Welcome?

I really like one of the songs we sing in the 1st service during the season of Pentecost.  The song is titled Holy Spirit.  The words go ... "Holy Spirit, you are welcome here."  The disciples at Pentecost believed and invited this.  Earlier this year Asbury College invited this.  It was powerful, uncomfortable, life-changing, scary and beautiful all at once.  Acts 2 says the sound of the coming of God's Spirit was so loud and powerful people came running.  I wonder what we would have done?  Would we welcome the Holy Spirit in this place?

Sunday we will be singing about God's Spirit coming to us.  Let's look at our track record of welcoming manifestations of God.  The prophets came, filled with God's Spirit, and they testified to God's knowledge and power.  They prefaced their remarks (often) with the words, "This is what the Lord says."  They were killed, and their rejection was one of the reasons why God sent a prophetic famine that lasted 400 years.  That famine was broken by John the Baptist, who announced the coming of Jesus.  They killed him too.  Jesus comes on the scene and for a three-year period, Jesus preaches with power, miracles and truth, challenging all of us (including those in powerful positions).  You are (I hope) starting to get the point ... He was killed too.  Truth and anointing by God's Spirit are opposed by this world.

But the question here isn't about what Israel, political leaders and religious authorities did in the past.  The question is ... what will we do?  Will we lead those 8 children on the front row last Sunday to conform to this world or to be transformed into the dangerous, uncomfortable, powerful, scary and life-changing world of life in the Spirit?  Will we run into the street ... clamor to get to Church so we can be part of what God is doing ... raise a hallelujah to God in the presence of conflict ... own our part of being inside God's will?  Are we afraid we will be opposed?  Or ... maybe we are afraid our lifestyles will be challenged, confronted or changed.

Can we sing ... "Holy Spirit you are welcome here, come flood this place and fill the atmosphere, your glory Lord is what my heart longs for, to be overcome by your presence Lord."  Come Holy Spirit ... fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love! AMEN