From the Rector’s Desk

 

June, 2000

 

 

Pentecost! 

 

A large upper room crowded with 120 followers of Jesus.  Confused, unsure of themselves, praying.  Waiting.  Waiting for what, they didn't really know.  Something, for sure.  Jesus had promised the Holy Spirit, but it is enormously unlikely they had any clear idea what that meant.

 

Suddenly, all Heaven broke loose.

 

A mighty roar assaulted their ears, visible flames appeared over their heads, their sense of balance shattered in the wild shaking of their upper room, and their lives shifted focus, forever.  They boiled out of the room into the world and gave their lives to knowing Jesus Christ and to making him known.

 

Christianity concerns itself with hopes and dreams so exciting that a great many people have gladly exchanged their careers, their safety, their reputation, their desire for a family, and their very lives in order to pursue it.  Many are convinced that life offers nothing more worthy than the aspirations, hopes and dreams of Christianity.

 

As a teenager, my impression of churches had nothing to do with hopes and dreams.  Churches did not seem to be places of challenge or transformation.  People did not give the impression that they were making enormous personal sacrifice because they aspired to something lofty, exciting, and worth their effort, let alone their entire lives.  Your impression was probably no different from mine.

                                                  

We must change that impression, of course.  We must, and we can.  For the sake of teenagers who may be our children, grandchildren, or neighbors, we must rediscover the hopes and dreams of the good news of Jesus Christ.  We must discover, rediscover, recover or practice the experiential and transforming presence of God, the Holy Spirit.  And -- not just for the sake of teenagers, but also for people our own age who gained the wrong impression when they were teenagers.  Or adults!  And -- not just for other people -- but for ourselves.  We must change that impression.  We must, and we can. 

 

We may be just like those ancient followers of Jesus.  Confused, unsure of ourselves, waiting.  Waiting for what, we may not really know.  Something, for sure.  Jesus promised the Holy Spirit, but perhaps we have no clear idea what that means for us here and now.   Perhaps we should aspire to discovery.

 

Yet remember – their uncertainty and lack of clarity that did not prevent all Heaven from suddenly breaking loose on them, nor will it prevent all Heaven from breaking loose on us!

 

May all Heaven break loose.

 

The Lord be with you!

 

Rick +