This last weekend you spent three nights at your grandparents house (Dad's parents). I was nervous about leaving you for so long and knowing I was over five hours away, if something went wrong was equally distressing.
Today as we drove home from our time in Illinois, you overheard me tell your Aunt KK that I starting talking like my Canadian friend. I had meant accent, but you heard that she spoke differently than I did. To that you said this to your dad,
"Maybe she got the Holy Spirit."
I didn't hear you so your dad had you repeat it.
"Maybe you got the Holy Spirit, mama."
The reason your dad and I left you with your grandparents was so we could attend the Society of Pentecostal Studies annual meeting. It was my birthday present; the one thing I wanted and we had planned on going for months. Since then your dad had said on more than one occasion that he felt that everything would change going to SPS. He didn't know what but he felt that things would change for me there. And things did change.
Oh, the Spirit moved Adelaide. The Holy Spirit broke forth at this conference of Pentecostal academics - and the moment was tender. The voice of women and men together were given space, and a Pentecostal feminist hermeneutic was spoken that shared the Father's heart towards His daughters and sons. Our current Pastors Cheryl and Jackie were there, and Cheryl presented the above lecture as Jackie chose to sit with us during his wife's presentation.
Daughter, these are two people who have worked many decades to make a place for you at the table. They trudged through when it was not only weird, but unheard of for women theologians in our tradition. In their ministry they made places for young, old, educated, working, male, female, and any other member of the Body of Christ. They crossed ecumenical barriers and created spaces for the diverse Catholic (worldwide) church.
That is your father's and my heart as well. We stand on the shoulders of these spiritual parents, as we also stand on the heritage passed down by our physical parents.You have a deeply rooted faith my darling.
As a Co-heir with Christ you are tied to the first apostles called away from the fishing nets to follow their Messiah. You are connected to the desert fathers whose life of sacrifice led to sanctuary and transformation of nations. You are held by the Saints of the centuries whose acts of selflessness through giving to the poor, speaking truth, and caring for the degenerate preserved a people and our faith. The same Spirit that lives within you moved the masses in the hills of Kentucky to form the Restoration Movement and would later shake the Appalachian mountains to awaken a people to follow God in new ways in the Christian Union. You're a daughter of the masses who made a stand against social injustice and racial discrimination as they felt the latter rain fall upon them at Azusa Street. You are sisters with Lillian Thrasher the Assembly of God missionary who disregarded all social norms and went to Egypt to care for the Arab orphans - marking the Middle East for Christ in new ways. (Much like her predecessor Margaret Gaines in the Church of God in Israel.) You are the great granddaughter of a holy rolling Street preacher, who had his door always open. Your great grandmother and his partner in life and ministry was a worshipping jazz singer that invited us into her life story and was able to engulf us all into Christ's larger story. You are the granddaughter of pastors who operated in integrity, and truly lived our James 2 by taking in orphans into their own home. Your the granddaughter of a prophet whose heart for Israel formed my own missional heart, and my mother whose heart and legacy is still being formed to fully capture the Father's heart.
My daughter, as we go into this unknown age. Whether postmodern or fluid, secular or agnostic, pluralistic or segregated, persecuted or exalted please know this - you are deeply rooted in a faith that is both local and global, present and eternal. So yes, the Holy Spirit came upon your mama. But not in the way you meant (though who knows what the future holds?) but in the way I needed: bringing sanctification, and passion back into my faith. Thank you for submitting to the voice of God. Daughter, don't give up not now, nor ever; it's not easy - losing hope can be seductive - but the Spirit is moving. She is grieving over the lost, brooding in the lack of understanding and transforming us through the Word as we move closer to the heart of God.
Speak your voice daughter. Sing it loudly! No one can take away the right given to you by the Creator of the universe.
Move forward, and as you go forth, never forget where you came from; root yourself in the sounds of the Saints who have gone before you.
I love you.
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