Salvation has a name, the path has a goal, and strength comes from God. The divine services in May take us to the very heart of our life of faith.
Salvation has a name
Jesus—the name says it all. The original Hebrew form literally means: “God helps” or “God saves”. This—and more—is what the Apostles Peter and John bear witness to before the Sanhedrin: “Nor is there salvation in any other” (Acts 4: 12).
The claim to exclusivity comes from Christ Himself: “No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14: 6). This shows what salvation consists of: complete deliverance, spiritual renewal, and eternal fellowship with God.
What this means for our everyday life will be explored on the first Sunday in May.
Looking ahead, moving forward
It’s an orienteering competition: whoever looks back risks falling. And those who linger by the wayside will never reach the finish. This is how Apostle Paul once described the race of faith: “… forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead” (Philippians 3: 13–14).
Those who want to grow in their faith must realign their life with Jesus on a daily basis. After all, the journey towards becoming like Christ is a living process. This is what the second Sunday in May is all about.
In the footsteps of
From the Father into the world, and from the world back to the Father: this is how Jesus Christ describes His path in John 16: 28. And the divine service on Ascension Day, 14 May 2026, highlights certain parallels.
“We are children of God, who have been sent into the world to serve Christ and bear witness to Him,” is the guideline. “We follow His example and resolutely renounce evil.” And finally: “With His help, we will remain masters of our destiny and reach our goal.”
Strength to carry on
Our way, our race, and finding the way saps energy and strength. And Jesus promised: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1: 8). And what good does that do? This is what the third Sunday service in May will focus on.
The power of the Holy Spirit transforms fearful and despondent disciples, who had barricaded themselves in a room, into enthusiastic missionaries who spread confidence and hope.
We can only reach the goal together
The Holy Spirit is also the power that builds the church: “For by one Spirit we were all baptised into one body” (1 Corinthians 12: 13). This is what the Pentecost service on 24 May 2026 reminds us of.
This is about the image of the church of Christ as one body. The gifts and tasks are different. Not a single member is superfluous. And only if everyone works together can the goal be achieved.
One God, threefold nearness
With the events of Pentecost, God definitively revealed Himself to the natural world in His Trinity: faith in God the Father recognises the Creator. Faith in God the Son centres on His incarnation. And faith in God the Holy Spirit assures us that humanity will be fundamentally renewed and that a new creation will replace the old one.
The divine service on the fifth Sunday explores the blessing of the Holy Trinity.
Photo: Camerene Pendl/peopleimages.com – stock.adobe.com