One In The Spirit: God Shows No Partiality

Today, we, the people of Trinity United Methodist Church, are Peter; our Hispanic sisters and brothers are Cornelius and his household. Their hearts are ready to follow Jesus, be filled with His Spirit, praise His Name, and grow as His disciples. They are not “just like us,” but “God doesn’t show partiality; He does not play favorites. In every nation He still accepts those who fear him and do what is right.”

Paul proclaims the same message a little bit differently in Galatians 3:27-28, “And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have been made like Him. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female. For you are all Christians—you are one in Christ Jesus.” Let me paraphrase that just a bit: “There is no longer black or white, Asian or Native American, European or Hispanic. For you are all Christians—you are one in Christ Jesus.”

Our Hispanic brothers and sisters in Kankakee are already meeting in homes each week to study God’s Word. They need a place where they can gather to praise His Name in celebration of worship on the Lord’s day. They want to use our Friendship Hall each Sunday afternoon for that purpose and be allowed a classroom as office space for storing their musical instruments.

I first met brother Hiram Gonzalez, pastor of our Hispanic ministry in Momence, in April 1999. He was a pilgrim on Little Egypt Walk to Emmaus Number 18, and I was an Assistant Spiritual Director on the Team that led his Walk. Hiram recently shared with me, “David, from the time I first met you on Walk #18, the Lord told me that someday we would be together as partners in ministry.” When Hiram shared that testimony with me early last month, it was the moment I felt closest to Jesus all that week.

I have also recently talked with Pastor Jim Ruberg. When the Momence Hispanic ministry began a few years ago, he was serving as the pastor of the Momence United Methodist Church. Jim was thrilled to learn that we were considering entering into partnership ministry with our Hispanic brothers and sisters. He told me that he has nothing but fond memories of the time the Hispanic Church began in Momence and used their facilities.

These are loving, good, hard working people who want to become a Church. They show their love and gratitude so genuinely whenever European United Methodist Christians reach out to them in sharing the love of Jesus. Whenever the Momence Church trustees would have a work day to improve their facilities, Jim told me that several of the Hispanics would come to help. Pastor Ruberg assures us of his love, support, and prayers, for just sharing together the possibilities we have here at Trinity enabled him to recall so many wonderful memories of what God began to do and is still doing with the Hispanic ministry in Momence.

God blessed Peter with another Pentecost, because He obeyed the Holy Spirit and shared Jesus with a Gentile man, his Gentile family, and his Gentile friends. Likewise, God wants to bless us at Trinity as we obey Him in partnership with our Hispanic sisters and brothers in 2007 in Kankakee.