GRACE AND COMMUNITY

We are in the season of Pentecost – the season of the Spirit. And that seems to fit nicely with the popular culture these days. Have you noticed? For some time now we seem to be seeing a resurgence of spirituality in all its forms. I’m sure you have heard someone say, “I’m not very religious, I’ll admit --- but I’m very spiritual!” We see it all around us with television programs about angels and miracles -- and even Oprah’s “Remembering Your Spirit“.

In church we talk about the work of the Holy Spirit of God – moving, stirring, inspiring, and leading people of all tongues and races. But do you think that is the same activity that is being referred to by people who are “discovering their spirit”? Is there a difference between us getting in touch with our spirit … and God sending the spirit of eternity and wisdom; the spirit of comfort and fire among us?

Is this just a case where the church is out of touch with the real needs of people today, (lagging behind the popular revelation of Spirit being poured out among the many)? Or is it, maybe, a case where we are trying to blend too many metaphors (mixing spirituality and the tranquil life with worship of God and reverence for the holy)?

I think the Apostle Paul offers some helpful hints for understanding both the Biblical view of the Holy Spirit, and the popular view of human spirituality. In Romans 5:1-5
1. By faith, we have peace with God.
2. In Jesus, our Christ, we find God and receive the grace of God’s acceptance.
3. Our faith and experience of God is something we share joyfully with others.
4. We also take joy from the lessons of life – namely, that suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope.
5. And finally, hope is our bedrock, because it is a gift of the Spirit of God – which we receive through the love of God.

Interesting! Paul summarized quite nicely, I think, the two realities of Spirit: Our spirit – which strengthens us, gives us character and guides us toward community with others … and God’s Holy Spirit – which is the source of our spiritual journeying; a unique gift; a grant from the loving nature of Godself. God’s grace is the motivation … our sense of community and our care for ourselves and for one another is the reward.

The message of Pentecost is the story of God’s holy spirit … the message of popular spirituality is the story of how the divine penetrates and permeates the very core of our being. It is the blending of grace and community; of source and discovery; of inspiring love and hopeful character-building.

On Pentecost Sunday (May 31, 2009) I invited the congregation to join with me in celebrating both Grace and Community and in new way. We were invited to celebrate the God who loves us and who gives us opportunities to love one another and to celebrate God’s holy spirit, and the spiritual journey we each are on.

In a basket, I placed the names of each of member or friend of the church who is currently “active”… these names also include some of our newer frequent visitors and all of the homebound members of the church.

We passed the basket around, inviting everyone in attendance to choose a name at random and the person they chose would be the person for whom they will give special care for the next year:
Pray for that person – call them when they miss worship on a Sunday – talk to them, when you get a moment, about their faith, their character, their hope, their “spirit” – remember their birthday, significant anniversaries, milestones and life markers. BUILD COMMUNITY. BE INTENTIONAL.

The Hebrew word for this is: Ets-ra . It means, “helper” or “partner”. It is a wonderful word that is used both in reference to God being our helper, and to us being each other’s helper. It sums up the relationship created by God’s spirit, and our spirit. It is the perfect way to live out the blending of traditional Pentecost observance of Spirit with current understandings of spirituality.

Ets-ra is who God is to us … and who we are to each other.
Ets-ra is who you will be for one other person in this congregation until Trinity Sunday, 2010..
Ets-ra is the challenge of this community … and it is the expression of God’s grace.
You will be an Ets-ra for someone … and someone will be Ets-ra for you.

Everyone who was not in attendance on May 31 will be given an opportunity to choose a name from the basket. Everyone will be included. Everyone counts.

Ets-ra is the way we will build and enrich our community: We will be each other’s helper. We will care for one another. We will be intentional about our ministry to one another. We will live as helpers, as partners, in a common spiritual journey … guided by the great and gracious Spirit of our loving God.

Let me know what you think about being an Ets Ra!