Happy Birthday Church by Eron Perry
Happy Birthday, Church! This weekend, we gather to celebrate Pentecost – truly, the very birthday of the church. It stands as one of the high celebrations in our Christian calendar. Pentecost is a vibrant, transformative celebration of God's unifying and diverse Spirit, as vividly described in Acts chapter 2.
From its very beginning, Pentecost has been about breaking down barriers and embracing all of creation. It challenges the divides within our society and even our own churches. This powerful day calls us to actively resist incivility, tribalism, and anything that makes us turn away from those who are different. Pentecost loudly proclaims that God is doing a new thing!
Despite this incredibly transformative message, I wonder if many mainstream congregations, including perhaps our own, sometimes treat Pentecost as an underappreciated, even quiet, festival. We might dress in red, but is that the extent of our expectation? Do we really anticipate a mighty wind blowing through our pews, or tongues of fire, speaking in new languages, or profound visions? Perhaps, for many of us, the idea of the Holy Spirit as a dynamic, core theological element feels uncomfortable, even a little dangerous. We might unconsciously think, "Pentecost is for Pentecostals, not for our more restrained liturgies."
Yet, I believe there's a deep spiritual yearning among many mainline Christians for something more – for mystical and self-transcendent experiences that our churches sometimes fail to address. If we don't explore this spiritual hunger within the church, our congregants might seek answers in less reliable places.
Pentecost reminds us that there is a mystic within each of us. When I use the word 'mystic,' I mean someone spiritually adventurous, receptive to divine inspiration, wisdom, and revelation. Do we make room for that inner mystic in our daily lives? The prayer, "Come, Holy Spirit, Come," is more than just words; it's an attitude of the heart. Are you cultivating a posture of receptivity, truly uttering that invitation, "Come, Holy Spirit, Come"?
On a recent study tour in the UK, Rev. Stewart and I witnessed the Spirit quietly and boldly breaking barriers. We saw churches where outsiders were once uncommon, or even looked upon with suspicion, being wonderfully transformed. They were bubbling with hospitality and vitality, genuinely welcoming outsiders, reconciling the separated, and drawing wonderfully disparate people together as one body in Christ. It was truly energizing to see God's love made manifest in such tangible and amazing ways. The Holy Spirit was, and still is, moving in powerful ways.
The Holy Spirit, powerfully released upon the church at Pentecost, empowers followers of Jesus to be agents of transformation, capable of even "greater works" than Jesus Himself, as we read in John's Gospel. This Spirit motivates us to action, empowering us to share good news and to speak truth that heals and unites. The Spirit is our constant companion, bringing wisdom and revelation, challenging our "small thinking," and encouraging bold prayers for our deepest, God-aligned desires. Awakened to divine possibility, we can truly flourish, achieve our dreams, support the dreams of others, and become God's companions in bringing beauty, healing, and justice to the world.
Ultimately, Pentecost powerfully awakens us to God's expansive vision for Shalom on Earth. This season reminds us that the Spirit's illumination isn't just for one Sunday; it's about a continuous life in the Spirit, calling us to persistent practices and healing actions. It is the very fulfillment of Joel's ancient prophecy, declared once more this Pentecost: "I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on servants—men and women alike." (NLT) This radical, all-inclusive outpouring empowers our sacred vocation as God's companions, actively establishing God's Kingdom on the earth. This is the ongoing, transformative promise of Pentecost for each of us, a divine invitation to participate in God's continuing work in the world.