Thursday's Thought for Sunday's Service

“When Pentecost Day arrived, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound from heaven like the howling of a fierce wind filled the entire house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be individual flames of fire alighting on each one of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them to speak. There were pious Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. When they heard this sound, a crowd gathered. They were mystified because everyone heard them speaking in their native languages. They were surprised and amazed, saying, “Look, aren’t all the people who are speaking Galileans, every one of them? How then can each of us hear them speaking in our native language? Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; as well as residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the regions of Libya bordering Cyrene; and visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the mighty works of God in our own languages!” They were all surprised and bewildered. Some asked each other, “What does this mean?” Others jeered at them, saying, “They’re full of new wine!” Peter stood with the other eleven apostles. He raised his voice and declared, “Judeans and everyone living in Jerusalem! Know this! Listen carefully to my words! These people aren’t drunk, as you suspect; after all, it’s only nine o’clock in the morning! Rather, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young will see visions. Your elders will dream dreams. Even upon my servants, men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will cause wonders to occur in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and a cloud of smoke. The sun will be changed into darkness, and the moon will be changed into blood, before the great and spectacular day of the Lord comes. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Acts 2:1–21, CEB)

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Consider the Holy Spirit at work.  The sound of a violent wind filled a multicultural, multilingual gathering. Despite the differences – which can still cause difficulty, distress, and distance between individuals and groups – the Holy Spirit powered discernment among all present, sparking witness and salvation.  Can something similar still happen?

When we find inadequacy in understanding a foreign form, phrase,
     we don’t have to statically hold on to that which was,
          one can learn how to appreciate and connect with other methods… ways.

God’s heart, love, is always inviting, welcoming, encouraging, showing,
     and can be reliably trusted, believed, known, because,
          the Spirit is always freshening, moving, sounding, surrounding… blowing.

Pastor Rich Wagner

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Sunday, May 31, 2020                 

Pentecost

New Testament Reading: Acts 2:1-21
Gospel Reading:  John 7:37-39