Pentecost!

You know, every so often in the course of human history there comes a day
that changes everything. July 4, 1776 was one of those days, the birth of
our nation. June 6, 1944 was another one of those days, D-Day, the
decisive invasion of WWII. There have been other important days in human history. Aug. 3, 1977, the birth of Tom Brady, or May 17, 2003, the day the Red Sox signed Big Papi.

In our faith, there have been big days as well, days that changed everything. The day (or night) when Christ was born.  The day we now call Good Friday, and of course, Easter Sunday.

Do you know that Pentecost is one of the biggest days in our faith? In the 2000 years of recorded Biblical history, Pentecost is on the short list of most important days - because it changed everything. Ever since the Day of Pentecost God is now available to all.

In the Old Testament, God seemed only available to a select few - prophets, priests & kings. Only they had access to Almighty God, and even then it was only on special occasions - such as on the Day of Atonement, when the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies in the Temple, the most sacred place on the face of the earth, and he'd offer a sacrifice and commune with God. Special person, special place, special time. Pentecost is the undoing of all that.

Acts 2 records the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was given to the
earliest Christians. We find these words:

"I will pour out my spirit upon all people - your sons and daughters shall
prophesy, and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall
dream dreams."     - Acts 2:17

That's Pentecost. It changed everything.

Here's a thought: The Holy Spirit is God with us and in us.

Meditate on the Spirit by focusing on your breathing.
Breath in the Holy Spirit.
Breath out the things in your life that don't belong.

Prayer: Thank You, Holy Spirit, that You are God's power within me. Fill
me. Strengthen me. Use me. Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me. Amen.


Extra Credit

The Satellite Dish Illustration

In the Old Testament only a few special people had a "spiritual satellite dish." They would be tuned in to the heavens and occasionally hear what God was up to. Then they'd tell the people about it.

Well, because of the gift of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost - everyone now gets a satellite dish. Everyone and anyone can tune in to God and feel the power!

Pentecost
Pentecost was originally a Jewish holiday, held 50 days after Passover. It was known as the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Harvest, celebrating the first harvest of the season. It was a required holiday for all those living within 20 miles of Jerusalem. Jews also made pilgrimages to Jerusalem to celebrate it. That's why there were people from all over the western world gathered there for this particular Pentecost, recorded in Acts 2.

Covenant

Now here's a word that's pretty big in our faith: Covenant.

The Bible is a book about covenants; so much so that when they decided to divide it into two sections they named the sections after the covenants found in them - the New Covenant and the Old Covenant. The word "testament" means a covenant.

A covenant is a formal agreement between two parties. It establishes an understanding between two parties, what's expected of them by the other.

When God established a covenant with Israel, God spelled out to them what's expected of God's covenant partners. The most basic and cherished of these expectations are the Ten Commandments. The Israelites carried around the tablets of the commandments wherever they went. They carried them in a large fancy box known as the "Ark of the Covenant."  (see above as well as "Raiders of the Lost Ark")

The covenants of the Bible were not one-sided. God not only set forth expectations from the Israelites, God also let them know what they could expect from their Covenant Partner, the LORD. God promised them blessing, protection, land, redemption and unconditional love. The covenants of the Bible are very similar to the marriage covenant. They establish a loving partnership between God and human beings.

In the Old Testament the concept of sin is based on the covenant. Sin is breaking the covenant, being unfaithful to God, forgetting we're in a loving partnership with God.

Here's a thought: A Covenant = a Testament = a Loving Partnership

Question: How do you see your life lived in partnership with God?

Prayer: Loving God, thank you for your promises and for wanting to live in partnership with me. Help me to live as your Covenant Partner. Amen.


Extra Credit: The Major Covenants of the Bible

The Covenant of Eden - Gen. 3:15 - the promise of redemption
The Covenant with Noah - Gen. 9:9 - never to destroy the earth
The Covenant with Abraham & Sarah - Gen. 12, 15, 17
The Covenant from Mnt. Sinai - Ex. 19 & 20 - expectations
The Levitical Covenant - Number 25:12 - atonement through the priestly sacrifices
The Covenant with David - II Sam. 23:5 - the promise of Messiah through David's lineage
The New Covenant of Christ based on Faith & Grace - "A new covenant I am
making with you in my blood which is shed for your forgiveness."

Hebrews 9:15 - "Christ is the mediator of a New Covenant."

A Loving Partnership based on his sacrificial love.

Congregationalism

What can I tell you about Congregationalism that you don't already know? 

Well, here goes.

Congregation was first a movement within the Church of England. In fact one of the first proponents of Congregationalism was an Anglican priest, Robert Browne(1550 - 1633). Browne believed that Christ was the head of the church, not the king or the queen or anyone else. He also believed that each congregation should elect its own pastor and leaders. For these radical (?) beliefs Browne was imprisoned 32 times and fled to the Netherlands.



