A Word from Pastor Jay

“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” (1 Corinthians 12:7)

Where is the Spirit of God active in your life? This is a question that, perhaps, we don’t think about very often, but it is an important question nonetheless. The Scriptures bear witness to the work of the Holy Spirit in various ways and in many different circumstances, but the overall picture of the Holy Spirit is that this Spirit of God is active in the world, and that the Spirit is active through us. On the Day of Pentecost the Disciples of Jesus were overcome by the Holy Spirit and led out into the city of Jerusalem to begin proclaiming to the world the wonderful story of God’s saving activity through Jesus. We call this the “birthday of the Church.” From that moment on, the followers of Jesus, caught up in the Holy Spirit, began to take to the world in word and deed the amazing message that God is with us, that God empowers us through Christ to actively share this presence of God with all others. The Disciples, who walked with Jesus day after day, who witnessed his acts of love and healing and who heard him proclaim the message of God’s active presence in the lives of all, were supremely positioned to be the wellspring from which this message would flow into the entire world. Their first -hand witness served as a foundation for their proclamation and their acts of love, all of which communicated to those around them the active presence of a loving God. It was the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the Lord and of His resurrection, they would say, who strengthened them and enlightened them and empowered them to risk everything to make Christ known. They shared this message of a loving God active through Christ in words (spoken messages) and in deeds (acts of love). In doing this they changed the world. This dedication to sharing the love of God in word and deed is at the center of our season of Pentecost, a season great in length but even greater in significance. It is the season of the Holy Spirit. It is the season during which we center on what it means to live each day as a child of Christ, a person of the Spirit. Where is the Spirit of God active in your life? As the gracious love and abiding presence of God is made known to you in your life, how is the Spirit using that message and your talents to make Christ known? One of our core beliefs as Christians is that God has lovingly created each of us, blessing us as individuals with our own set of talents and abilities. Then, when enlightened with the message of the Gospel, the message of life that comes to us through Jesus, the message of God’s amazing grace and love and life, we are called upon to use these talents and abilities to share the love and life God has given to us in order to make Christ known. Because we are individuals, unlike anyone else in the world, each of us has a unique assemblage of talents and abilities to use, to aid us in sharing God’s love. I can’t tell you exactly how this works in your life. I’m still discerning how it works in mine. But I can let you know what the end result will be. It is as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians, “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” In other words, your acts of love, your sharing of the message, will result in the building up of the body of Christ. It will result in others feeling the presence of a loving God in their lives. It will be a blessing for others in ways you may not even imagine. We cannot control the Spirit. We only can share the Spirit. And when we do, the Spirit of love and life will move as the Spirit wishes. Yet this Spirit always brings light over darkness, wholeness over brokenness, forgiveness over sin, hope over despair, joy over sadness and life over death. God has entrusted you… yes, you… to be an agent of that Spirit. It is important work that we do. So, over the course of the summer, as you find time to relax and recreate, to renew and refresh, please take time to consider the Holy Spirit active in your life. Know that God loves you dearly and always works to bring wholeness into your life. And know that you have been given a gift from God, the gift of the Holy Spirit, so that you may share this life with others.