Relevant, alive, growing, vital, faithful, fruitful, Spirit Filled: these are words that describe a church that not only listens to the breath of God, but is making impact in the world.
Irrelevant, dying, stagnant, unimportant, irreverent, rotting, and self-centered: these words describe a church that is listening to its own self interests, not making an impact, and will be soon a vision of the past.
What kind of church do you want to be? Where would you choose to worship? Does either church exist? Further, will the church exist?
I bombastically and probably flippantly expressed recently that the church may not exist in a few years if we don’t follow the leading of God. I wasn’t referring to any particular church, but maybe referring to denominations and even to the church that exists today in our society. I suspect that the person had thought about that recently and had a firm reply. It was so firm that my bombastic and flippant statement was revealed as rather shallow and myopic.
Irrelevant, dying, stagnant, unimportant, irreverent, rotting, and self-centered: these words describe a church that is listening to its own self interests, not making an impact, and will be soon a vision of the past.
What kind of church do you want to be? Where would you choose to worship? Does either church exist? Further, will the church exist?
I bombastically and probably flippantly expressed recently that the church may not exist in a few years if we don’t follow the leading of God. I wasn’t referring to any particular church, but maybe referring to denominations and even to the church that exists today in our society. I suspect that the person had thought about that recently and had a firm reply. It was so firm that my bombastic and flippant statement was revealed as rather shallow and myopic.
The response made me think a little more than my initial rant. The person said rather eloquently, “God may be done with certain churches or denominations, but God will never abandon the church. The church will always exist.”
Maybe I was giving into the pessimism that exists within society or a news report about declining membership trends. Maybe I was thinking about an upcoming denominational gathering and the lack of movement forward. But what I was not thinking about was how God relates to his creation and how God’s foundation for the church is Jesus Christ, and not me or anyone else.
I think that can be confirmed this week, as we anticipate Pentecost. Pentecost is a season, or a Sunday when we can be reminded and affirm the notion that God sent the Holy Spirit to teach us, inspire us, move us, fire us, temper us, and even move us to be the church that God is calling us to be. The Holy Spirit was sent not only to begin the church, but so that it might thrive.
C.S. Lewis writes in The Weight of Glory, “That structural position in the church which the humblest Christian occupies is the eternal and even cosmic. The church will outlive the universe; in it the individual will outlive the universe. Everything that is joined to the immoral head will share his immortality. We hear little of this from the Christian pulpit today. What has come of addressing the forces on this subject, I found that one of my audiences regarded this doctrine as “theosophical.” If we do not believe it let us be honest and relegate the Christian faith to museums. If we do, let us give up the pretense that it makes no difference.”
On Sunday, we remember the coming of the Holy Spirit that has the power to make us Relevant, alive, growing, vital, faithful, fruitful, Spirit Filled. We must seek what God is sending to us. Let us pray that we might seek that this day and eternally.
This week, we are confirming our hope that God is not through with us yet. We are celebrating the Sacrament of Baptism for two of God’s perfect miracles. I hope that you come and fill yourself with the Spirit that is promised. We will also have an opportunity to thank God for the love that makes Mother’s possible. I look forward to welcoming the Spirit together.
Please pray for me, and know that I am praying for you.
Greg
1 comment:
yes.
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