The Unchangeable

When the wind and fire came on the day of Pentecost, it brought to an end a period of prayerful waiting.  The disciples were told by the resurrected and about-to-ascend Jesus that they should "...stay...in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."  (Luke 24:49)  This command is re-iterated by Luke as he begins Acts with Jesus ordering the disciples to stay and wait in Jerusalem. (Acts 1:4)  They surely knew what Jesus had said to them.  They might have remembered teachings that focused on the promise of the Spirit, but it is likely they really were staying and waiting without knowing exactly what it would mean.

 

What the Holy Spirit did in response to their faith and obedience was to create a unique and unprecedented sacred community midst the secular world in which they lived.  They were as surprised as anyone.  The Spirit not only gave birth to this new sacred community, but He also continued to work among them in such a way that they were able to see and experience the sustaining power of the Spirit at work among them.  The sacred community that began that day has weathered many storms and battles, endured many surprising changes, but it still prevails today.

 

When we think about the way it has changed over the centuries, we usually think of the changes that are reflected in its institutional existence.  Outwardly the sacred community birthed on Pentecost looks different now than it did then.  But, the differences are external.  When the sacred community is most alive and vital, it expresses itself as a spiritual community that is connected not to denominations or culture, but one connected to eternity and established upon the foundation of the One who shed blood on the cross.  "How do we create and sustain a sacred community in a secular world?"  The obvious truth is that we do not.   The Holy Spirit does it with us and through us, or it is not done at all.