and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ,
that we may be for the world the body of Christ."
A few Sundays ago we, along with many Christian churches across the world, celebrated Pentecost, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and the so-called "birth" of the Church. In the text that contains the Day of Pentecost, Acts 2, Peter addresses the crowd by citing Joel 2: "God declares,
that I (God) will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh." The same type of language finds its way into our liturgy as we receive Communion together: "Pour out your Holy Spirit...." What we say and what we do as we worship God, as we live our lives, matters. You are playing a part in the grand drama of God. You are a part of God's story, and God is a part of yours.
Acts is a fascinating book that tells a story, too. It tells the story of the spread of the gospel, the spread of Jesus followers, amazing sermons, stories of people's lives being changed by this good news of salvation through Jesus Christ bring offered to them, and the formation of this community of followers.
Speeches and sermons in the book of Acts follow a certain pattern that may help us think about what life with God means; what the outpouring of the Holy Spirit actually looks like. You will find that speakers in Acts do a great job of telling a story as they share the gospel. The flow in these speeches/sermons looks a little like this, with Acts 2 as an example:
a.) What Jesus did
By the power of God he did miracles and wonders and signs (v. 22); he did the impossible; he brought life where otherwise there would only be death
b.) What you did
this man...you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law (v. 23)
c.) What God did
But God raised him up, having freed him from death (v. 24); God did not intervene in the human attempt to kill Jesus; God did not prevent the Cross but changed its meaning and its effect; God raised Jesus up from the dead
d.) What we are doing now
This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses (v.32); we share in the power to have new life through Jesus Christ
e.) What you can do
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “...what should we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ (v. 37); the message is not only what has happened, but what might happen if we allow this good news to take root in our lives
When we invoke the Holy Spirit at the time when we receive Holy Communion, we are asking God to make us part the story of God unfolding in this life. We are asking that God be part of our story, our lives. We are asking for the elements of the meal to be more than bread and juice, but to change us from the inside out. God has done that. God is doing that. God can keep doing that.
Will you let the Holy Spirit be poured into your life?
Prayer*:
O God, the Holy Spirit,
Come to us, and among us;
Come as the wind, and cleanse us;
Come as the fire, and burn;
Come as the dew, and refresh;
Convict, convert, and consecrate
Many hearts and lives
To our great good
And to Your greater glory;
And this we ask for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.
*United Methodist Hymnal, 335.
In Christ,
Jack
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