As the global church once again celebrates Pentecost, it is
important to think of the expansive presence and work of the Spirit. We know that the experience of the early
disciples in Jerusalem soon rippled across the Mediterranean world, and
Spirit-inspired power prompted persons to proclaim Jesus as Lord rather than
Caesar, a remarkably courageous confession.
On
Saturday, the eve of Pentecost, Central hosted a premier scholar of American
Christianity, Diana Butler Bass. We
conducted a conversation about the Spirit, a neglected area of interest for too
many centuries and too many ecclesial quarters in the Body of Christ. People are hungry for God, and the Spirit is
the means by which we experience God.
Dr. Butler
Bass told a story of about a service in her home church in Alexandria, VA,
which prompted her to leave mid-sermon.
It occurred a decade after the 9/11 tragedy, and the preacher for the
day spoke of those killed in the ensuing wars—4000 Americans—failing to mention
the tens of thousands killed in Afghanistan and other so-called enemy
countries.
As she left
the sanctuary, she encountered an art festival that filled the streets with
color and joy and exuberance. As she
reflected on the graphic contrast between what she had experienced in the
worship service and the vitality outdoors, she said, “I felt as if the Spirit
was out here” rather than in the narrow confines of the church with its
judgment and self-interest.
When we
read the story in Acts 2:1-21 of the coming of the Spirit in power, through new
expressions, we see that those who receive God’s dynamic empowerment are
compelled to go public. That each hears
the witness to God’s igniting presence as Spirit in his or her own language
demonstrates the desire of God for all people (2:11).
The Spirit
is always transgressing the boundaries we impose to try to secure our sense of
identity. Whether it be ethnic,
gendered, or ecclesial borders, none can delimit the sphere of the Spirit’s
work. We cannot consign the Spirit to
functions such as speaking in tongues or granting spiritual gifts, rather the
Spirit is about “our deepest breath and our highest human aspirations,” in the
words of Jack Levison in Fresh Air.
The Spirit of God gives life to
all of creation, and nothing exists without the inspiring presence of God.
Suffusing all with holy breath and brimming desire, the Spirit draws God’s
treasured creation toward its divine purpose and joyous completion. The Spirit draws humans into this trinitarian
history, granting us the dignity of being God’s partner in this inspired and
redemptive work.
Molly T.
Marshall
Central prepares women and men for seeking God, shaping
church, and serving humanity. To learn more, continue visiting our website.
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