The Holy Spirits Language
We hear them declaring in our own languages the wonderful works of God. Acts 2:11
Nws sawv! 他復活了! Он поднялся! 그는 부활했다! Er ist auferstanden! Usevukile!
It doesn’t make a lot of sense does it? A bunch of random symbols pasted onto the page. Hard to ferret out any meaning to anything in this. They could be words, but how are we supposed to understand what they mean? Whatever it is, it is not proper Queen’s English.
But if you were Hmong or Chinese or Russian or Korean or German or Zulu, these words would potentially have a significant impact on your life. They could change your life forever guaranteeing that you would never have to face eternal death. Loosely translated into English, they proclaim, He has risen! (At least in the mind of Google translators, these symbols do!)
So put yourself in the place of an Egyptian on the day of Pentecost. You come face to face with a Galilean who is eager to bring you good news, and the words which flow from his mouth are in Egyptian. You do not have to worry about translation. You hear this foreign man in this foreign land speaking plainly and clearly to you. In your native tongue, you hear him proclaiming to you the Gospel of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection for you. The Spirit works through this message bringing even greater joy to your heart. He has risen. I am forgiven.
This was the great miracle of Pentecost. Yes, the miracle of speaking in intelligible foreign languages was in fact a great miracle; but the miracle which flowed from this was even greater. About three thousand newly-born believers were added to the Church on that day, converted from unbelief to belief through the preaching of the Gospel. The Holy Spirit worked mightily in their hearts to bring them to the truth and bring them into eternal life.
The means have changed, but this miracle continues to this day. The Holy Spirit has not chosen to speak through us the words of a foreign language in the same miraculous way. But He has gifted individuals with the ability to learn foreign languages. We can be thankful that our pastors have the ability to read and understand biblical Greek and Hebrew. We can also be thankful that the Holy Spirit provides opportunities in our world, through contact with others or through study, to learn a multitude of other languages, so the Gospel message continues to spread through our community, our land, and our world.
There is only one thing that can hamper the spread of the Gospel. That is silence. When we fail to share the love of God in Christ Jesus, we have set up the biggest obstacle to the growth of the Church in our community, our land, and our world. Consider learning a foreign language or helping someone to learn English. Keep the Gospel moving forward. Blessings to you who are loved by God and stand forgiven in Christ.
Frank Van Brocklin
Principal/Staff Minister
Coming up at Immanuel Lutheran School:
❖ On Thursday, May 25, our students will be going to the Broadway Movie Theater in the afternoon for their Accelerated Reading Field Trip.
❖ On Thursday evening, May 25, beginning at 5:00 PM, we will be hosting our annual 3K-4K-Kindergarten Celebration. Come to hear our children sing and to applaud them for this year of growth in God’s Word and in academics.
❖ Our end of the school year chapel and picnic will be held on Friday, May 26: ➢ 8:25 - 10:00 Chapel, Sing-Along, Awards, Slideshow
➢ 10:00 - 11:00 Games
➢ 10:30 - Noon - Registration for the 2023-2024 School Year
➢ 11:00 - 11:45 Lunch
➢ Noon - Eighth Grade Parade
❖ Graduation for our two eighth graders, Savanna Bucki and Kylie Niehausen, will take place during our 10:30 AM worship service on Sunday, May 28.
❖ Some of the other events coming up during the beginning of the summer include: ➢ June 2 - Principals’ Conference
➢ June 5-6 - Western Wisconsin District Conference
➢ June 20-21 - Portfolio Assessment MLC Satellite Course
➢ June 26-27 - Physical and Motor Development MLC Satellite Course.