Brothers and Sisters As
we go to Press with the June Newsletter, the season of Easter is quickly coming
to an end. On Sunday, June 5th
our church and churches all over the world will come together to worship and
honor the day, we call Pentecost. That
blessed day, over 2,000 years ago, when God; by the sacred power of the Holy
Spirit, poured out his Spirit upon the world!
In the “coming” of the Holy Spirit,
God broke down all the dividing lines that once separated Jew from
Gentile. Roman from Greek. Rich from the poor. Even free folks from
oppressed slaves! There in Acts 2:1-2, 4
God said:
2 When the day of
Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly
a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the
whole house where they were sitting.
4 All of them were
filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a ] as the Spirit
enabled them. This
theme of “Unity” in God and Christ, is also evident in our Gospel lesson for
this coming Sunday, May 29th.
In our reading from John 17:20-26 Jesus, likewise, prays for “unity”
among the diversity of his disciples and followers. I love how Jesus stated in
verses 20-21, and I quote: 20 “My prayer is not
for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their
message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you
are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe
that you have sent me. Brothers
and Sisters. That line in verse 21, should always “haunt” we believers. The Lord said: “That all of them may be one,
Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.”
Both in ancient times as well as now. The goal and dream of Christian
unity, is still much needed, and worthy of our efforts. Now more than ever.
As
I sat and “penned” this article, it was “Primary Election” day all over
America. Given the bitter divisive discord I both saw and heard, on tv and
radio. I found myself thinking how
important and needed it is, for our church to continue to welcome any and all
into our fellowship, worship and missions work.
God
knows, we cannot heal all the divisions and sociopolitical arguments and
issues that separate we Americans. Yet,
by the power and grace of the Holy Spirit, we can, in an ongoing way, continue
to let our “Christian lights shine”, here atop the Fremont Hill. One of the hymns I chose for the May 29th
service, speaks directly to the very “heart and soul” of Christ’s desire, that
“we all may be one”. The Hymn is entitled, “They’ll know we are Christians by
our Love”. The opening verse speaks
powerfully to the prayer and hope for Christian unity, Jesus spoke of in the
prayer from John 17:20-21. Verse one of
the Hymn states: We are one in the Spirit, we are one in
the Lord We are one in the Spirit, we are one in
the Lord And we pray that all unity may one day be
restored And they'll know we are Christians by our
love, by our love Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our
love.
Brothers
and Sisters, go forth in the month of June and seek to continue to “love and
serve others” in Christ’s name. And
remember, we never walk alone in our love and service on behalf of Christ and
the Church. The “Paraclete” of Holy
Spirit, is always walking alongside us.
By faith, we can and are, “One in Christ”. As we carry on our work and witness here at
church and even in our personal lives of faith.
