Have You Seen a Pentecost?

What a glorious Sunday! The Sanctuary was all dressed up in its Sunday-Red-Best, the Spirit moved among us, and doves swooped and swooshed over our heads. The arrival of the Holy Spirit was enthusiastically noted - but so was the truth that this was not a once-upon-a-time event. Pentecost moments still happen today.

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Theologian Barbara Brown Taylor writes about Luke's story of the creation of the Church. She describes churches that trace their roots to this Pentecost story as "violent wind congregations." In such congregations, she says,

People's lives are being changed around that fire and because they are so excited about what is happening to them that they sound positively sloshed—only it's not new wine they are drunk on but a new pouring of God's spirit, so generous that it cannot be contained by any human institution. One of the worst things that Christians have ever done is to reduce the word "church" to mean a building, or one group of people who meet inside that building, who generally belong to one denomination distinguished by something that separates them from other denominations, so that it becomes possible for members to speak of "our church" as opposed to "their church," and even to suppose that God sees things the same way. Honey, I shrunk the church!   

(Journal for Preachers, "God's Breath"; January 1, 2003.)

Sunday, we looked at "Pentecost Moments" that still happen, today. I spoke of a member of our congregation who continues in a mentoring relationship with a girl who graduated from North Hi Mount some years ago. Although their formal Kids Hope mentoring relationship ended, this church member continues to be active in this young person's life. And this young person needs caring adults in her life. This story isn't about getting someone to worship, adding a profession of faith to our metrics, or claiming to have saved someone - it's a story of one person loving another person, the way Jesus taught us. This is the Holy Spirit at work.

Another member works with a group of caring adults to ensure that one of our homeless guests from Room in the Inn is receiving the care she critically needs to combat her cancer. One of the "least" of our society, Shonda hasn't been forgotten by God. The Holy Spirit is working through members of our congregation who are loving and caring for this woman even though she has located out of our county.

Psalm 85 - John August Swanson

Last night, I saw Pentecost happen at our church when a Prayer Service was held for one of our members, Stephanie Woodard, who has a critical medical appointment related to her cancer this Wednesday. We opened the church doors and welcomed 200 people who came at the Spirit's prompting to pray for Stephanie. We didn't ask them what church they attended, or even if they were Christian. We simply provided a holy space for love to gather in community. Doves swooped and swooshed once again, but the tangible presence of the Holy Spirit was already obvious.

Have you seen a Pentecost?

The Monday Connection: God created this world and all that is in it, and called it "good." Jesus came to show us how to live and how to love God and one another. The Spirit sustains us and inspires us to live our lives as God would have us live them. Be still, and listen. What is the Spirit calling you to do?