JULIE OLMSTED
everyday matters
On May 23, Christians all over the world will celebrate Pentecost, the birthday of the church. It commemorates the Holy Spirit descending on the disciples as they gathered in Jerusalem in the famous “upper room,” presumably to celebrate the Jewish agricultural holiday of Shavuot, or the first fruits of God’s creation in spring. I love to imagine those gathered, 50 days after the resurrection, being touched by tongues of fire and thereby speaking the gospel in every language known to man. Many nearby thought that they were drunk, and indeed they were, but only on the Spirit that feeds the soul. The liturgical church (those with more formal, structured worship) marks the day by wearing red, decorating the church in red flowers and candles, and feasting on various “red desserts” after worship. I love to bring chocolate-covered strawberries, and I have to hurry out to the fellowship hall, in order to have even one.
I always say that the church is God’s gift to the world, and following are my most fervent birthday wishes for its people.
Spiritual growth. How is spiritual growth attained? By maintaining integrity and offering oneself to God in service. Integrity is wholeness, and wholeness is achieved by a strict adherence to Christian principles, i.e., no gossip, undermining of others, or falsehoods. This is hard, no doubt about it. But we cannot grow spiritually or in numbers without guarding each one's dignity and worth in God's eyes. This, of course, pertains to ways we treat those within and outside the church. The way we treat those outside is a witness to Christ, and by association, a way to grow the church and ourselves. Personal dislikes, biases or irritations need to be brought to God in prayer or to a loving and wise council of elders, in order to grow upward, toward God, not inwardly, which produces dark and tangled undergrowth.
A passion for mission. I was heartened to hear that the quickest and most efficient response to the floods in Tennessee was from the churches. Church World Service delivers school and health kits to disaster areas, sometimes faster than any other government entity. This is wonderful, but I know we can do more. We can end hunger. We can educate the world. We can empower women and men to be self-sustaining and prosper through organizations like Heifer Project, Sacred Threads, 10,000 Villages and more. We can educate ourselves to shop, eat and live responsibly, with others in different parts of the world in mind.
Real communication. Christians easily fall into the "nice" trap. We think that if we just paste on a smile and talk real sweet-like, that's enough. But real communication is self-disclosing. Real communication is honest and takes risks, for the sake of the gospel, which means "the truth." Speaking the truth in love is what we are mandated to do, no matter how uncomfortable it may be. The light that breaks through when one speaks truth out of a commitment to God's love outshines personal motive, and reveals new possibility for peace, freedom and joy.
The Rev. Julie Olmsted is a minister and life coach. She can be reached at julie.olmsted@att.net.
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