A Note From Your Pastor - May 2016
Pentecost is coming. The birthday of the church. What does that mean?
After Jesus crucifixion, many of his followers fled in fear but as word of got out about his resurrection, steadily they began to gather together until one day “Suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.” God’s Spirit descends on them and infuses them with power. The power to embody Jesus’ ministry and continue what he had begun.
With this Spirit power, courage, and optimistic attitude they could go out and live out the love that they had experienced in Jesus. Together at first, and then scattered, they began to share what they knew. They began to share it with anyone who would listen. And those with whom they shared it, shared it too. The formation of the church had begun through the power of the Spirit. The energy they found in the Spirit enabled them and reminded them of the all God had done in the past, all Jesus had done recently and now they were experiencing God’s presence with them and in them.
God’s Spirit transformed their fear into power, their confusion into clarity, and their silence into communication. God’s spirit can do that for us as well. All we need do is to ask God for it. Help us build the church. Share how God has worked in your life with everyone who will listen. Invite them to come on Sunday morning or to the Chicken Parmesan dinner or Doing Sunday at the end of the month.
Those few Christians in that upper room now had the inner strength to nurture and grow the church. They would proclaim and interpret the Word. They would seek to transform the world, in the name of the one who showed them and embodied unqualified, unreserved, absolute, utter and complete love. May we do this too!
Blessings,
Jackie
Pentecost is coming. The birthday of the church. What does that mean?
After Jesus crucifixion, many of his followers fled in fear but as word of got out about his resurrection, steadily they began to gather together until one day “Suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.” God’s Spirit descends on them and infuses them with power. The power to embody Jesus’ ministry and continue what he had begun.
With this Spirit power, courage, and optimistic attitude they could go out and live out the love that they had experienced in Jesus. Together at first, and then scattered, they began to share what they knew. They began to share it with anyone who would listen. And those with whom they shared it, shared it too. The formation of the church had begun through the power of the Spirit. The energy they found in the Spirit enabled them and reminded them of the all God had done in the past, all Jesus had done recently and now they were experiencing God’s presence with them and in them.
God’s Spirit transformed their fear into power, their confusion into clarity, and their silence into communication. God’s spirit can do that for us as well. All we need do is to ask God for it. Help us build the church. Share how God has worked in your life with everyone who will listen. Invite them to come on Sunday morning or to the Chicken Parmesan dinner or Doing Sunday at the end of the month.
Those few Christians in that upper room now had the inner strength to nurture and grow the church. They would proclaim and interpret the Word. They would seek to transform the world, in the name of the one who showed them and embodied unqualified, unreserved, absolute, utter and complete love. May we do this too!
Blessings,
Jackie
