Each week since Easter Sunday we have been growing in our awareness that we are standing on Holy Ground, connecting the gift of creation with the hope and joy of the post-resurrection experiences of Jesus.
On the 40th day after Easter, Christians marked the final appearance of the resurrected Christ to the disciples as they gathered on the mountain, listened to his final words of instruction, and witnessed his ascension. He promised to be with them always and to send the Holy Spirit to be with them.
As they followed his instructions, waiting in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit, on the festival day of Pentecost, the 50th day after Easter, that promise was fulfilled. They experienced the coming of the Holy Spirit in a new way to all people.
This Sunday, the 50th day after Easter, we once again celebrate Pentecost, and the gift of the Holy Spirit to the church and to us.
The story of Pentecost is a remarkable one. Diverse people from all over the known world gathered in Jerusalem for this festival, an eclectic mix of languages and cultures. As the Holy Spirit arrived, everyone around spoke and heard and understood the good news of Jesus, no matter what their language, there was light like tongues of fire over each one’s head, and there was a sound like the rushing of the wind that filled their ears. It was such a dynamic scene that they were accused of being drunk. As Peter began to preach and interpret what was happening, about 3,000 people became followers of Jesus and the church as we know it began.
Red is traditionally the color of Pentecost, symbolizing the fire of the Holy Spirit. You are invited to wear your red this Sunday as a celebration of the Holy Spirit filling the church. Our special focus, however, will be on the image in the story that is harder to capture: the wind.
Of all of the images used to describe the Holy Spirit, wind captures the elusive power and presence of the Holy Spirit. Wind is hard to capture or to control, or even to define. We know what it is and yet, maybe we don’t really. It is there and then it is not. We can see and feel it’s impact, yet we can’t see the wind itself.
The Holy Spirit is like that, a mysterious presence and power. We can’t quite define or control it. It’s there and then it’s not. Yet we can see and feel its impact for change and for good. We might think of it as Holy Wind.
As we conclude our Holy Ground series, this week we will celebrate Pentecost by thinking about Holy Wind, what wind teaches us about the Holy Spirit, and the ways that wind itself is a gift from God, refreshing and renewing, providing energy and momentum, and moving in mysterious ways. I look forward to experiencing Holy Wind together with you!
Blessings,
Pastor Suzanne