Daily Bread

While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the inland regions and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples. He said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?’ They replied, ‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.’ Then he said, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’ They answered, ‘Into John’s baptism.’ Paul said, ‘John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.’ On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied— altogether there were about twelve of them.

He entered the synagogue and for three months spoke out boldly, and argued persuasively about the kingdom of God.

This passage raises a whole heap of theological questions for my theological brain to grapple with — about the nature of faith and of baptism, the laying on of hands, and more. What is clear though, is that Paul believed that receiving of the Holy Spirit went hand-in-hand with being baptised into Jesus. I write 'baptised into Jesus' because baptism is the door by which we enter into a whole new way of being (whether that baptism is by sprinkling, dunking, wading, or plunging).

The whole point of the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus was so that we could be made holy and reconciled with God — meaning that we can walk hand-in-hand with God — and the outworking of that is that God makes home in us by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit living in us is a foretaste of how heaven and earth will one day fully be reconciled — God and creation in harmony. Therefore, to be a Christian and only believe that Jesus was God — without receiving the Holy Spirit — is like going into a restaurant, ordering a meal, then leaving before it arrives!

It amazes me that the church often operates without reference to the Holy Spirit. Yesterday, I spoke with two men, both church goers, and to them, church equated solely with going to a Sunday service. One even did online church every Friday, by which he meant doing online 'worship' every Friday. Worship is important, and you know me, I love worship, but it's not church. Church is a community of people, through the power of the Spirit, joining with the ongoing mission of God's love in the world. You can see why I balk when talking about 'church' as that thing we do once a week on a Sunday!

Church without the outworking of the Holy Spirit through us all is like sitting in a car without starting the engine and putting it into drive.

God is very gently forming and growing FAB Church. Right now, I know we need to be here for each other — even if we live remotely from one another — and I can sense and see God's love and tenderness in you all. Our mission, at the moment, seems to be to provide a safe harbour, especially for those struggling with loneliness and mental health issues, and who have felt unwelcome in other churches because of their ability, gender, sexuality, or lifestyle.

I don't know where FAB Church is going, but I do know that there is something very special at the heart of this fledgling community of Christians, and that we will only find God's way if we continue to be open to the love of God through the Holy Spirit.

Holy God
Thank you that
you made me clean and holy.
Thank you that
your Spirit can live in me
and work through me
to reach others with your love.
Thank you for FAB Church
and for the love and support
we share with one other.