"Enigma................"

With but a couple of chapters of that Brian McLaren book yet to be digested, it almost seems like the author has been with me the past few days, the focus of his reasoning emerging in my life via both the Wednesday evening Bible class and that request given me by my young Catholic friend to read the Pope’s interview. Sunday evening service was powerful. I’m not sure it had been pre-designated over the internet as especially given to prayer for the sick, but some had driven great distance to be there and worship had brought the congregation to a point of great expectation. It is part of who we are in Pentecost. The reality of God’s Spirit healing, delivering, and moving in our midst is a matter witnessed many times over more than four decades within such ranks; but it is also true that the freedom allowed within the sanctuary can be abused, indeed, in my opinion, in more ways than one. On the other side of that coin, yesterday morning was our scheduled visit to the Youth Detention Center, no music but one song shared with the help of an accompaniment track, my son-in-law doing a couple of solos on his saxophone. It was an hour of testimonies and story-telling, our hope of reaching these kids with the message of “Christ in me” believed better received this way, the sixty minute sermon on “You’re Going to Hell!” employed by the fellow who bequeathed me this ministry not where I wanted to go. This is not “church”, though, not in the sense of a common doctrinal belief or a corporate bonding of an internal faith. Those who sit in this arena have little permission to move or speak at all, the Holy Ghost “restricted” (for lack of a better term) and any Spiritual connection established identified only by this “changed look” you can see on their face, a tear forming in a corner of their eye. Whether sitting in the balcony and watching where my bunch has taken evangelism or talking to incarcerated kids held prisoner in a gymnasium, though, it all comes down to “touching the hem of His garment”. It is He who puts “life” into living, grace into our humanity, reason into that which sometimes makes a man wonder about it all. That much hasn’t changed since I found Him forty-one years ago in my own living room, His peace a well restored unto my soul……