Dear friends,
May 15 is Pentecost, the “third major festival” of the Christian year (though obviously quite a ways behind Easter and Christmas in popular celebration!). It is, of course, the day when we focus on the gift of the Holy Spirit.
In creed and catechism, the Holy Spirit is closely connected to the Christian church. In explaining the third article of the creed, for example, Luther tells us that the Holy Spirit “calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies” the whole Christian church on earth.
I wonder what it means to think of that in terms, not of the “whole church,” but of an individual congregation? At our anniversary celebration Ted Gregg expressed his amazement at the fact that eight families began to meet back in 1964, and within two years not only was the congregation known as Peace Lutheran organized, but a pastor had been called and a building built. That seems clear evidence that the Holy Spirit was at work. Today one couldn’t get through the building permit process that fast!
The Holy Spirit called this congregation into existence, and has continued to gather people to it. Sometimes I think we forget the role of the Holy Spirit in this. We think that programs, or opportunities, or personalities are what “attract” people to a congregation. And certainly those things play a part, as the tools that God uses. But it is the Spirit who calls and gathers us.
The Spirit also enlightens us. What strikes me about that metaphor is that it implies that we need enlightenment! It means that we don’t have all the answers, and that we don’t always see things clearly. One of the purposes of the church is to provide a place where we can learn and grow, a place where we can have “the eyes of our hearts enlightened” (Ephesians 1.18). Sometimes that’s an exhilarating process, as we marvel at new insights into God’s love and into our own souls. Other times it can be a difficult, even painful process, as we see (as did the prophet Isaiah) that we are “people of unclean lips,” or (as did Simon Peter) that we are sinful men and women.
But the Holy Spirit also sanctifies. That means that through the Spirit’s work, we are cleansed, purged, forgiven, brought closer to God. Through the Spirit we come to see, not just what we are, but what we can be and shall be. It is not without reason that the Nicene Creed calls the Holy Spirit “the Lord, the giver of life.” The Spirit indeed gives us life—new life, abundant life.
We’ve sung a song here at Peace that seems to me to sum this all up: Take, oh take me as I am; summon out what I shall be; set your seal upon my heart and live in me.” That is a prayer to the Holy Spirit. May it always be our prayer as well, and the prayer of our congregation.
Peace to you,
Pastor Richard O. Johnson
P.S. Pentecost is such a great day! I invite you to wear something “red” on that day, May 15, in celebration of the one who calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies. This is a tradition in many congregations, and I think it would be fun for us!
Give me, O Lord, a steadfast heart, which no unworthy affection may drag downwards; give me an unconquered heart, which no tribulation can wear out; give me an upright heart, which no unworthy purpose may tgempt aside. Bestow on me also, o Lord my God, understanding to know you, diligence to sek you, wisdom to find you, and a faithfulness that may finally embrace you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Liturgy Notes: The Holy Trinity
The Sunday after Pentecost (this year May
22) is observed across the Western church as the Festival of the Holy
Trinity. For many reasons, this is an
interesting day in the church year. It
is the only festival, for example, that celebrates a doctrine rather than an
event. Of course it is a pretty
important doctrine for Christians! The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church
refers to it as “the central dogma of Christian theology.”
The doctrine of the Trinity, of course, is
the teaching that there is one God who exists as three Persons--Father, Son and
Holy Spirit. Christian theology calls
this a “mystery” which is a fancy way of saying that we don’t really understand
it. Volumes have been written about the
Trinity and what it means, but most of the theological discussion is far beyond
the ability of us ordinary people to understand. Frederick Buechner has put it this way:
“...Look in the mirror someday. There is (a) the interior life known only to
yourself and those you choose to communicate it to (the Father). There is (b) the visible face which in some measure
reflects that inner life (the Son). And
there is (c) the invisible power you have in order to communicate that interior
life in such a way that others do not merely know about it, but know it in the sense of its becoming part of who they
are (the Holy Spirit). Yet what you are
looking at in the mirror is clearly and indivisibly the one and only You.”
Historians tell us that in the early
church, there were quite a few arguments over the meaning of the Trinity. The church developed this doctrine to
protect some very important aspects of our faith. To believe in the Trinity is to claim that Jesus Christ is of the
very being of God--that he was not just a human teacher, a prophet, but that he
was God incarnate. It is also to
believe that the Holy Spirit is God present with us in our lives today.
It was not until about the tenth century
that Christians began to set aside a particular Sunday to celebrate and reflect
on the Holy Trinity. The celebration
took root first in Northern Europe, and it was set on different days in
different places. In 1334, Pope John
XXII made the festival part of the official calendar of the Western church, and
set it on the Sunday after Pentecost.
But the celebration of the Trinity in our
worship is far more frequent than one Sunday a year! In a sense, every Sunday is a “festival of the Holy
Trinity.” We refer to the Trinity with
great frequency. We begin our worship
“in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” We sing, in the “Gloria”, “You alone are the
Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the
Father.” The prayer of the day often
concludes, “through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God.” In
the creed we confess our belief in God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy
Spirit. Our benediction says, “Almighty
God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit bless you...”
Our confession in the Holy Trinity pervades our worship throughout.
Lutheran theologian Robert Jenson is fond
of saying that “Father, Son, Holy Spirit” is God’s name. It is how we know God, how he has revealed
himself to us. Our worship reflects
that belief. One of our favorite hymns
puts it this way:
Holy Father, Holy Son, Holy Spirit,
three we name you,
Though in essence only one,
Undivided God we claim you
And, adoring, bend the knee
while we own the mystery.
From the Associate Pastor
I am excited about the activities going on with our youth. The youth Sunday School averages 15 kids. The room is almost full! And just check out the room, the colors, the vibrancy and we have a new refrigerator thanks to Kathy Parker. Now the drinks are always cold. Plus, did you see the new foosball table? It is a fun game. Maybe the youth will let the adults play. And thanks to that wonderful servant, Dick Jarvis who assisted with getting the refrigerator in the youth room and assembling the foosball table (that table put some nice bloody scratches on me). Most importantly, you should see what goes on in the room. Pam Eatman, along with Anne Vaaler, have really tapped into the energy of the youth by using drama and song to explore the scriptures. It has made the classes exciting and beneficial!
The summer will continue the good things
going on with our youth. Almost all of
the confirmation students will attend camp this summer. We have this great mission trip coming up to
Mexico with seven youth and seven adults.
It will be exciting to see parents and children working side by side to
spread the good news of Christ and to serve the homeless. For many it will be an unforgettable trip.
I am excited about the future. With such a strong and active youth group,
we can continue to make changes that will benefit the youth in every aspect of
their spiritual development. Currently,
I am developing a comprehensive youth program that will incorporate more youth
social events and a change in the confirmation program, which the parents and
youth seem very excited about! Look for
a new way of doing confirmation in the future news of the youth.
Grace
and peace,
Pastor Dean