Friday's thoughts about Sunday's sermon

"The Damned Church"
Sermon for Sunday, May 23rd

Pentecost is thought to be the birth of the church and the story is found in the 2nd Chapter of Acts. It is a story about the disciples after Jesus' death on the cross and after he had appeared to them they came to celebrate a Jewish Festival of Thanksgiving (or Pentecost--50 days after Passover).

Two things happened.
The disciples and the people around them began speaking in foreign tongues and yet everyone understood. They were so filled with passion that some people who were observing thought there was something wrong with them.

The Holy Spirit descended upon them and they were filled with passion for God. The Pentecost even led the disciples to live lives dedicated to carry on the Gospel and it was the precipitating event that formed the church.

The church in its history has starts and stops and it jerks its way along. Sometime we wonder if there is something wrong with the church and the way it acts. We become concerned and critical of its indecisiveness and its leadership (of lack of leadership).

At time, however, the church works. It gets itself together and it functions in ways that exceed its own expectations.

What strikes me about the Pentecost story and the church that jerks and the church that works is the fact that it all began with a group of believers got together in an attitude of thanksgiving.

Good things happen when we approach the darkest times of our lives with gratitude for the good times. That was the attitude of the disciples and that is the attitude that will make the church something that lives up to our expectations.

What is your experience with the church? What has the church done for you that is positive and what has been negative? If you have some thoughts on this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to share your thought click on the "comments" box below.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster