From the Pastor’s Heart

A young couple was going out for the evening. They called a taxi and put the cat out for the evening. The taxi arrived and as the couple walked out the front door the cat shot back in. They didn’t want the cat shut in the house so the wife went out to the taxi while the husband went upstairs to chase the cat out. The wife, not wanting it known that the house would be empty, explained to the taxi driver; “My husband’s just going upstairs to say goodbye to my mother.” A few minutes later the husband climbed into the cab. “Sorry I took so long,” he said, “Stupid old thing was hiding under the bed and I had to poke her with a coat hanger to get her to come out!”

Miscommunication can be embarrassing, and it can be hurtful and damaging.

We find ourselves entering the season of Pentecost, the birth of the church by the giving of the Holy Spirit. Luke reports in the Acts of the Apostles:

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability…Amazed and astonished…they proclaimed, in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.”

Various tongues, but yet all understanding the power and praise of God. What is the language of God? What is the language of the church? The language of the church is love. Christian love is always understood, tearing down all barriers. The language of love is a language of forgiveness, a language of hospitality, a language of welcoming.

There is an old Appalachian folktale about a small town in Tennessee called Galax cove. There were two churches in Galax Cove, a Baptist Church and a Methodist Church. The Baptist preacher, Ike Gallaher, always preached against the Methodists, and the Methodist preacher, Wes Shelton, always preached against the Baptists, and the townsfolk learned to hate each other in the most Christian kind of way.

Then one spring, the rains came down, and the creeks rose, and a flood tore through Galax Cove. Ike Gallaher attempted to move his family to higher ground. But the flood waters trapped them on some rocks. Suddenly, a wave rose up and tore his baby daughter from Ike’s arms. Just then, a man on the banks jumped into the water and swam toward the little girl. He reached her just in time, and pushed her up on a nearby ledge. Then, the man was swept away with the flood. It was Wes Shelton, the Methodist preacher. They found his body a few days later.

After the flood waters cleared, Ike Gallaher went back to preaching. But this time, he didn’t preach against any Methodists. He didn’t preach against anybody. His heart had been broken by the love of his enemy and all he could preach was love.

One of the churches was destroyed by the flood and the people never rebuilt it. Instead, they all began attending the same church, and they renamed it Sweet Harmony Chapel.

That ought to be the name of every church—Sweet Harmony Chapel. We are all followers of Christ. We need to love one another and respect one another.

Each time we celebrate Pentecost we experience again the birth of the church and our roots in salvation history. We celebrate again all that God has called us to be and what we are called to be about. We celebrate again the Holy Spirit that compels us to move forward to follow the Lord Jesus Christ beyond what we have dared in our wildest dreams to aspire.

We are called to speak the language of Christian love!

In His loving Service,
Pastor Russel