Sunday a week ago, while we were on a road trip to visit family and friends, we took the opportunity to worship at a small church in central New York state, near where some of my relatives live.
Arriving at the church and opening the bulletin, I quickly realized it was Pentecost Sunday … which I had failed to make note of on the air this year.
Pentecost is the commemoration of when God delivered the Holy Spirit upon members of the early church … carrying out what Jesus told His followers when He stated that the Father would be sending a “helper,” a “counselor” to take His place.
While many churches today seem to ignore this significant event that more or less marked the beginning of the Christian faith, which is celebrated on the 50th day after Easter … others like this little church, which sits on the side of a hill down a little back road where you’d never come across it unless lost or you had a reason to go there, continue to observe it.
As quoted in Acts Chapter Two, the Disciple Peter proclaimed . . .
“this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
“‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”
Based on this Scripture, the pastor – who happens to be a relative of mine through marriage and, like Bill Gaither and myself, is well past traditional retirement age – delivered a very thoughtful message titled “Spirit of the Living God.”
To close out the service, we sang this hymn, written in the late 1800’s by Edwin Hatch and Robert Jackson:
“Breathe on me, Breath of God,
fill me with life anew,
that I may love what thou dost love,
and do what thou wouldst do.Breathe on me, Breath of God,
until my heart is pure,
until with thee I will one will,
to do and to endure.Breathe on me, Breath of God,
till I am wholly thine,
till all this earthly part of me
glows with thy fire divine.Breathe on me, Breath of God,
so shall I never die,
but live with thee the perfect life
of thine eternity.”
Oh, Lord . . . may we truly be filled with your Holy Spirit, your Breath, so that our hearts will guide us to live as you would have us to … all the remaining days of our time here on earth!
As usual, your thoughts and comments are always welcome and appreciated … as we love to hear from you, our listeners. Send us a message now.
Marlin
