My Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

The Easter Season is a celebration of miraculous life-changing events. It starts with Resurrection Sunday when Love-Embodied-For-Us defeats death itself. Then, for 40-days Jesus appears to the faithful until He ascends into heaven, taking our very humanity into the Godhead. We can see that Jesus' entire life - from His Incarnation to His Ascension - is a divine invitation into the very heart of God. Now, as the Easter Season comes to an end it culminate this Sunday with the Feast of Pentecost, celebrating the fulfillment of yet another of God’s promises: the promise to send a “True Friend” … an “Advocate” … to be God-With-Us-Still, leading us into all truth.

In the power and presence of the Spirit, we experience and know Jesus not just through biblical stories written long ago but because He lives in and through us, bringing Holy Scripture alive. It’s because of the Spirit that, as diverse as we are, we can come together as loving family – as the one Body of Christ in the World. All of this is possible because the one promised is God-With-Us-Still.    

Through the presence of the Holy Spirit, we experience the love of God in a more intimate and powerful way. God the Father loves us with the same intensity that He loves His only begotten Son. And, thanks to the Spirit, God’s adopted children can now love one another with the same love the Father has for the Son. This is the purpose of sending the Holy Spirit to us. This is the great blessing for which the Spirit advocates. 

Because of the Spirit, Jesus assured His disciples that we will do the works He did and even greater ones. At first blush this might seem ridiculous, but our Lord knew whereof He spoke.

While Jesus did great things, He was – as a fully human being – only one person in one place at one time. It was only after the outpouring of the Spirit upon the Church that the early disciples spread the Gospel throughout the known world.

Is it not all the more impressive when we fallible, even sinful, human beings authentically live the Way, the Truth, and the Life as Jesus’ disciples, obeying His commandment to love as He loves us?

Is it not all the more impressive when we live at peace and without fear, not only praying for God to be glorified and God’s will to be done but actually working to make it a reality on earth as it is in heaven?

Is it not all the more impressive that, with a nature marred by sin, shame, and self-service, we seek the Kingdom of God in the here and now, with a place at the table for the marginalized and stranger alike, as we strive to love even our enemies?

In the power of God-Still-With-Us, this great work continues as you spread the Gospel by loving as we are loved, feeding the insecure, offering compassion and healing, and working for redemption and restoration as we strive for justice and mercy.

We are doing the marvelous work Jesus began and, in God’s transformative love, doing even greater things.

No matter what happens in this crazy world, as members of the priesthood of all believers you are empowered by God-Still-With-Us to continue Jesus’ great work.          …

So, my friends in Christ, boldly go where the Spirit leads.

In Christ's Love & Peace,
Mark Andrew+

"Anxiety weights down the human heart, but a good word cheers it up" (Proverbs 12:25).