Scripture: Acts 2:1-3
When Pentecost Day arrived, the disciples 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.
Thought for the Day: A while back, I mentioned Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber, and I described her as an Episcopal Priest. That was wrong, and I apologize for the mistake. She is a Lutheran pastor. A few years back, this Lutheran pastor preached a Pentecost sermon in which she said:
…the Spirit, while called the comforter, does not bring the warm chocolate chip cookies and a night-night story kind of comfort. The Spirit brings the comfort of the truth – and if you’ve had any experience of the truth whatsoever you can testify that it’s not exactly cozy.
When the Spirit made the dramatic and powerful appearance among the disciples, everything changed, and though we try to romanticize the event, it put most of those disciples on a path toward martyrdom. They say that Pentecost is the birthday of the church, but this birthday party is not just about getting another year older. It is about facing the challenging and somewhat discomforting truth about our lives needing some pretty dramatic changes if we are going to follow in the way of the Spirit. As we approach Pentecost Sunday, let us be mindful of how the Spirit of truth is provoking us toward greater faithfulness…a journey that is not all ice cream and birthday cake.
Prayer: Let the Spirit work upon me and within me. O Holy One of the Universe, allow for the Pentecost experience to renovate my life that I might live more closely in the ways of Jesus. Amen.
Don’t Miss Pentecost Sunday
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