The Flame Still Burns
It began at Jurisdictional Conference a year and a half ago in Houston when three new bishops were elected and without any acrimony.
It continued when Bishop Saenz Jr. was assigned to the head both the Central Texas Conference and our North Texas Conference with joint fanfare.
We felt it at Annual Conference a year ago when it was evident that everyone there wanted to be there and move forward together in mission for the gospel.
We saw it again at General Conference just completed when global efforts passed by 80% and 90% margins.
We have experienced it locally as new faces, families, baptisms, and hope populate our growing optimism.
“All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit ...”
This Sunday is Pentecost Sunday, and we will, in some special ways, be made aware of the Spirit’s presence among us:
An increasingly diverse people will gather to praise God;
Different languages among us will be heard;
Young women and young men will dream and see visions of grace and possibility (Joel 2:28).
It is, I think, what it means to be the church of Jesus Christ. As it was in that upper room, the presence of the Spirit disrupts as it energizes until the community finds its new footing and its way forward together. Much like a flock of birds starting to fly quickly in several directions before finding formation and a flight path forward – together. These are exciting times for our young people, for our church, and for our denomination because the flame of the Holy Spirit still burns.
Blow Spirit, blow. See you Sunday in FUMC Plano’s “upper room.”
Connecting God and Grace to Self and Community,
