Pastor Don’s Corner . . .  

One of my favorite memories from the farm has to do with the birthing of calves. Whether in a stall or in the pasture, whether in the heart of winter or the sweltering heat of the summer, there is nothing quite like watching new life appear from the labor pangs of birthing . . . and to be a part of it, to help with the delivery, was always a treat. That is not to say that the laboring was not difficult or the work of ‘pulling a calf’ wasn’t hard, but it is the absolute miracle of new life that always, inevitably, profoundly amazed and humbled me.

Just from following dad around as a kid, I learned early on how to tell when one of the cows or heifers was getting ready to calf: they often separate themselves, milk begins flowing and, eventually, the water breaks and the moment is near. When possible, the expectant mother is taken into one of the ‘delivery stalls’ complete with fresh straw, a bit of hay and grain, and a bucket of water set to the side (Okay, I know to humans this isn’t exactly a picture of the Hilton Hotel, but believe me, to the cows this is first rate treatment!). Here, the entire process is carefully monitored, with both the straining of the cow and the health of the calf being given attention. More times than I can ever count I remember dad keeping track of the birthing, teaching us what to watch for, and instilling in us the knowledge of when to step in and help. Probably to most this whole scene seems gross, but to a dairy farmer this is the continuity, the rightness of life on this earth, and to have a hand in helping to bring the calf into the world is like having a hand in birthing a whole new creation. Then there is a moment, a most magical and holy moment, when the straining of the cow, the tending and pulling of the farmer and the emergence of the calf all seem to gush into one flow of birth waters, relief and wonder. In that moment, the calf slides out of the birth canal, the cow groans and sighs with relief and the ones helping step back to see what will happen next.

Then, the eyes blink, the mucus is blown from the nostrils, one deep breath of fresh sweet air follows another and the calf lifts its head ever so slightly. Often hardly perceptible, these things are enough to refocus the cow from the pain of birthing to the attentiveness of mothering: the cow gets up, swings around and begins to nuzzle the newborn, licking it from head to foot, stimulating the breathing while cleaning off the birth waters. Then it is time for us to step out of the pen and let nature take its course. It is time to watch until the calf rolls up from it’s side to a laying position, then jerkily stumbles up to takes its first steps, all to the gentle lowing and nuzzling of the mother who urges this new life to get going. It is simply amazing . . . and it is a scene that often replays itself over and over again in my head: birthing, new life, God at work.

It is Pentecost: birthing, new life, God at work.

In the most unexpected of ways, in the most unusual of moments, among the humblest of peoples, God gives birth to a new creation in our midst: the Church. It is God who labors in one of the backrooms of Jerusalem. It is God who pushes out a new Spirit of life. It is God who gushes forth over the peoples gathered together. It is God who tenderly, powerfully nuzzles the newborn into life and proclamation, causing them to stand before the peoples of the world and speak a new truth: because Christ lives, so can you!

It is an incredible sight, labored for in body and blood, birthed in fire and wind: something never seen before emerges. Though it had be spoken of, though folks had long dreamed of it, though nations had prayed for it, never could any one of them before, nor any of us after, have imagined what this Creator God had in mind. Not far removed from Bethlehem, in the side-streets of Jerusalem, just a long stone’s throw from Golgotha, God delivers the Body of Christ in the world. And Spirit becomes flesh and moves again: like Lazarus, the dead man lives; like Ezekiel 37, the dry bones dance; and like the crucified Jesus, the Risen Christ stands before the crowds of Jerusalem and speaks. In the words of the contemporary song by ‘Newsong’, “You can’t keep a good man down.”

God has life to give, new life to claim, redeemed life to celebrate and, in the power of the Holy Spirit, God will not be denied or ignored.  It is Pentecost. It is time for life, God’s Life in Jesus Christ. It is time for the life of Christ to be the heart of the Church. It is time for the power of the Spirit to birth in glory, honor and praise a new creation. And that creation will proclaim for ever and ever, from one generation to the next, the wonder of the awesome nature of God to birth again and again and again . . . salvation for all.