Rekindling the Fire of Pentecost
Pentecost is often celebrated as the birthday of the church in which the flames of the Holy Spirit fell upon the people and allowed them to experience a spirit of collaboration and purpose for ministry. Pentecost is observed 50 days following the Resurrection of Christ. The 50th day was also significant to the Jewish community because the law was given on Mt. Sinai 50 days after the deliverance from Egypt. For Methodist, the symbolic flames of Pentecost can also be compared to the experience of John Wesley at Aldersgate in which “his heart was strangely warmed” on May 24, 1738 in which he received assurance of his new birth. In addition to the spiritual renewal of the people of Israel, the church and the founder of the Methodist church, each of us experiences the moment of baptism, rebirth or confirmation.
These transformative moments enliven our worship and direct the ministry focus of the church. In the book of Acts, the second chapter describes both the foundational aspect of their location—"they were all together in one place”--and the enthusiasm of the diversity—divided tongues appeared among them and they began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them the ability. Among those gathered, there were “God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven” (Acts 2:5). The voice of Peter was raised to offer clarity to the meaning of the peculiar gathering in which those speaking differing languages were able to understand each other. The emblem of The United Methodist Church—the cross and the flame—also reflects the foundation and diversity of our denomination. The cross proclaims Jesus Christ as our foundation and the two flames descending to one point celebrates our origin in which two denominations—the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Evangelical United Brethren—became one.
Similarly, the vision statement of Christ UMC describes both who we are and what we do—we are Christ-centered and we are multi-generational. We reach out to lead others to Christ and we honor tradition and we embrace innovation. There are probably moments in which these differing aims may seem to compete, rather than complement, each other. However, the ultimate goals are to lead, grow and serve. There are several languages spoken within our congregation, but we are all able to understand each other and agree upon the goal of making disciples. As we celebrate the birth of the church, we also celebrate our new birth individually in which we die to ourselves and we are raised anew to live for the cause of Christ. Peter reminded the people of Jerusalem of the prophetic words of Joel which proclaimed the visions and dreams of the old and the young. These ideals led the people to provide for those who were in need and it also led the people to live together in peace. As the people were changed by the flames of Pentecost “the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47).
John Wesley’s Aldersgate experience did not follow a time of success and certainty. His Aldersgate experience followed a time of rejection by his Anglican peers, in part, because of his enthusiastic gospel message. Wesley doubted his identity as an Episcopal priest and he even questioned his identity as a Christian. However, rather than abandoning the commission that every Christian receives to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19), Wesley discovered a renewal of his commitment in the company of Moravians. We pray that the flames of your faith will be rekindled and that as a result of Pentecost Sunday, you will become more determined to reach others with an irresistible message that invites others to become followers of Christ.
In Christ,
Jon McCoy
