end of Eastertide and the beginning of Pentecost. Tomorrow we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit—the very Spirit Jesus promised as even greater than his physical presence. A gift not bound by time or geography. The essence of Jesus, with us still.
We’ve also arrived at the halfway point of the year. Just this week I found myself reflecting on how full the first part of 2025 has been—Holy Week offerings, everyday joys and sorrows, and an ever-present invitation to live more deeply into the life of the Church.
One of the gifts of this season has been discovering—or rediscovering—Rodney Stark’s book The Rise of Christianity. It’s not a new book; it’s been around since the 1990s. But for someone like me, who carries both affection for the Church and anxiety about its future, it offered compelling perspective. Stark, a sociologist who respected Christianity but didn’t identify as a Christian at the time of writing, brought a kind of clarity that surprised me.
He helped me recognize some of the misconceptions I held about the Church’s origin—especially the idea that its birth was always dramatic or miraculous. His approach is careful and data-driven, but it’s also full of insight about how faith actually works in the world. And Pentecost, after all, is the Church’s beginning. What better time to reflect on how it grew?
That’s what this new series is about.
🔥 Becoming the Church — A New Series for Pentecost
This month I’m sharing a based on The Rise of Christianity, tracing how love grew in the early Church—and what that means for us now. The series will explore:
Why slow, steady growth may be more faithful than dramatic revival
How relationships—not arguments—carried the gospel
What plagues and persecution taught the Church about love
Why doctrine became not just belief—but embodied life
Each post includes a reflection question and further reading suggestions, so you can go deeper or share in community.
Today’s invitations include:
🎁 Drawing a winner for May’s paid subscriber giveaway
🔥 Weekly Pentecost reflections from my new Becoming the Church series
🕯️ A recorded prayer of examen reflecting on My and looking ahead to June
I hope you’ll find a few minutes to prayerfully reflect on May as you welcome June. You can follow along with me in the prompts I offer in the recording.
I have been enjoying the break from my schoolwork and a couple of other responsibilities since mid-May and I have to say, it has felt great! I have been reading a great big stack of books that have been gathering dust in my TBR and that also feels great! I know lots of you are still in the press of end of spring/school commitments and so much peace to you! I am rooting for you!
Wherever this month finds you—settling in, slowing down, starting over—I’m grateful you’re here.
Let’s begin again, together.
Restfully,
Tamara
P.S. A quick reminder:
Only paid subscribers will receive the full Becoming the Church Pentecost series delivered straight to their inbox.
Sustaining members will also receive the series as an eBook—a simple, convenient way to read it all in one place or return to it later.
Your support helps keep Restful alive and growing. Thank you for being here. 🕊️
Here are (more than) a few things I’m excited about:
Making this yummy-looking recipe (crossing my fingers our neighbor gives us some rhubarb again this year!)
Beginning another fresh 90 days in my favorite planner (here are some free Monk Manual downloads so you can try it out!)
Our summer vacation begins this month, and we are so ready!
related: Making this historic Connecticut road trip sometime this summer
also related: Lobster Roll crawl through CT and Maine 🦞
Getting back into a regular rhythm at The Writing Table for a daily communal writing session on Zoom. You show up and write in the company of other writers (cameras off!) They also host a free Writing Table session every Friday if you want to try it out.
Related: sending out some article pitches for the first time in a long, long while ✍🏼
Listening to my birdsong playlist: Hallelujah—with a Wren
All of the outdoor fun with my grandchildren because May was kind of a washout
celebrating Brian’s 55th birthday! 🎉
Pentecost BBQ & beach bonfire with Church of the Apostles this week 🔥
May Book Giveaway Winner
Thank you to all my new paid subscribers and to the monthly and annual subscribers who renewed their subscriptions in May!
This month’s winner is Erin DaCruz! Keep an eye on your front porch for a special delivery of A New Beginning: A Guided Coloring Journal for Rest and Meditation by my friend Amy Willers!
If you think a friend or loved one would enjoy Restful by Tamara Hill Murphy, gift subscriptions are available here
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