When God closes a door, somewhere He opens a window!

Dear Friends,

Tomorrow we celebrate the last major feast in the Church year before approaching Advent... the Feast of Pentecost. The coming of the Holy Spirit, the Church's Birthday, perhaps the Baptism of the Church itself!
Baptism by fire.. This week's lessons regarding the coming of the HS are indeed "on fire!"
Truly, I mean this.

Here's what I know. We have all heard the expression, "When God closes a door, somewhere He opens a window!" Never in my life have I heard this expression more so than in this last week.. and yes it is truthful.. some say it genuinely..and others offer it as a way to help ease the blow.. but truly it has its roots in our Pentecostal message.. the Disciples and Mary were locked away in a room with the door closed.. Jesus had gone to join the Father in Heaven. He left them with the promise of waiting for the strength, the power, the courage, the surge of HS that they needed to move on and go out and do God's work. .."suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were.."

The window opened and in blew the HS! I realised this week, that indeed, is what has happened to me.

The rest of the Acts story goes on to say, "Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim."

I told the children this week that everyone in the room began to speak in a language they had never learned to speak before..so that everyone was now able able to hear God's word.. pretty darn hard to tell and share Jesus' message if you only spoke with one voice isn't it?? How would they feed the many if only one voice proclaimed the Good News?!

The children asked me, "Well Miss Dawn, do you mean they spoke French and Italian..Spanish and Japanese?" I said, "Kind of.. but they were speaking in ancient forms of these languages.. forms that were present in Jesus' time..but the purpose in speaking in tongues was to make the world feel welcomed and aware of God's Love.. the one language that ALL people understand. The Language of Love is a universal law.

The Disciples were baptised by fire that day! The first Pentecost and Pentecost Sunday 2009 do not speak a different story..in fact, the message to go out, speak out, be courageous and strong, love one another as I have loved you, is all there for us today. When the window opens and the wind rushes in..the sky clangs, and,a fire that is never burning, but only warming, rests upon us we are being blown into the direction of proclaiming a new way to love and live with God's blessings!

Each day I try to teach my students that we are all different. Intentionally! God has work for us all based on those differences. That is why I have always subscribed to a teaching staff that is made up of differences. Differences in our talents, perspectives and styles. I promote the student to accept his differences and learn from ours! That is the basis of my curriculum. That just spills over into a greater understanding of how many people we need to raise up speaking in tongues!

The noise has ceased, the window is open and the wind has blown in... it invites the springcleaning we all search for but quite often are too afraid to deal with, once we begin the process of emptying our drawers and giving things away to Good Will!

"... I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. He will not speak on his own, but he will speak what he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are coming."

Last week, on Ascension Thursday I brought the children outdoors and released a white balloon. I wanted to explain how the Disciples felt as they watched Jesus be carried away to Heaven.. a balloon is a perfect visual example of how to teach that lesson. When any balloon gets away from us.. we watch fondly and sadly its direction as it ultimately disappears into the atmosphere. Immediately we want to replace the old balloon. The Disciples very much felt this way when Jesus left them. They wanted him back.. they were afraid to move without him. But Jesus promised that a new way was coming very quickly... a birth of new way of living and finding a home for all of God's people.

The Birthdays of our own lives begin when we clean out the old and make ready for the new. Accepting and welcoming the differences of those around us will be the very air that gives shapes to our new birthday balloon!

Happy Birthday! Joyeux Anniversaire!Buon Compleanno! Xronia Polla! San ruit kua lok!
Yom Huledet Same"ach! Alles Gute zum Geburtstag! Otanjou-bi Omedetou Gozaimasu!

Miss Dawn