Pentecost

Happy Pentecost everybody!!!

This is a very special week in our church. We are celebrating the day of Pentecost. It may not be the most well-known festival we have, but it is essential to the work of the church today. Pentecost is the celebration that honors the work of the Holy Spirit. It is the day where we boldly declare that God has not left us alone.  The Spirit continues to live and move in among us.

Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?

1 Corinthians 3:16

Have you ever had moments where you felt truly alive? Perhaps you felt a fire burning within you. Maybe you felt called by God to start a new job, move across the country, or let go of a traumatic history… The promise of Pentecost states that God is always reaching into our world to bring hope and guidance.

This past week I was reminded of a girl from a youth group I led several years ago. This girl had faced a number of trials. She had lived through gang violence. She never had much food, and she had just been diagnosed with cancer… All of this happened before she turned 18! Sometimes life is not fair! However, she also had this incredible spirit of grace. She cared about people. She asked incredibly thoughtful questions, and she was always at the church ready to serve. When it was time for me to leave that community, I felt incredibly blessed to have known her. The Holy Spirit was working through her, and she had an incredible impact on my life.

I feel this story is important, because it reminds me that God is working in each and every one of us. It is not all about me or my own personal calling. God is working in the church as a whole, and sometimes the people who seem the most insignificant are actually the most valuable! The church needs each and every one of you, even if you don't feel very noteworthy.  You are loved and God is working in the midst of us all!

Blessings!

Brian

Asking the Big Questions...

“Who are you, Lord?”

-Acts 9:5

When was the last time you asked any of the really big questions of God?  Some of you may be living in a pretty dark season of life, but has there ever been a time you had to totally reframe your understanding of faith?

This week we are taking a look at the Apostle Paul. In his early years, Paul thought he understood God. He believed he was right, and he assumed anyone who challenged him was wrong. He was ready to judge others, and he wanted to prove his own worthiness. However, God changed his heart. Paul experienced an act of grace, and that transformed his entire way of life.

So where are you at today? Do you believe you have all the answers, or are you filled with questions?

The Bible certainly states that questions are important. Personally, I have been struck by the inquisitiveness of my five year old. Every night before he goes to bed, he wants to talk about some really big mysteries… What are black holes? What are the other planets like? What kinds of animals lived before the dinosaurs? Who is God? The list just keeps going. Now, I am aware that he is trying to delay bedtime a little bit. However, he has a genuine curiosity about the world, and it has even sparked my own desire to learn more. He has a truly open heart that is ready to learn… as long as it means I will let him stay up a little bit later… :)

I am often reminded that without challenges, we do not grow.  There is no desire to open our hearts to new understandings of God. Like the apostle Paul, it is easy to believe we are already perfect. However, it is my hope that we can all be renewed in our minds. May we experience a childlike faith that brings hope to all people!

Blessings!

Pastor Brian