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Pastor's Page: Dear Friends, In a recent gathering of the pastor’s at text study, one of the pastors mentioned the unifying and empowering spirit of one of his Men’s Retreats. The pastor was wondering out loud about how this same kind of unity, vulnerability and empowerment could happen at the regular council or team meetings. What is the difference? Why are we so different in a different context of the church? As we ponder the stories in the book of Acts, we remember that on Pentecost the gathering of believers came alive in their call to be witnesses to the world. It could have been a group of 120 folks who were waiting, praying and expecting that God was going to give them what they needed - kind of like a really good retreat. And in this gathering, these folks were mightily and dramatically empowered by God. There was no mistaking that! And God launched them on a voyage of speaking and proclaiming with such passion and spirit filled persuasion that each one in their multilingual community could understand -- in their own language, might we even say, in their own nationality, experience and background. As we move on through this season, we begin to see that a lot of what was happening through this group of believers wasn’t exactly a retreat setting; it was hard work. It was disagreement; it was different ways of seeing what it meant to be a Jew and a Christian, it meant living and worshiping together while holding possessions in common, and it meant giving up long held beliefs and prejudices. I think that we need to remember that when we gather. It is important to reignite our expectation that God is at work through each one of us, and that Pentecost is manifesting in many different ways. Holy ground is often not pristine. Yes, God works even through the one with whom you would heartily disagree, even when we are tired and wonder if we will ever see visions or dream dreams. Pentecost looks different now; the experience is more ragged - but it is real and it is the same spirit -- the same breath of God, the same tenacious fire, the same river of peace, the same salt, yeast and eternal abundant life. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done is not an empty prayer. We are in Christ, praying that prayer with our lives and rejoicing that it shall be so. Blessed Pentecost, Pastor Renée |
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