The Road: Pentecost as a Pivot Point
The Road: Pentecost as a Pivot Point
We’ve just celebrated Pentecost. In her May blog post, Pastor Leanne brought focus to gifts we are given. And the gift of the Holy Spirit is a gift of power, power to spread the good news to the Gentiles, i.e., to the world. Think now about the twelve disciples. What were they feeling?
Pentecost is a pivot point for these disciples. Webster's dictionary defines a “Pivot Point” as an important, precise point in time which provides clarity, giving us a new perspective or insight.
The Church was on the road! Earlier, before Pentecost, Christ sent his twelve chosen disciples out “Two by Two” from Capernaum to the cities of the Decapolis, and they had their first taste of being on the road, challenged to spread the good news, and empowered with the ability to heal. Remember they were sent out with “. . . nothing for your journey, neither a staff, nor a bag, nor bread, nor money; and not even two tunics apiece . . . “ (Luke 9:3). Wait, what were THEY thinking? We don’t know, but I can imagine what I might be thinking and be concerned about. How about you?
The author of Acts Chapter 1 outlines the chronology as Jesus had taught the apostles “he had chosen.”
… for John baptized with water, but you shall be
baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days
from now . . . you shall receive power when the
Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall
be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all
Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest
part of the earth.” Acts 1: 5-8
Now, following Christ’s Ascension, God gives the Holy Spirit to the disciples, and they are sent out to the world – literally on the sea and on the Road. They are given gifts and a mission. The church is born.
“The Church exists for nothing else
but to draw men into Christ.” C. S. Lewis
What Road are you on? Have you had a pivot point (or points) in your life? How has that point(s) given you a different perspective?
How do you use your gifts? Imagining how the apostles may have reacted, do you have concerns about how you are using your gifts?
A Special Gift – Listening
To be “The Church” we have to communicate with others, don’t we? What better way than to communicate in “their tongues?” And, in order to communicate with others we also have to listen.
Listening skills are a gift. Dietrich Bonhoeffer stated, “The first service that one owes to others in the fellowship consists in listening to them.” Listening requires us to focus our attention on the other person whether in the church or outside the church. When listening we are building a connection with the other person and that requires empathy and respect for the other person. How well do you listen to others? How can we listen to the community? Is our Prayer Initiative a step in listening to the community?
Rebecca Shafir, in her book, The Zen of Listening, suggests we need to:
“... change our mindset about listening. It begins
by opening our minds to accept the notion that
any verbal encounter could contain a golden
nugget of experience, information or insight, quite
often when we least expect it.”
And, doesn’t that also fit with prayer? Listening and praying go hand in hand. Is prayer how you listen to the Holy Spirit?
Do you get insights when you least expect them?
Were the apostles good listeners?
What do you think about all this? (Please share your comments below)
Praying for you,
PB
Community Presbyterian Church
32202 Del Obispo
San Juan Capistrano. CA 92675
949-493-1502