Pastor's Update

Greetings!

One of my favorite places to eat in Houston is a "soul food" restaurant called "This Is It." I love the food and I love the name of the place. What makes this restaurant so appealing to those passing by is their sign that says..."If you're looking for the best food in town, look no further. You have found it. This Is It." If you are looking for the best food, "This Is It." If you are looking for the place where the movers and shakers hang out, "This Is It." The name makes me believe this is a place I want to be.

When I read the story of Pentecost found in The Book of Acts, I get the sense that it should be called, This Is It. After all, Luke (the writer of Acts) describes that day in such a way. I know it is a place I want to be and an event I want to experience. Pentecost was a big feast celebration in the Jewish faith. Pentecost always came 50 days after the celebration of Passover, the time when God miraculously delivered the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage. Jewish people from all over the then-known world came to celebrate the feast. In fact, Luke names 17 national origins of people who were at the feast.

The strange thing that happened was that 120 people came down from an upstairs banquet hall acting unusually strange. They were singing, shouting, hugging, jumping, chattering excitedly, acting as though they had been affected by mass hysteria or lunacy. Some said they were drunk or struck by a moon beam. As they commented on this strange behavior, Peter, a follower of Jesus Christ, felt compelled to come to their defense and explain what was happening.

In his sermon that day, Peter quoted the Hebrew prophet Joel. "In the last days I will give my Spirit freely to all kinds of people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see visions. At that time I will give my Spirit, even to my servants, both men and women and they will prophesy." Wow! As far as Peter was concerned,This Is It! This is what God promised. A new age had come...God was doing a new thing. On that day, the Church was born.

This Sunday we celebrate the promise of the new thing that God has promised. We celebrate it as we witness 18 young people make their first public profession that Jesus is their Lord. We celebrate it as we experience the life changing power of God's Holy Spirit in our lives. We celebrate it as we stop doing church and start doing Pentecost. We celebrate it when we proclaim for the world to hear, This Is It!