Robert Browne

 The earliest Congregationalists believed that the Protestant Reformation had not gone far enough and that the Church of England with its liturgies and ceremonies was still too "Roman" (Catholic) for their tastes. Thus they sought to "purify" the church of all Roman influences. Hence the name, Puritan.

It might surprise you to learn that the earliest Congregationalists did not believe that each congregation was to be independent of all others. Browne believed that each autonomous church owed "communal helpfulness" to every other church. In 1706 Massachusetts adopted Cotton Mather's plan that ministers be in associations with one another and be given the authority to examine and license candidates for ministry. 300 years later this structure still stands within our denomination, as the local associations of Congregational (U.C.C.) churches, now with clergy and lay representatives, have the authority to ordain. Mather's plan called for a voluntary fellowship of churches to provide mutual aid and outside assistance in handling disputes. These ministries as well are carried on today by our local association (the Andover Association of the U.C.C.) as well as by the Massachusetts Conference of the U.C.C.

Jonathan Edwards

One other interesting thing about Congregationalism was its influence upon American democracy. The New England town meeting grew out of the Congregational church meeting. In fact, in the earliest town meetings only church members in full standing could vote. One also can't help but think that the colonists rebellion against the Church of England also played a role in their eventual rebellion against the King of England. Furthermore, in their writings and their preaching, Congregational ministers Thomas Hooker (1586 - 1647), often called the "father of democracy" in American, and Jonathan Edwards (1703-1760), laid the groundwork for democracy, constitutional free government and even the separation of church and state.

Here's a thought: Congregationalism was more a church polity (governing) movement than a theological one; yet the earliest Congregationalists were known for their biblical theology; so much so that they were called, "People of the Book."

Question: How important is it to understand our roots, where we've come from?

Prayer: Thank You, God, for our spiritual forebears, who have "run the race" before us and have been found faithful, leaving us a great heritage of faith and discipleship. Amen.

Christian

A friend of mine grew up in an area with a lot of conservative churches
filled with people trying to make sure he was a Christian. Defending his
faith was almost a weekly occurrence. While I generally admire the boldness and
sense of purpose behind evangelistic outreach, after a while it became
quite tedious for my friend, and he regularly searched for new and
creative answers to the question, "Are you a Christian?"

One day he answered, "I hope so." The evangelist responded, "You should be
sure!" My friend said, "I am sure of what I believe. I just hope my life
measures up in some way to my beliefs."

The story reminded me of the first title ever given to Christ-followers -
people of "The Way" (Acts 9:2). The title suggests that Christianity is a journey
and a path, a way to God and a way of life. Being a Christian is more than
just believing the right stuff. It's striving to live it.

A Christian is a heart through which Christ loves, a voice through which
Christ speaks, a pair of hands through which Christ serves, and a soul
through which Christ lives.

Here's a thought: Jesus never healed people the same way twice. His work within each one of us is unique.

Question: What is your definition of a Christian? How would you put it
into words?

Prayer: Loving God, help me to articulate what my faith means to me. Most
of all, help me to live what I believe. Amen.

iChurch

It’s become quite fashionable to say, “I’m spiritual, just not religious.” Another version goes like this, “I’m into God and Jesus, just not church.”

I understand what folks mean when they say these things, but still it sometimes feels like a subtle put-down of the church, or a slightly prideful way of saying, “I don’t need church. I can figure it out on my own.”

It seems to me that the big advantage of the church is that we get to try and figure it out together. And not just with one another. We have spiritual teachings that date back 4000 years. We have forms of worship and ways to encounter God that go back just as far. And at the heart of it all is spirituality - communion with God. That’s why we sing hymns, recite prayers and study the scriptures. I love church because I love God. And I find God within the church, its people and its ministries.

There are two beautiful images for the church in the New Testament.

One is the Church as the Bride of Christ (Revelation 19:7). This image speaks of living in partnership, in covenant and in union with God. The church is a gathering for those who seek to live in a loving partnership with God. It’s a gathering for those who love God, who seek to live as God’s Beloved.

The other important image for the church is the church as the Body of Christ (I Cor. 12:27). The church is to be a physical manifestation of Christ upon this earth. We’re to do what He would do if Jesus were physically here today.

After WWII ended a small town in England was being rebuilt. One of the town’s prize possessions was a statue of Christ that stood in the center of the village. Workers gathered the pieces of the statue together to reassemble it, but something was missing - the hands. They considered contacting the original sculptor to ask him to recreate what was missing. But someone had a better idea. They crafted a sign that was placed at the base of the statue. It said, “You are the hands of Christ.”



Question: Which image speaks to you more - the church as the Bride of Christ or the Body of Christ?

Prayer by St. Teresa of Avila

Lord Christ,

You have no body on earth but ours,
No hands but ours,
No feet but ours.

Ours are the eyes through which your compassion
Must look out on the world.

Ours are the feet by which you may still
Go about doing good.

Ours are the hands with which
You bless people now.

