Dear Parishioners,
Pentecost is the day when the Holy Spirit began His empowering work in the Church so that the Church could be empowered to accomplish the Great Commission given by Jesus Christ in Matthew 28:19-20:
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded of you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
The message of Christ and His Resurrection is to be spread throughout the world, to both Jew and Gentile, and we are helped by the Holy Spirit to accomplish this task. Today, you will hear the reading from Acts spoken in a few different languages. It really brings home the point that the Holy Spirit is a gift for everyone, and helps to depict the first Pentecost when the apostles were suddenly “filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (Acts 2:4).
Pentecost reminds us that we have received the gift of the Holy Spirit and as a result, are endowed with special abilities and talents. It is through a huge diversity of ministries and gifts of the Holy Spirit that the Church is alive, growing in fellowship and fulfilling her mission given by Christ. Each week we are blessed to see the gifts of the Spirit manifest in our parishioners—many are endowed with the gifts of wisdom, encouragement, teaching, administration, etc. Without the Holy Spirit and these abilities, the message of Christ’s Resurrection would have stopped in its tracks and the Church would never have been built. Without the special abilities and talents of our parishioners, All Saints would not have been built, thrived or survived throughout its 125 year history.
So, Pentecost is the ideal time in the church year to celebrate the gifts of a few individuals who used their God-given abilities to help All Saints. Certainly, there are many parishioners, past and present, who are unsung heroes (or saints!) and never asked for “thanks” or recognition—and to all of them we are very grateful. Every contribution of time, talent and treasure is greatly appreciated by all of us. But sometimes, a public recognition of hard work, dedication, and talent not only demonstrates our gratitude but also is a public reminder of God’s gift of the Holy Spirit to all of us—and its right and good use to build and support the Church.
As we learn more about the Holy Spirit during this Pentecost, I pray that we may all discern our unique gifts. With prayer, obedience, and the right use of these gifts, the Church will be built up, the Gospel with be extended to the world, and Jesus Christ will be glorified.
With that said, today we will celebrate our eldest parishioner, June Evans. Many of you may not be aware but June, and her late husband Elmer, used their time and talents to keep our church well maintained—inside and out—for countless years. We also want to recognize the ordained ministries of The Reverend Lynn C Edwards and The Reverend Richard A. Pollard. Both of these men of God preached and guided this parish during a turbulent time in our church history—and remained a steady clergy presence. In honor of their contributions, please read the following short tributes.
Faithfully,
The Reverend John R. Schaeffer
June 8, 2014