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1.3
The church upholds and defends the truth
given to the apostles
and recorded in the Scriptures.
The Old and New Testaments
witness to God’s mighty acts.
They reveal the Creator’s holy love,
and lead us to Jesus Christ.
Reflection
This section describes the church and Scriptures. The church upholds the truth given to the apostles. In the book of Acts, the truth that the apostles experienced was the outpouring of God’s Spirit to them. They saw how this Spirit transcended barriers of language and culture and brought people together with a common understanding.
The church upholds the truth that God loves us and desires us to live in harmony with one another. The Scriptures attest to this over and over. The church is one of the few places in society where people of all ages and walks of life can come together in a spirit of love and unity. Where else can those young and old be together in that spirit of love and understanding?
When the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles, Peter rose up and said this: “In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.” (Acts 2:17)
What a beautiful vision! When the Spirit comes upon us, we shall all come alive together, in harmony with one another, each contributing to the building up of the human community.
This is what church should be. In a society where we don’t know how to relate with one another, church should be a place where we can all relate to one another no matter what age or background we come from. Kids should laugh with adults, students should feel comfortable sharing with working folks. We relate with people whose personalities and interests are very different from us.
All of this happens when the Spirit comes upon us. Let us be a church filled with God’s Spirit, so that we may be one in that very Spirit. May you have your own experience of being filled with God’s Spirit and love, and find grace, healing and restoration in that Spirit.
Dear Lord, pour out your Spirit upon us. May we experience oneness of love in the midst of our difference and diversity.
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