Bless our minds and bodies,
That we may be a blessing to others.

Amen

Resurrection!

Easter changed everything!

Had Easter not happened we probably would have never heard of Jesus of Nazareth. He would have been one more prophet tragically killed. Christianity would not exist and it’s very doubtful that his teachings would have been preserved and handed down through the centuries.

But Christ has been raised! That’s the only explanation for the existence of Christianity. Think about it. When Jesus was arrested his disciples abandoned him. 3 times Peter denied that he ever knew Christ. Only John is mentioned as being at the foot of the Cross. Where were the others? On Easter Sunday some of the disciples had gone back to fishing. When they did gather that evening they barred the windows and doors shut out of fear for their lives.

But then something happened. These men became fearless. They preached openly about Jesus the Messiah, crucified and raised from the dead. They were beaten, stoned and imprisoned, but they kept on preaching. What made the difference? They met the Risen Christ.

John Knox, the found of the Presbyterian church, put it this way: “The early Christian church was not a memorial society with its eyes fastened on a departed master; it was a dynamic community created around a living and present Lord.”

Here’s a thought: We serve a Living Savior!

Questions: Which part of Easter means the most to you? and which part is hardest to believe or understand?

Prayer: Thank You, Lord Jesus, for your victory over the grave. Thank You for your constant presence and companionship. Thank You that you’re more than a role model, teacher or martyr. You’re our Living Savior. Amen.



Extra Credit: More Apologetics

The Case for the Resurrection

1. The Tomb was empty! The body was never found.
2. Jesus predicted it. Matt. 16:21, Mark 8:31, Luke 9:22, John 2:19-21
3. The Post-Resurrection Appearances: Acts 1:1-4, I Cor. 15:3-6. These eyewitnesses were still alive during the time in which the New Testament was written & circulated.
4. The change in the disciples’ lives. They went from denying him to dying for him. Ex. Peter. 11 out of 12 were martyred. If it was all a hoax they would have known.
5. There were no earthly benefits for a hoax. (no TV evangelism!)
6. The earliest Christians (who were all Jewish) changed the primary day of worship from Saturday (the Jewish sabbath) to Sunday - the Day of Resurrection.
7. The earliest Christians celebrated adult baptism by believing it signified dying with Christ and rising like him to live new lives.
8. The joyful and widespread celebration of Holy Communion in the Early Church. No Resurrection = No Communion. Too morbid.
9. The Existence of the New Testament. No Resurrection = No NT.
10. The Resurrection is consistent with Jesus’ Divine Nature. God, the giver of life, can overcome death.

Beneath the Cross of Jesus

When I graduated seminary I did what a lot of my friends did. I put off entering the workforce a few more weeks and backpacked through Europe. Like most tourists I spent a lot of time in the great cathedrals. Many of them are Roman Catholic churches and therefore had large Crucifixes above the high altar. People would sit in the front pews and stare for hours at Jesus upon the Cross. I’d see them when I walked in, I’d take a tour of the cathedral, climb to the top of the steeple, go to the gift shop,and when I was leaving the same folks were still there, staring at Jesus upon the Cross, often in tears, meditating upon him. I thought of the hymn, “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.” When you survey the Wondrous Cross, what do you see there? How do you understand it?

When I look at the Cross I see at least these three things:

1. I see the Empathy of God, the empathy God has for and with humanity. The book of Hebrews (4:15ff) speaks of Jesus as a great High Priest who connects us to God, and the writer says this: “We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tested in every way . . . so that when we approach the throne of grace, we know we’ll find mercy and help.” Hebrews 2:17 says, Christ “had to become like us in every respect,” so that we might know that our Savior knows the human experience, including death. “Therefore he is able to come to our aid.”

The British theologian John Stott wrote: “I could never myself believe in God if it were not for the Cross. In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it?” The Cross shows us the empathy of God.

2. Secondly, when we look at the Cross we see the supreme example of sacrificial love. St. Peter in a letter to some early Christians put it this way: “Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps” (I Peter 2:21). The Cross reminds us that love is costly and often requires great personal sacrifice.


3. The Cross is our Atonement.

I Peter 3:18 - “Christ died for our sins, once and for all, in order to bring us to God.” In this act of unconditional love, God has swallowed up our sins, and has therefore made us one with our Creator once again. The Cross is our atonement, our “at-one-ment” with God. That’s something we can never totally understand this side of heaven - how God reconciled us by the Cross. But we can let the Cross of Christ do its work and bring us to God.

Question: Which one of these views of the Cross is most meaningful to you? Or is there another understanding you prefer?

Here’s a thought: Spend some time meditating on the Cross this week. Perhaps read one of the accounts of Good Friday in Matthew, Mark, Luke or John.

Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for your sacrificial love and for the gift of atonement through the Cross. Love so amazing, so divine, demands our lives, our souls, our all. Amen.

Above is Salvador Dali's "Christ of Saint John of the Cross."