The Tribune

By Rev Angela C

Bosfield Palacious

THIS is the birthday of the Church that marks the beginning of ministry after our Lord’s departure. This party lasts for the rest of the year until Advent starts the Church’s year all over again at the end of November. The coming of the Holy Spirit is a most glorious event and we need to remain intoxicated with this Spirit, one which leaves no hangover.

The party is one at which clothes are provided by the host. The garments of praise, and robes of righteousness, help us to remain clothed with a gentle and quiet spirit. Our filthy rags of sinfulness are covered if we accept the free gift of salvation. Zechariah writes of this process before it becomes available to all of us: “Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The angel said to those who were standing before him, ‘Take off his filthy clothes.’ Then he said to Joshua, ‘See I have taken away your sin, and I will put rich garments on you’.” (Zechariah 3:3-4.

The music is played to inspire us to praise God and to bring out the greatness in our souls. This is both instrumental with the sweet songs of heaven, and hymns with words of blessing, forgiveness and truth. You may dance before the Lord all night, or listen quietly from a seated or prone position. High praise, soft worship, old spirituals and contemporary choruses all blend to provide mood and mixture. These lyrics are often called to our remembrance throughout the day to strengthen us and give us courage and consolation.

A lovely anointing flows from person to person, binding us together in love. The fruit of the Spirit is provided as the feast at this earthly banquet catered by heaven’s connoisseurs of celestial cuisine. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23) are some of the delicacies in this fruit basket of spiritual blessings. The Holy Eucharist nourishes us with the body and blood of our Lord, so that we may indeed know the goodness of God’s grace for ourselves.

During this time of great moral confusion, many who are professing Christianity as their religion of choice, find it hard to embrace the lifestyle and character of Christ, because they are not always sure what this means. By reading the bible, we learn about the Lord’s work and witness, and through prayer we are led by the Holy Spirit to come to know the mind of Christ more and more. When faced with a dilemma and we feel pressured by doubts and uncertainty, we can ask ourselves the following questions:

Is God able to delight in what I am doing right now? Am I able to praise and thank God with no sense of guilt or shame where I am, how I am dressed, what and the amount that I am consuming, or the language coming out of my mouth?

If you do not have a close relationship with God, then you may ask yourself: Am I happy for my children to see me and emulate me in this behaviour or attitude? Would I be ashamed for my parents and grandparents to hear or see me carrying on in this manner? If I saw myself on video would I be embarrassed for it to go viral?

We are all in need of forgiveness, healing, love and empowerment. We all need to confess our sins, repent, and raise the bar on our moral and ethical standards. We all need to grow in grace and to be more filled with the Holy Spirit.

Pentecost has come just in time to teach us how to celebrate life, how to have a good time in the Lord, how to conduct ourselves with dignity, decency and decorum as befits the children of God.

When in doubt pray, and the Holy Spirit will show you the way.