Pentecost Freedom!

This past Sunday was a unique day.  We celebrated Memorial Day, and it was Pentecost Sunday as well.  It’s not often that the two are on the same day.

Thank you to all of our men and women serving in our armed forces, and a special thank you to those veterans who served over the years.  Freedom is not free.  The freedoms we enjoy, including attending church on Sundays, is due to men and women who have valiantly defended those freedoms.  So thank you to all veterans and their families for the sacrifices you have made to ensure our freedoms.

I also think that the word "freedom" fits perfectly into Pentecost Sunday. 

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 

2 Corinthians 3:17

The Holy Spirit is vital for our lives as Christians.  The Spirit gives us life.  In Genesis, God blew into the nostrils of Adam and gave him life.  The Spirit blows into our lives and enables us to realize and respond to God’s love and grace.  The new, eternal life that we have is a gift of the Spirit.  The Spirit also empowers us and gives us freedom.  Paul writes that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.  It is the Holy Spirit that makes this true in our lives.  Paul also writes that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think. This too is because of the movement of the Spirit in our lives and in our world.

So as we celebrate the birth of the Church, have you received “your” Pentecost today?  Have you had your Pentecost moment?  Are you living in the freedom that only faith in Jesus Christ can give to you and that the Holy Spirit imparts to you?

Let us reach out with arms open wide in faith and say, "Yes Lord, I take what you give me and  fill me with the gift of the Holy Spirit!  Let’s claim our Pentecost freedom!"

Enjoy this song by CeCe Winans, "Holy Spirit Come and Fill this Place."

To His Glory!

Pastor Carol

The Power of the Dot!

After this weekend’s services, many of us have been seen sporting a new look – the dot!  That’s right, you may find it on someone’s watch, bracelet, iPad, iPhone, Droid or even on little ones' favorite dolls and toys. Only those who want to be on the cutting edge wear them and there is power in the dot. 

You see, Pastor Steve invited each of us to sport a dot somewhere on our bodies or accessories this past Sunday.  The idea is that every time we see our dot, we would say a prayer for Calvary, the Call Committee, the Council, the staff, the pastors and for all the ministries of Calvary. 

How can there be power in a paper dot?  Well, it’s not the dot itself that has power, but it is the God we turn to each time we see the dot and get on our knees and pray.  There is power in prayer.  And if 1,800 people or so have a dot and pray on average, 3-4 times a day, then there are 7,200 prayers daily being offered to Almighty God.  Now, I’m not saying quantity is important, mind you, but I think the more we are all praying for Calvary and for God to use each of us here at Calvary to do His Kingdom work,  the more doors God will open to us so that we can better serve all of His children, so that we can reach out to more people and serve them, so that we can be God’s hands and feet to those in our community and in our individual areas of influence (our workplaces, neighborhoods and communities.)  Prayer is powerful!

So, if you didn’t get a dot last week, be sure to ask for one this weekend.  After all, the most important thing we can do personally and as a congregation is to be a people on our knees – all the time and in all situations!  Prayer should be a continual outpouring of who we are and our connection to the awesome God we serve. 

Here’s the "Lord’s Prayer" sung by Andrea Bocelli.  May you join your heart in prayer as you listen to this beautiful rendition of the prayer our Lord taught us to pray.  And may we always be a people on our knees.

To His Glory!

Pastor Carol

Celebrating the Moms in Our Lives

What a wonderful weekend of worship we had at Calvary!  Wow!  The kids musical was outstanding!  Kudos to all of the children involved and to those who worked behind the scenes to make this day so very special for our children and our families. 

During the other services, we were challenged not only to remember our own mothers, but also to give a call or text or Facebook a woman in your life who inspired you, encouraged you and supported you.  I hope that all of you did that!  We all have adopted mothers in our lives who reach out and touch each of us in a special way.  So, we need to acknowledge them too.  After all, there are no coincidences with God!  When He brings someone into your life – maybe an adopted mom or special friend – that’s a gift from God and should be honored.  I’m always amazed at how God brings different people into my life at just the right time to either encourage me or give me insight into something happening in my life.  I just love those “unexpected” friends and adopted moms that God “plops” into our lives from time to time. 

