Inevitable Tension

On the day the wind and fire fell something was set in motion through the power of the Holy Spirit that continues to this day.  There have been times when those opposed to the presence of the Church in the world have tried to eradicate it, or diminish its influence, but what they sought to do was an impossible task.   In our day the opposition is not seen so much in external pressures as from within.  The opposing work is not overt, but subtle.  It is not as visible as it is invisible.  Still, the opposition is ever present and remains as relentless as always. 

 

The church is a spiritual community centered on Christ and given its life by the Holy Spirit.  It is, therefore, a presence in the world which will never be removed.  What is changing and is ever changing is the institutional church expressed not so much by the influence of the Holy Spirit as it is expressed by the influence of the people within it.  The institutional church and the community of faith are often two different creatures.  One is determined by grace and the other by more rules and orders than can be printed in a book.  The spiritual community which cannot be destroyed depends on things of the Spirit for its life while the institutional church depends on plans, programs, money, more people, better ideas, and its ability to blend with secular culture. 

 

It is often hard for us to separate the two.  To be a part of any church in our community is to be caught up in its institutional life.  It takes more soul searching than most of us want to do to understand how the institution undermines the community and takes us farther away from the wind and fire of the day of Pentecost.  Wind and fire people and keepers of the institution live in different time zones and, unfortunately, the tension is inevitable.