Pastor’s Letter: June 9, 2019

Pastor’s Letter: June 9, 2019

7 Jun 2019 | Posted by: chadmin

Dear friend,

Happy Feast of Pentecost! The Feast of Pentecost celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit and the beginning of the Church. The role and action of the Holy Spirit is something that daily intrigues me. I think it’s a bit easier to conceive of a relationship with Jesus in prayer because we can read his words in scripture and envision him as a person to engage in conversation. Jesus reveals to us the relationship between himself and the Father in many Gospel passages. Like all relationships, our relationship with the Father and Son are contingent on how well we communicate. Communication with God is simply called prayer. There are many forms of prayer, but its base level is dialoging with God about the happenings of daily life while asking for guidance, assistance, and perspective. Prayer with the Holy Spirit can be a little more challenging. In the Bible, the personifications of the Holy Spirit are a dove or flames of fire. Conversing with a dove or a flame doesn’t carry the same feel as talking to the Father or Jesus. This is where the words of Jesus and the record of the early Church are so significant. Jesus told the apostles that he would “send the Holy Spirit from on high to remind them of everything” that he told them. When the Spirit came down upon the Apostles they were able to speak new languages and perform miraculous signs. While it is true and right to call the Spirit the Third Person of the Trinity and to dialogue with the Spirit in the same way we converse with the first and second persons, it is important to see the Spirit’s role. The Spirit is the active agent of God’s love. The Spirit nudges our minds and hearts with truth. The Spirit brings us the seven-fold gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord (wonder and awe). The Spirit helps with patience, kindness, and authenticity. As we pray this Pentecost Sunday, may we deepen our dialogue with the Holy Spirit in order to foster our attentiveness to divine guidance.

We began a few summer projects this past week. A new concrete sidewalk was installed along the primary building toward the gym doors. This will assist the flow of cars and children into the building during the morning school drop-off. The sidewalk will also increase safety for the children as they walk into school. Between the sidewalk and the school building, grass and landscaping will help beautify the space. Last year we completed the replacement of the church windows. With further inspection, it was clear that the exterior wood on the church needed painting. Hopefully these projects will both stabilize the campus and add some beauty.

Happy 100^th anniversary to the Chicago Bears!  The Bears are having a big celebration this weekend with former and current players. I am going to the event with family members on Friday and Saturday. It should be a good time with the family. Most of the three-day event includes small group discussions and interviews with famous Bear players. I’m looking forward to hear some funny, interesting, and maybe untold stories. Have a great week.

God bless,

Father David