Friends,
I am so glad that we are not ‘those’ Christians. You know, the judgmental kind, or even worse, the ones who get a little too enthusiastic in worship. For that matter, I am overjoyed we are not ‘those’ Episcopalians. We have all of the tradition, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously. Clearly, we have this whole Church thing figured out, and we accomplished this just in time, because this Sunday is Pentecost!
Pentecost is fifty days after Easter, and it is when we remember the Holy Spirit descending on the disciples and gifting them with the ability to spread the Gospel in everyone’s native language. This is the birth of the Church, a day we remember by wearing red and reminding each other that the Holy Spirit dwells among us and that only together can we be the Church.
Perhaps giving thanks that we’re not ‘those’ Christians isn’t the right way to go about this whole a church thing. ‘Those’ Christians are just as much Christians as we are. I would have a very hard time being part of a Roman Catholic Church or a Pentecostal Holiness Church, but that does not mean they are any more or less the Church than our tiny outpost of the Jesus Movement on Fort Hunt Rd. It is easy to see the flaws of others when they differ so much from ourselves, while it is so very difficult to see our flaws that are so apparent to others.
The Church is a bigger place than we realize, and we can only grow in our encounters with ‘those’ Christians if we do not allow our hearts to be too hardened by how we see them. I plan on celebrating the birthday of the Church this Sunday, and I can simultaneously give thanks for the Church that has become my home, and for all of the Churches that others have made a home, because the same spirit that dwells among us resides in them as well.
On a related note, did you know a Ghanaian Methodist Church worships in our building after our morning services on Sunday? They are pretty great, they know how to dance, sing, pray and I hear they definitely know how to cook. We are combining our services at 10:00 am on Sunday, and I hope you can join us as we celebrate the spirit that lives among us.

-Nick