Christ Is Risen! He Is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!
Still the words of resurrection hope and promise ring in our ears as we make our way towards the last days of the season of Easter and are about to be overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit’s presence in the coming season of Pentecost. If you are having trouble remembering the story, the disciples are together in once place – Jesus has ascended into heaven – and the disciples are at a little bit of a loss even as they have received their direction from Jesus to, “go into all the world and baptize in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” And as the disciples are gathered, the winds of the Spirit begin to blow and tongues of flame rest over each of the disciples and scripture says, “all were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues.” There is so much more to the story, but what is important to me is the end of that verse where Luke talks about speaking in other tongues.
We so often hear those words and immediately begin to imagine other languages. I am led to believe that “other tongues” also references different expressions of who we are as the People of God together. As I write these words, I am reveling in the preaching and worship of colleagues who gather each year for the Festival of Homiletics. An Olympics of preaching if you will – preaching not for title or crown – but for the encouragement and conviction and upbuilding of fellow preachers in the Church. I use Church with a Capital “C” because there are Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodists, Salvation Army, Catholic, Episcopalians, African Methodist Episcopalian, and Baptist preachers all together in once place. And the “other tongues” I am experiencing are preaching and proclaiming God’s Word in some incredible ways.
All that being said, I am wholly aware of this life and calling as pastor that always invites me to moments of reflection on who I am as pastor and who we are as the community of Ascension. I am overwhelmed with what the Holy Spirit has been doing around Ascension. The Mission Outreach dinner and fundraiser was really a tremendous outpouring of both God’s love and the Spirit’s presence. Yes – we raised a lot of money to tend travel costs for delegates from Tanzania and assist with travel costs for delegates heading to El Salvador; BUT we also saw the gifts of fellowship, education, partnership, and multi-generational community. It truly was a sight to behold. More than 140 members of Ascension, family, and friends gathered to help us walk the journey of accompaniment together.
In the midst of such joy, I am also excited and a little bit overwhelmed by the growth and ministry happening with our Spanish Language Worshipping community. Edwin Aparicio, Ascension’s Spanish Language Minister, has been providing for and tending a fledging community of native Spanish speakers that is now firmly standing alongside our English speaking worshipping community. I am grateful for the Holy Spirit’s work. Five years ago, if you had asked me if Ascension would be sharing in the development of a Spanish language worshipping community within our own walls I would have laughed and said, “probably not!” Except – God knew better. God knows better. And our ideas and hopes and dreams are but one side of the coin when we step into sharing God’s mission and ministry in the world.
In less than a year, our Spanish language worship has grown from 12 to 27 in average worship attendance. A Spanish language Bible study is meeting weekly with 7-12 in attendance. Edwin is preparing to begin first communion classes. It is a wonderful expression of the “other tongues” that Pentecost introduces not simply in language but in ministry and action and faithful following of our God.
I am a firm believer that a church expecting to not just survive but actually succeed in sharing the story of God’s love and the saving power of Jesus needs to be open to what God is doing in the world. A church, like Ascension, knows better than most that to give glory to God means to focus on worship – giving our very best to God. We are committed to tending people – young and old and everyone. We are confident and unapologetic in our telling the story of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. We are excited to be about God’s work in our church, our neighborhoods, our city, and our world. We know, and I am happy to remind you, that each of us carries a tongue of fire above our heads. We reflect God’s light into the world. We are “other tongues” telling the story of death and resurrection through our words, our actions, and our willingness to learn, reflect, and engage with the people we love – the enemies we need to love – and all those we have yet to meet. Thank you for being an “other” tongue of fire. Thank you for being another tongue of fire, added to other tongues of fire at Ascension and around the world that speak and live out words of hope to our world.
Blessed Pentecost to you! You are called to follow in this season of fire and freedom – where God unleashes the Holy Spirit’s power on you and all the world to the great glory of God.
See you in church.
Pastor Chris
Reprinted from the June 2019 newsletter.
