The theme for today is "One Spirit, Many Members, One Body". During my meditation and preparation for this morning's message, I was asking myself what that means. What is the one spirit? Who are the many members? And what is the one body?

Because today is the day of Pentecost, we turn to the book of Acts, Chapter 2 to help us understand what the "one spirit" means. Pentecost is a Greek word meaning fifty (Penta=5). For Jews and first century disciples, it was an annual celebration, which came 50 days (one day after the seventh week) after the Passover ceremonies. See Lev 23:16. For Christians today, Pentecost is a celebration on the seventh Sunday after Easter commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles.

But on the first Pentecost after the resurrection of Jesus, the disciples and many believers from other lands had gathered together. This was the first church business meeting. The small group of 11 had already grown to more than 120. The main order of business was to appoint a new disciple, or apostle, as the 11 were now called, for the word apostle is a Greek word meaning "one who is sent on a mission".

While the apostles waited in the city of Jerusalem for the fulfillment of Jesus' promise of the Holy Spirit, they were praying, seeking God's guidance, and getting organized. And then it happened:

1 On the day of Pentecost, seven weeks after Jesus' resurrection, F6 the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm in the skies above them, and it filled the house where they were meeting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, F7 as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

5 Godly Jews from many nations were living in Jerusalem at that time. 6 When they heard this sound, they came running to see what it was all about, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers. 7 They were beside themselves with wonder. "How can this be?" they exclaimed. "These people are all from Galilee, 8 and yet we hear them speaking the languages of the lands where we were born!

9 Here we are – Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya toward Cyrene, visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism), 11 Cretans, and Arabians. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!" 12 They stood there amazed and perplexed. "What can this mean?" they asked each other. (Acts 2:1-4)

This event was a fulfillment of John the Baptist's words about the Holy Spirit's baptizing with fire (Luk 3:16), and of the prophet Joel's words about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28).

Why tongues of fire? Tongues symbolize speech and the communication of the Good News. Fire symbolizes God's purifying presence, which burns away the undesirable elements of our lives, and creates a burning in our hearts to ignite the lives of others. On Mount Sinai, God confirmed the validity of the Old Testament law with fire from heaven (Exodus 19:16-18). At Pentecost, God confirmed the validity of the Holy Spirit's ministry by again sending fire. At Mount Sinai, fire came down in one place; at Pentecost, fire came down on many believers, symbolizing that God's presence is available to ALL who believe in him. In that moment, God proved that the Holy Spirit is available and indwells anyone and everyone, people of all nations, creeds, colors, and persuasions, who repent and call upon the name of the Lord.

God made his presence known to this group of believers on that day in a spectacular way--violent wind, fire, and his Holy Spirit. Today, God continues to make his presence known to us. God continues to speak to us. Sometimes he uses great miracles and wonders within our lives, and sometimes he uses gentle whispers. Our job is to be tuned in and listening, and to continue to develop our understanding of, and our relationship with the one true living God.

We see here that it is the Holy Spirit and our belief in God through Jesus Christ that binds us all together. When we look at the relationship God wants us to have with him in scripture, we find that there is very definitely a parent child relationship established. Believers are referred to as God's children. And you and I become brothers and sisters in Christ.

In this way, be become the many members of the body of Christ. Paul uses the example of the many parts of the physical body in the 12th Chapter of 1 Corinthians to make a point.

12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up only one body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into Christ's body by one Spirit, and we have all received the same Spirit. (1 Cor 12:12-13)

The point is this... the body of Christ is the church. Christians all over the world with different points of view and different levels of understanding, working together, with one common bond... Jesus. Our love for Jesus the Christ is what causes us to, in spite of our differences, remain united in vision, and hope, and purpose.

The tradition and practice of our denomination, Community of Christ, has been to uphold "personal conscience," affirming the ultimate right of each member to reach conclusions concerning matters of faith. With very few exceptions, our church has declined to legislate matters of personal belief.

This can be a both a strength and a weakness. At times, it may seem to others that we don't know what we believe as a body. Yet, this wonderful freedom allows us to speak freely of what we have learned through study, discussion, prayer and meditation with little fear of condemnation or rejection.

This freedom of spiritual diversity however can become intimidating. We sometimes have a tendency to keep to ourselves the things we feel strongly about for fear of offending someone else. While this can be the correct and courteous thing to do, it can also, at times, keep us from leading others to Christ.

In the spirit of this understanding, I'm going to take some risks. I'm going to become somewhat transparent with you today and share with you some of my beliefs. Some of them you will disagree with. Some of them, I hope, you will find to be your convictions as well. But the one thing I want you to remember is that it is the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ that unifies us.

Since each belief that I share with you is the result if countless hours of personal study, prayer, and discussion, you'll have to trust me when I tell you that each belief has at least a full 45 minute sermon behind it. However, because I've been asked to deliver a single 20-minute sermon for you today, and because I was kind of hoping to be invited back sometime , I will spare you the details, and give you the highlights.

•	I believe God is Loving, Faithful, and Fair... Impulsively Creative, Gracious, Compassionate, Righteous, and Decisive.
•	I believe in the Holy Trinity... the unexplainable triune God... who is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
•	I believe God will someday bring final judgment upon the earth and all its inhabitants, but that we as believers, we who are still alive are not appointed unto wrath, so we will be transformed in a twinkling of an eye, and caught up in the air to be with the Lord in the heavens forever prior to the Great Tribulation described in the books of Daniel, Matthew, 2 Thessalonians, The Revelation, and others.
•	I believe we are called to be disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ as missionaries, and that we are commanded to fulfill the Great Commission.
•	I believe that with knowledge comes responsibility, and that the more we know, the greater our accountability... in this life and the next.
•	I believe that God is withholding the culmination of the end times because he is not willing that any should perish, and we are the ones he wants to deliver his message of salvation.
•	I believe it is possible to fall from grace.
•	I believe in the biblical principles of Tithing.
•	I believe it is important to discuss and preach about moral issues facing the church such as Homosexuality, Abortion, Gun Control, Capital Punishment, and Euthanasia.
•	I believe it is ultimately the responsibility of parents, not schoolteachers, or even churches, to educate our children about scripture and the ways of God.
•	I believe Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and that not all roads lead to the kingdom of heaven.
•	I believe that the Christian faith teaches that belief in Christ guarantees us a place in heaven, and that our sins are forgiven, and that the judgment each believer must face is only to determine our level of reward in heaven for what we have done, (or not done), for God.
•	I believe we live in a confused and hurting world, and that we possess a message of hope, health, and eternal life in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

There's a lot of sermon material in there! But this is me. I'm not you, and you're not me. But there is strength in our diversity. We learn from one another. Many members... One body. Let's chat at Deer Park retreats. Let's take class together. Let's talk over a meal. Let's share what we know, and what we believe. In that way, the body becomes stronger, from the strength of the individual members of the body as a whole.

And let us always remember that it is Jesus Christ who unites us. Can there be any greater bond for the body of Christ than our love for God, and our belief that he has made provision for eternal life in heaven? Our understanding of the joy brought by having Christ in our hearts, even in times of trouble is so powerful, so meaningful, that it unites us in one common cause and purpose... and that is to share the Gospel of Jesus with others.

I thank God for this opportunity to be here and share with you today. And I hope your thoughts have been stirred, and that you find yourself more focused on the goal of reaching others for Christ, as we move out full of the One Spirit, as many members, of the One Body of Jesus Christ.