Sunday, July 21, 2002
Sunday, July 21, 2002
God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the
world so that we might live through him.
Unfortunately, the fire got out of hand and burned the costumes, set fire to the draperies, and
eventually burned down the whole church! Perhaps there's a parable for us here. What
would happen if we could get some of the spiritual fire which empowered those first Christians
at Pentecost? Perhaps it would not burn down the church, but burn out of the church all of the
laziness, pettiness, selfishness, half-heartedness, luke-warmness, and give the world a sample
of what a spirit-filled people really looks like: a people filled with "Love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." A people of God's purpose living
and working in the world.
(1 John 4.9
NRSV)
In the 16th century there was an Italian nobleman name Lorenzo de Medici who lived in
Florence and took pride in staging pageants...especially religious pageants. One day he really
outdid himself. He was staging a re-creation of the Pentecost story in one of the churches in
Florence, and attempted to reproduce it exactly in every respect...including the "tongues of
fire" which the Book of Acts says came to rest on the heads of the disciples at Pentecost.
Loving God, go to church and then take the church out into this needy world. Amen.
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