The history of a relationship in four chapters
Chapter 1. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The Holy Spirit brooding over the abys brings order out of chaos and creation is born. The crowning glory of creation is to be human life. Humanity is made to mirror what is most essential about God, i.e. relational life. Relational life has its ups and downs. God's expectations for relationship with humanity seem to have been frustrated from the start. After Adam and Eve's seduction by the serpent in the Garden of Eden, things seem to have gone downhill from there. Finally, God becomes so disgusted with humanity that in a fit of rage God sends the Flood to wipe the slate almost clean; almost save Noah, his family, and other selected species. God regrets this loss of control over his anger thus opening the way for the next chapter.
Chapter 2. God calls Abraham and makes a covenant relationship with his descendants, the Children of Israel. Despite the continued ups and downs throughout what turns out to be another tempestuous relationship, God and the Israelites make it through. God holds true to his promise to Noah and resists his desire to wipe the slate clean, though he seems tempted over and over again to do so.
Chapter 3. God, knowing that anger achieves little wonders if there might be a way to break the dysfunctional relationship pattern with humanity and the Divine Community comes up with a great new idea. What if the Creator becomes part of the creation to show a new way, working from the inside out, as it were? In Jesus, God reveals by example that it is possible within the parameters of being human to live according to the law of love. Within the experience of being human, God faces the ultimate test of love, the willingness to die for those you love. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, God not only pays the price of love, God shows that love ultimately triumphs over every adversity, even death.
Resurrection is a huge experience and is certainly too much to take in all at once. Luke the Evangelist is the first Christian historian. He maps resurrection into a chronological sequence of separate events. Having given us the narrative of how God entered into creation through the birth of Jesus, Luke now maps out the development of salvation as a history of: Jesus' rising from the dead, his return to the fellowship of the Divine Community, and the descent of the Holy Spirit into the DNA of life ushering a new chapter in the long relationship between God and humanity.
Chapter 4. This Sunday we celebrate Pentecost, the 50th day after the Resurrection. On this day the disciples (followers) become transformed to become apostles (messengers). Life is forever changed and the Church is born and empowered to continue the ministry of Jesus in the world.
The Holy Spirit brought order out of chaos in the first days of creation. Through the Holy Spirit, God now brings a new level of order out of chaos. Now working within the hearts and minds of humanity, not as a fellow human being but as the elemental force of empowering love, God at Pentecost opens a new chapter in which the Church, i.e. the community of the baptized, is born.
Come celebrate with us the Church's birthday and Ciana's (Fla and Diane Lewis' granddaughter) baptism. White is normally the color of baptism, but red is the color of the Spirit. Come this Sunday wearing whatever is red in your wardrobe and let's celebrate together. See you then!
Mark+