Here is a song that encourages us to acknowledge the special women of faith in our lives!

To God be the Glory!

Pastor Carol

God Wins!

Well, it’s hard to believe that we have come to the end of The Story after 31 weeks.  As Pastor Steve wrapped up our nine-month journey, he asked each of us to imagine lying on the floor of the Sistine Chapel looking up at that glorious mural and to consider that one little area on the canvas that was not completed.  Then, as you watch Michelangelo start to paint that area, imagine that you recognize what he’s painting – it’s part of YOUR life – your family, your circumstances.  It’s YOU in the story. 

Did you do that this week?  I know I have been pondering that all week!  Yikes!  What would Michelangelo paint about my life and my struggles with God?  Was my life even worthy to be put up on that beautiful ceiling?  After all, I’ve not done anything special to be elevated to that status!  To think that I would be there alongside Abraham, David, Peter, John and all the others really blew my mind away!  But, we are all next to these people--just like us, they also were struggling children who trusted God and did their best to follow Him. 

Today, I want to encourage all of us to really accept and to realize that we are ALL part of God’s story.  You and I are in it!  And God had you and me in mind from the very beginning of time.  It’s God’s story and we are His children so we are in His story.  You know, the Book of Revelation, I think, can be summed it in two words, “GOD WINS!”  Can I have an "AMEN"?!   I feel like doing the "happy dance" and setting off some fireworks!  Hallelujah!

Here is a song by David Phelps called "The End of the Beginning."  It's a song that reminds us that His death wasn’t the end – it was merely the beginning!! 

 

To God Be the Glory – forever  --  Amen!

Pastor Carol

Getting Rid of My Plastic Barbie-like Prayers

Today marks the 61st anniversary of the National Day of Prayer.  This year, the national theme is "One Nation Under God" and is based on Psalm 33:12, which reminds us that “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.”  Today, there are 35,000 prayer gatherings around the U.S., and millions of people around the country will participate in these prayer events held in thousands of public venues, churches and convention centers.

Early this morning, at 6 a.m., many people from Calvary and many churches, organizations and businesses participated in the West Metro National Day of Prayer Breakfast held at the Medina Ballroom. Calvary was the host church and sponsor this year, but many, many people, businesses and many churches generously donated their time, talent and treasure to ensure that this event could be held.  There were close to 400 people present, including police officers, military, church leaders, Calvary members, business leaders, Hennepin County government officials, and many brothers and sisters in Christ.  What a powerful event!  To witness close to 400 people praying full-heartedly for the government, the military, the media, businesses, our schools, our churches and our families was amazing. 

Lisa Barry from KTIS Christian Radio was the keynote speaker.  Her presentation touched all of our hearts and it was a bit convicting to many of us.  Yikes!  She focused on how and why we should take off our “masks” with God when we pray.  As Christians, we get into praying a certain way; perhaps we use the ACTS acronym (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) every day or some other routine way of praying.  We try to pray what we think God wants to hear.  What if we got real and prayed WWF kind of prayers--prayers that forced us to wrestle with God and have an Isaac moment.  “What if we stopped praying the plastic Barbie-style prayers and really prayed from the depth of our hearts?”  Lisa challenged us by sharing her own personal times that she wrestled with God.  Those times transformed her life and faith in amazing and unexpected ways. 

So, today, I am challenging all of us to try praying from our hearts and skip the “mask” we put on far too often when we pray.  I guess that means let’s get real with God today. 

At the end of the morning, Dan Adler led us all at this gathering in a special song he wrote for the National Day of Prayer and BlessMN.org called “We Will Pray.”  It was a call to each of us to pray no matter our situation and no matter the place.  

To His Glory!

Pastor Carol