Times of transition in ministry are difficult for both churches and pastors. Finding the core DNA of a church and connecting people to that can help people adapt to the changes. Pastors in the Reformed tradition know that the Sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion are part of the core DNA of any church, and therefore can preach sacraments as parts of the church that will never change. The ancients used a form of preaching called mystagogy that lifted up the work of God in the sacraments. By utilizing mystagogical preaching during a time of transition, St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Yuba City, California has been able to navigate the waters of change and the sense of loss and grief that change brings as companions. Through these sermons the sacraments have become instruments of God’s grace that both create and sustain a community that is changing, but constantly grounded in the never-changing grace of God. Mystagogical preaching can help make moments of transition holy moments where the holy sacraments are found to be God’s gifts of stability during the changes of life.
