On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit was poured out on a group of Jesus’ followers. His death, resurrection and ascension released a sudden burst of divine energy. God’s Spirit was poured out on a lot of people all and once. The Church was born and the kingdom ministry of Jesus is reproduced exponentially, spreading from Jerusalem, to Judea, to Samaria and ultimately to the ends of the earth…

What happened on that first Pentecost continues to happen throughout the world today, though usually with not quite the commotion. We rarely get the wind and fireworks, although I’ve experienced some pretty wild stuff on occasion when the Spirit shows up. Nevertheless the Spirit is available to every follower of Christ – no category of people is left out.

I’m so grateful for this because we need the Spirit. He’s the main ingredient. We’re meant to live by the Spirit. There is no Christian life or church without him. The Holy Spirit births new life in us. He breathes life into the Bible. He empowers us to serve God with supernatural power. He binds us together as a community. He helps us pray and even intercedes for us with God the Father. The Spirit guides us, helping us live like Jesus.

So on Sunday, May 24^th, we’ll be celebrating Pentecost because it matters. It’s a big deal because it offers us an opportunity to reflect on how we’re living each day. Am I relying on the power of God’s Spirit? Am I an open channel for the Spirit’s gifts? Am I paying attention to the Spirit’s guidance? Is the fruit of the Spirit growing in my life? Most of us live in the presence and power of the Spirit, but not by much. Things like fear, sin, low expectations, and busyness hold us back. Pentecost gives us a chance to examine how we’re getting along with the Spirit, perhaps confessing our failure to live by him. So as we “wait for more” between now and Pentecost Sunday let’s be praying, asking the Lord for a fresh outpouring of his power on our church community.
 
 Come Holy Spirit...