"Re-birthing the Church"

Pastor Laura Guy

May 31, 2009

Here's an instant replay of what happened in worship:

We thought about why Pentecost is called the birthday of the Church. We wondered if we should celebrate the birthday of an institution that has had so many problems.
We read the story from Acts 2:1-21 and Acts 2:37-47 , and we remembered how the Church began, how God wanted it to be. The Holy Spirit transformed a group of fearful followers into the Church, boldly speaking the Good News of Jesus and sharing what they had with others.
We realized that Pentecost is our time to "reset" each year, to remember that the Church is God's idea, and with the power of the Holy Spirit, we can be re-birthed in each new generation.
Pastor Laura shared about how she enjoys making mosaics, and she finds symbolism in taking a bunch of broken glass pieces and making a beautiful design. As she was grouting a mosaic this past week, she wondered, "If the Church is the mosaic - a bunch of broken people coming together to make something beautiful - then what would the grout be?" Her answer - the Holy Spirit. She looked online to see what was the purpose of grout and read, "The grout firmly locks the tesserae in from the sides. Grout keeps out the weather and dirt and will protect the mosaic from vandals or breakage. It can also enhance the look of the mosaic, setting off and framing the individual tiles. It unifies the design and strengthens the piece."
We saw the unveiling of the Living Water mosaic that was begun last fall at the all-church retreat. Pastor Laura said that the mosaic represents our church - broken pieces, each with its own place, its own beauty, all held together with the grout of the Holy Spirit.
We prayed that we would be the church God envisioned us to be, powered by the Spirit.
We celebrated communion, thankful for the gift of Jesus and the gift of the Spirit.