An old Lori Morgan song begins, “I’m looking
for something in red. Something real shocking to turn someone’s head.”
Her search is for a red dress, the proverbial
red dress, that will ignite a romance, and by the end of the song, re-ignite the
passion in her marriage.
That’s the way we think of red, isn’t it?
Shocking. A head turner. Flaming. Outrageous. Passionate.
What is red to you? What is red?
We “see” red when we are angry.
We bleed red when we are wounded.
We feel red when we are shocked or
embarrassed.
We taste red in the summer delights of
strawberries, cherries, watermelon.
Red is fire.
Red is rubbed raw.
Red is sirens and flashing lights.
Code red--someone’s life is slipping away.
We smell red too--roses, and geraniums.
Red. Her hair is red and so is her name. And
don’t cross her or you will find out that so is her temper.
Red is bold. Red is courage. Red is
passion. Red is . . .Pentecost. Interesting isn’t it, that red is the
color of Pentecost? The color of the birth of the church?
The church is more comfortable in green.
Green is a gentle color. A natural color. Green is peace. Green is rest.
Green pastures. Green and slow. Yeah. . .now there’s a color for the church.
Maybe that’s why we rush through red and can’t wait to get the green back out.
Did you know that there are more than 25
Sunday’s every year which are green? A handful each of white and purple.
But officially, only one red. We like to
leave it up longer through the summer, but the Christian year only gives us one
day that is rightfully red.
Today....Pentecost. Marking the coming of the
spirit and the birth of the church!
My church calendar lists all the Sunday’s and
holy days and gives the color for each one. On May 15th this year, it says
simply, “Pentecost--red!”
It says it as if we should know what being red
is about. It says it as if we ought to understand this one day of red.
I wonder what our ancestors in faith were
doing when they proclaimed this one special day......... this 50th day,
Pentecost, the birthday of the church through the power of the Holy Spirit.....I
wonder what they were doing when they said, “red.” “That’s the color! A
birthday color. Red!”
“Were they trying to tell us something? Were
they trying to help us remember the fire? The wind? The many languages that
was inclusive to every single person who was gathered there that day? To
remember the mockery, calling them drunks. To recall Peter’s mighty sermon and
the conversion of 3000 of them in that one day to repentance, baptism and a life
in Christ. What passion! What boldness! What courage! What a magnificent
display of God’s power! What a red day that was, hmmm?
When was the last time, you “saw red” in the
church? No..not just the color on the walls, (cross, banners, etc) I mean,
the stuff that red is made of.
When was the last time you saw the church
being bold?
When was the last time you saw the church
being courageous?
When was the last time you saw the church
being passionate?
I’m looking for something in red. I’m looking
for something that’s shocking to turn someone’s head. Something . . .something
. . .something that only the Holy Spirit could bring about.
The Confirmation class learned a lesson a
month or so ago about what it meant to be a Christian in Rome during the time
when Christians were persecuted. Then, you had to have courage to be a
Christian! Meeting in the Catacombs, the underground cemeteries of Rome,
Christians often risked their lives for worship. Authorities had better not see
you going in….or coming out! If they did, it was your blood that would be
spilt! Red blood. And the church is the church today only because of the
faithful witness of many whose blood flowed red whenever the gospel of Jesus
Christ was boldly proclaimed.
Early followers had to find ways to identify
one another. One such way was the sign of the fish—a nod to the first followers
who were invited with the words, “come and I will make you fishers of people.”
So as not to witlessly give away one’s identity to someone who might be hostile
toward the Christian movement, the first follower might make a mark in the sand
with a stick or the toe of his sandal. An arc. To an unsuspecting eye, just a
line in the sand. But to a fellow believer, the arc was an invitation, to come
and complete the symbol, by drawing an inverted arc, crossing at one end and
meeting the original arc at the other. When done just right, it became the
symbol of the fish. And two believers were silently joined in heart.
Today, our confirmation class will make their
profession of faith not just in word, but in action. They will be shown an arc
in the sand. If they boldly choose to be a follower, they will complete the
arc, and we will proceed with their confirmation. It’s just a reminder of the
bold faith required of Christians long ago, but more importantly, a reminder
that if our faith is to be a living faith today, it will require boldness of us,
here, now.
The breath of the Holy Spirit has begun to
blow.
We can be red. We can live in boldness. We can live courageously.
We can be passionate! We can live into our color, church. Because we are not
without the Holy Spirit. We are not without the help our God offers us. We are
not without the love of Jesus Christ. We are not with out the word of our Lord.
We are not without the testimony of the church for 2000 years. And we are not
without the Holy Spirit’s guidance into a future that is bright and red!
Let’s be a red church!
Let’s be a bold church.
Let’s be a courageous church.
Let’s be a passionate church.
Let’s be a church that makes a difference.
Let’s be red, church.
Let’s be red! Pentecost red.
Because...someone, someone out there..is looking. Looking
for something in red.
