Happy Birthday to Us!!!
Yesterday we celebrated the feast of Pentecost -- the birthday of the church (that' us!). It is the feast when we commemorate the coming of God's Holy Spirit that Jesus had promised to his disciples -- and as Mother Barbara reminded us yesterday in her sermon, it is a gift God gives to the whole creation -- Jews and Gentiles, people from every land and nation on the earth. The lesson from the Acts of the Apostles read yesterday describes the Spirit as coming in tongues of fire. (I got a little too filled with the Spirit when incensing the altar yesterday and we almost had more tongues of fire than we expected when some of the burning charcoal flew out of the thurible onto the floor!)
At Trinity yesterday we also celebrated the Church's birthday by celebrating the baptism of the newest member of the Body of Christ -- Halina Danielle Senior. Welcomed her with a baby blanket from our Prayer Shawl ministry, a baptismal banner from our Banner Guild, and a baptismal candle that will serve as a living memory of the "tongues of fire" that signalled the gift of the Holy Spirit. And of course, we had a huge birthday cake to celebrate the occasion.
So what does it mean to remember the birthday of the church? How do we approach today differently? Well, St. Paul writes in his Second letter to the church in Corinth what that looks like: From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view;* even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view,* we know him no longer in that way. 17So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself,* not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. 20So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Cor 5
The world is different for us. With Jesus' ascension into heaven and the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are the "ambassadors for Christ," we become the instruments through whom Christ's work continues.
How can you be an ambassador for Christ today?
Have a blessed one! Your brother in Christ, Don+
At Trinity yesterday we also celebrated the Church's birthday by celebrating the baptism of the newest member of the Body of Christ -- Halina Danielle Senior. Welcomed her with a baby blanket from our Prayer Shawl ministry, a baptismal banner from our Banner Guild, and a baptismal candle that will serve as a living memory of the "tongues of fire" that signalled the gift of the Holy Spirit. And of course, we had a huge birthday cake to celebrate the occasion.
So what does it mean to remember the birthday of the church? How do we approach today differently? Well, St. Paul writes in his Second letter to the church in Corinth what that looks like: From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view;* even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view,* we know him no longer in that way. 17So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself,* not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. 20So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Cor 5
The world is different for us. With Jesus' ascension into heaven and the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are the "ambassadors for Christ," we become the instruments through whom Christ's work continues.
How can you be an ambassador for Christ today?
Have a blessed one! Your brother in Christ, Don+
posted by Don+ @ 10:59 AM
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