This is the weekend of Pentecost in the church calendar year, which means it’s the weekend we celebrate the church’s receptivity of the Holy Spirit.  Just a few short weeks ago, the entire journalistic world was cooing over the May 21 predictions of the world’s end, a subject to which Jesus spoke just before his physical departure so many years ago.  He made three things clear on that day:

1. Nobody would be able to predict the date of Christ’s establishment of the fulness of His kingdom.

2. Jesus’ departure would pave the way for the coming of the Holy Spirit, which would be the source of the power for the church.

3. The church would be “witnesses,” spinning outward from Jerusalem to far flung places.  This means they’d make Jesus’ character visible.

Well, it’s been two thousand years, and I’m thinking it’s time for a check-up.  I don’t think the power/witness thing is going so well. Who can forget Annie Rice’s words last summer:

“For those who care, and I understand if you don’t: Today I quit being a Christian. I’m out. I remain committed to Christ as always but not to being ‘Christian’ or to being part of Christianity. It’s simply impossible for me to ‘belong’ to this quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous group. For ten years, I’ve tried. I’ve failed. I’m an outsider. My conscience will allow nothing else.”

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