Dear Trinity Church,
Peace to you from Baltimore.
Marc and I are with our youngest son, Joel, who is having a surgery at Johns Hopkins that was delayed due to Covid-19. We are thankful he is in the care of a great medical team and the Great Physician. In the midst of the pandemic and now protests, we have been challenged by the poverty here and saddened by our current culture. We wonder, how will Jesus heal our nation? And then comes Pentecost, this mysterious day in the church calendar. The Spirit arrives in wind and flame and tongues and the church is born! After Peter preaches a powerful sermon, Acts 2 says, "Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about 3000 were added to their number that day." When I taught this Godly Play lesson a few years ago (after one of the Icicle River baptisms) the children were shocked. "How could they baptize that many people?" they wondered. I love how children challenge me to really read the text and see the mysterious and miraculous work of God.
The passage goes on to describe daily life in the newborn church - Apostle's teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer, wonders and signs, unity and generosity, glad and sincere hearts praising God and "enjoying the favor of all the people." WOW!
I am so grateful for this clear description of the spirit-filled church. Could the Spirit be helping our church recover the unity and mission of the early church? Amidst the political and racial tension our world and the church is facing, let us pray, "Come Holy Spirit!"
- Julia
PS - Joel made it through his surgery and is now on the road to recovery. Please keep him (and us) in your prayers.