Bright Spot: Pentacost Sunday an important birthday for us all
I’m helping a young Ph.D candidate from South Korea learn English. We talk every week for at least 30 minutes and closer to 60.
When I asked his age, he questioned whether I wanted his Korean age or American age. Did they have their own metric system for figuring birthdays? Was he 35 kilograms old? (I’m very world-wise, eh?).
In Korea they start counting at conception. They basically add a year to the age the person would be according to our counting method. Don’t you love that, ladies?
In some countries, birthdays aren’t a big deal. In many undeveloped countries, they are unspectacular, unrecorded and unknown. Some of us wouldn’t mind that.
Sunday, June 5, marks the birthday of the church, Pentecost Sunday. That’s the day the Holy Spirit came to live inside of all followers of Jesus (Acts 2). Prior to that He, the third person of the Trinity, empowered special people for special purposes. He was a fleeting presence.
Not so today. Romans 8:9 says: “If you have not the Spirit of Christ, you have no part of him.”
There is some aversion in some churches to talk about the Holy Spirit, even more so when he was called “The Holy Ghost” (King James style). This is because discussions about him cause so much debate and division. What about speaking in tongues, when does he indwell us, when do we receive him completely?
But the key is not how much of the Holy Spirit we have, but how much of us he has? Total surrender is possible. Have you yielded to his consistent leadership in your life? That’s the follower of Jesus he wants to guide and empower to live the life you’ve always wanted, and Jesus has always wanted for you.
Happy birthday, dear Church!
Rick Sams is pastor emeritus of Alliance Friends Church.
This article originally appeared on The Alliance Review: Bright Spot: Pentacost Sunday an important birthday for us all
