What was the point of all those fireworks?

I think it is a legitimate question and goes to the heart of the raison d'etre of the Christian Church.  Why were we blessed with such an amazing display of fire and rushing wind?  What was God trying to accomplish with this first Pentecost?

Of course the Church has developed answers to this question throughout its 2000+ year history.  Martin Luther in his Small Catechism says that the work of the Spirit is to call us into faith and then form us as the Church

'I believe that I cannot by my own strength or understanding come to faith but the Holy Spirit calls me through the gospel.....just as it calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian Church.'  [a paraphrase of the explanation to the 3rd article of the Creed.]

But that begs the question of why the Church in the first place.  The Greek word for 'church' is ekklesia or 'the called out ones'.  So those who are gathered to be church are called out for some purpose......and it apparently took some wind and fire to get us moving.

Because it appears that it is about us moving, not staying.  It is about us talking with one another, and with every other Tom, Dick and Harry we meet about what we have seen and heard.  It is about what we are to do next and it has to do with other people, not ourselves.

This dynamic movement of Spirit and Church has gotten a bit lost in our last century as we foolishly believed that everyone already knew about the person, presence and power of God.   Too many believers began to believe that just believing (and there have been some very low standards around what 'believing' means) was the goal of the church.  Somehow we lost sight that the believing was intended to be the first step of telling someone else the story.  

Frankly, if you had been there and felt that wind, and saw those tongues of fire, and heard all those people talking........well, you would just have had to tell someone else about it all....right?

So, perhaps the fireworks were just for that purpose......to get us up off our ......couches/pews......and get the word out.  THIS is our God and THIS is how powerful that God is and THIS is the Jesus who showed us what it all looked like and THIS is the Spirit that is always moving among us to bring out new life.

So what is the story that God has given to you to share with the world?  Where have you felt the rushing of the Spirit?  Where has the fire of God's passionate love shown up in your life lately?  That's your story.  That's your fire and wind.  That's your call to tell the story.  Your story.  God's story.  The story of salvation for the world.