This week we celebrate and commemorate the feast of Pentecost. It is the birthday of the church! And growing up it was a really confusing feast because it got ignored in my baptist upbringing yay reformation theology; or really really hoaky activites like singing “Happy Birthday” to the church and having a birthday cake at coffee hour. But there were also some very poignant moments, like reading the Acts of the Apostles reading with the proclamation of Peter read in mulitple languages, having spirit kites in the procession, or my favorite, having different expressions of faith by having dancers, and other representatives of ministry in the church represented.
The readings of the Acts of the Apostle say that the Holy Spirit came upon the upper room like a mighty rush of wind. Growing up in Florida I have weathered a few hurricanes and remember the whistle of wind blowing through my sturdy house and I can tell you it sounded like God was entering the room for a brief moment at times! The Holy Spirit is a force and presence of God! And boy do they make their name known!
Pentecost is not some hoaky feast it is the birth of our right as humanity to bear and do miracles in God’s name. We are reminded that as lay people and as Priests we are amabasadors of God and represent God to the world. We are the force of change. We are called to be like Jesus.
So my call is to be so much like Jesus that change like a mighty rush of wind goes through and makes the world a better place for all. God bless!
Matt+