FROM FEAR TO MISSION
By:C. Vanessa White
Spirit of the living God, fall fresh on me. Spirit of the living God, fall fresh on me. Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me. Spirit of the living God, fall fresh on me.
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n the African American religious experience, there are many spiritual songs and hymns that attest to the presence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the
community. Such songs as “Spirit of the Living God,” “Every Time I Feel the Spirit,” “I’m Gonna Move When the Spirit Say, ‘Move,’” and “Tere’s a Sweet Spirit” describe the power and presence of the Holy Spirit to move and animate a community of faith, as well as individual persons.
I am reminded of these songs as I read and pray with the Acts of the Apostles and, in particular, the Pentecost event described in Acts 2. Te Holy Spirit is so evident and present in the Acts of the Apostles that it could even be called the Gospel of the Holy Spirit.
Te Holy Spirit as described in the Acts of the Apostles is a living Spirit that moves the community from fear to fearlessness, from faltering to faith, from powerlessness to passionate power. Te Spirit transformed individuals into an inclusive community that then became a missionary church. In many Christian churches today, it is the custom for members of the congregation to wear red to celebrate the Pentecost event, which the author whom we call Luke describes as tongues of fire. Even today, we are reminded that the Pentecost event was experienced by people of many races and ethnicities during difficult times.
Every time I feel the Spirit moving in my heart, I shall pray. Every time I feel the Spirit moving in my heart, I shall pray.
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