Happy Belated Birthday, Church!

This past Sunday ushered in the liturgical season of Pentecost.  In simple terms, Pentecost is the birthday of the Church as we know it.  On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit introduced himself to the followers of Christ.  This is the long awaited gift that Jesus himself promised the disciples that they would receive.  In Acts chapter 2, we are given a very vivid account of the reception of the Holy Spirit by the followers of Jesus.  There was a mighty rushing wind, tongues of fire, different language, presumed drunkenness and transformed lives.

Happy Birthday, Church!  but when you think about church or "the" church, what comes to mind?  For some of us, we may think about the Roman Catholic Church, a preacher, choirs, music, prayer, communion and so forth.  Yet for some of us, we may think of isolation, exclusion, judgmental  people claiming to be christians or a weekly social club.  Last week my priest, the Reverend Kimberly Lucas attended The City of God Urban Ministries Conference in Washington, DC.  From this conference, she brought with her a new perspective in which she shared with us.

For me what stuck out most in her sermon was this:  "Jesus promised us a kingdom and what we got is the church."  In other words should be an extension of the kingdom of God here on earth, more specifically, the church is not the building, but rather the church is in the baptized ministers of Christ, notice that I did not say the ordained, because we are all ministers of Christ and his kingdom, with or without a collar.

Rev. Kim continued, "Church is about being Christ."  We need a real church and not a social club.  Real church requires the Holy Spirit.  As followers of Christ, we have to invite the Holy Spirit to move in and through us.  We have been called to live in the spirit of Emmanuel or "God with us."  We are the Emmanuel for the world, because the sad reality is that there are many people that will probably not step into a church, but through your example and witness they too can experience the life transforming power of God.  It is up to us to manifest real church.  The real church involves prayer.  The real church is multicultural.  The real church is loving.  The real church embodies the fruits of the spirit -- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  In essence we have everything that we need to be the real church and an authentic representation of the kingdom of God.  Happy Belated Birthday, Church!

Peace,
Karsten