Bishop Eric Menees
“When the day of Pentecost
arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from
heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where
they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and
rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy
Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:1-4)
This scripture lesson from
the Book of Acts will be read in all of our congregations this Sunday. It
describes the fulfillment of Jesus' promise to send, "another helper, a
comforter and guide," to the believers.
It is impossible for me to
truly grasp what that Pentecost must have been like - so full of power and
emotion! Dramatic, to be sure. Over the years countless people have
pursued that experience and been left wanting. Not that the Holy Spirit
isn't present - he is, and powerfully so. The question is the motivation
behind the desire for the Holy Spirit.
The Father didn't send the
Holy Spirit so that people could be on an emotional high, but that they might
be filled with power and grace to minister to a fallen world: To minister to
the world in the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus Christ through the
gifts of teaching, preaching, prophecy, and tongues; to minister to the
sick through the gifts of healing and miracles; to minister to the church
through the gifts of administration, exhortation, words of knowledge, and
giving. You get the picture. The Holy Spirit is given, not for our
own edification, but for the edification of the whole Church and the Glory of
God.
The question is not about
whether or not the Holy Spirit came two thousand years ago to the disciples, or
repeatedly ever since then at every baptism & confirmation and whenever a
true believer has opened their heart and mind to receive him. The
question is: Are we open to the movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and
are we exercising those gifts to God's glory?
My prayer for each of us
in the Diocese of San Joaquin, and throughout the Church, is that this
Pentecost Sunday we will both receive and exercise the love and the power of
the Holy Spirit, by stepping up for ministry in our congregations.
I pray you all a truly
blessed Pentecost!
Catechism Questions 112 - 114
112. What is the
inward and spiritual thing signified?
The spiritual thing signified is
the body and blood of Christ, which are truly taken and received in the Lord’s
Supper by faith. (1 Corinthians 10:16-18; 11:27; John 6:52-56)
113. What
benefits do you receive through partaking of this sacrament?
As my body is nourished by the
bread and wine, I receive the strengthening and refreshing of my soul by the
body and blood of Christ; and I receive the strengthening and refreshing of the
love and unity I share with fellow Christians, with whom I am united in the one
Body of Christ. (1662 Catechism)
114. What is
required of you when you come to receive Holy Communion?
I am to examine myself as to
whether I truly repent of my sins and intend to lead the new life in Christ;
whether I have a living faith in God’s mercy through Christ and remember his
atoning death with a thankful heart; and whether I have shown love and
forgiveness to all people. (1 Corinthians 11:27-32)
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