Power-filled

The Christian Church in the Public Square in a Word Cloud - May 2010

"When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability."

Acts 2:1-4

Forty-four people, representing twelve different organizations and institutions, were gathered in an upper room at Luther Centre in Petaling Jaya this past Friday night. A rushing of words filled the air: Person & Identity, The World as it Is & The World as it Should Be, and, of course, Power.

Saturday morning, twenty people returned and began testing out this new language through activities, role play, and further discussion. As the seminar/workshop drew to a close, initial steps were being considered for the formation of a robust Relational Culture within and between congregations, civil society organizations, and other communities of faith.

The conversations had, and questions raised, over the course of the two days would have been unthinkable, or so a participant shared with me, even a decade ago. An ethnic and religious minority, it has only been in recent years that the Christian Church has begun to realize that it does indeed have power (meaning nothing more or less than 'the ability to act') and a significant role to play in addressing the problematic issues that litter the Public Square in modern day Malaysia.

This Pentecost, God is once again up to something new in our midst:

+ Stirring the Church from her slumber.

+ Inspiring leaders with visions of new life together.

+ Filling the faithful with the power to act for the common good.

Through the stories, questions, statements, and observations made during the seminar, in addition to reflections posted afterwards, I have been privileged to be able to witness glimpses of the inbreaking of the power-filled Holy Spirit in the immediate here and now.

For the opportunity to have facilitated and shared in such holy conversations, I am indeed ever thankful.

For the life-giving ways in which such words and ideas might take on flesh and bone and action in the future, I am indeed ever hopeful