Today we looked at a fascinating video, "How Wolves Change Rivers". I was at a recent meeting with leaders of Conference Board's of Ordained Ministry and Lisa Greenwood shared the video (check it out on uTube) to spark our discussion of seeing change in the Church.
Basically deer had grazed most of the vegetation away in Yellowstone Park. After a seventy year absence wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone to thin the deer. What happened totally transformed Yellowstone. The deer population thinned and re-located to different areas. The vegetation come back. Some trees grew five times as high in six years. Plant life increased. New species of animals returned. Eventually even the rivers changed! It is a fascinating story.
Here is the what if...
What if we were to see the re-introduction of the Holy Spirit into the life of the church. (Why not make that your church?) Some unexpected things might ensue. For instance, the activities that consume our spiritual and temporal resources might be "consumed" and re-allocated. With that new work and ministry emerges. The environment changes. Love prevails. Holiness returns. Jesus is living in our midst. People return. New people arrive. Influence spreads. Like the wolves change rivers, the Church changes the culture.
Imagine the transformation the Spirit-filled Church makes. A culture of death (no more school shootings!!!) is transformed by the Living Lord. Picture a world turned upside down by the Resurrected Lord Jesus Christ.
The original Pentecost in Christian tradition empowered eyewitnesses to the resurrection to share the Good News with the world. A "Today Pentecost" will do the same.
Here is our prayer. Come, Holy Spirit, fill my life, fill your church.
It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too.
steve
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