Eighth Sunday of Easter/Pentecost ~ The Doors - Light My Fire

Well, here we are on the final day of the Easter season. This is the day that Jesus had foretold when the Holy Spirit would come upon his followers. And for those who were there that day on the first Christian Pentecost (for it was already a Jewish festival at the time), it must have been quite a confusing experience. They knew that Jesus had promised them something, but they were not quite prepared for what actually took place. They were again gathered together, as had become their custom, when the wind began to blow and what looked like tongues of fire came upon each of them. And then they were able to understand each other speaking, regardless of the language actually spoken (Babel undone, see Genesis 11.1-9). Language ceases to be a barrier to the mission that Christ has left to them. Through the Spirit, there is nothing that cannot be accomplished in the mission of Christ.

As I started this season with an irreverent take on the resurrection (see Chumbawumba on the Easter Sunday post), I decided to end with a slightly irreverent take on Pentecost. As we think about what is happening in the Pentecost story, we can imagine the disciples singing this song to the Holy Spirit - "Come on, baby, light my fire." The disciples would certainly have been lying if they had thought that they could not get much higher. But Jesus had promised them that they would do even greater things than he had accomplished.

Of course, the jury is still out on that one, though there are certainly signs that the big-C "Church," the universal church of which all Christians are a part, is finally beginning to remember what it means to be the Church. The Holy Spirit is still at work within us and we are finally starting to pay heed to the mission that Christ left us. That mission is not about building membership, but building disciples. It is not about those who are within, but those who are outside. It is not about serving those who are well, but those who are sick. It is not about finding those who are already here, but those who are lost.

Come on, Spirit, light our fire!