- Annual Meeting is today after Church
- Strawberry Shortcake Social and Summer Raffle Basket on Saturday June 29th from 2-4
- Village Fair and 5K on August 17th. Race at 8:30am. Fair begins at 9:30am.
- Enjoy the recorded version of this morning’s Reflection HERE
Holy Spirit touches us in different ways. What moves the wind? What kindles the fire? Do we listen to the wind? Do we feel the warmth of the flames? We could just sit here in this quiet space and let the spirit wash over us…and see where that leads us…we could just Be Still and see what happens…
As we learned in the kids time, this arrival of the Holy Spirit happens after Jesus leaves for Heaven/God and there’s this time of…what next? There’s this pause and even confusion and uncertainty. That’s when the Holy Spirit comes in. Like fire. Like wind. Like breath. Like words.
In the time of the Babel story (Genesis), we are divided by language and become unable to work together to build things together. We are divided from our plans into pockets of different people, into different places, and into different languages.
Pentecost can be thought of as a healing. At Pentecost, we are united by language. We suddenly can understand one another. PAUSE. From our diversity, we can move toward one another into unity and connection. We can now build things together again! We have the words and apparently we now have the knowledge that we can use our commonality, our language, to unite toward a path of Love and Grace. To come together as One.
Babel divided us. Pentecost unites us.
Ahh…the lovely Holy Spirit. What are the fruits of the Spirit? Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Generosity. Self control. (Galatians 5:16-25).
If we live in Spirit, let us follow Spirit. Perhaps we can even feel the spirit of those words wash over us when we say them aloud or whisper them to ourselves in our quiet moments or prayers. These words can become a daily prayer for life. Maybe, we too, can be moved by the Holy Spirit toward unity and toward the fruits.
Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Generosity. Self control.
Perhaps Pentecost is a call to unite in our diversity. To not see where we are different, but to see where we are the same. PAUSE. To seek One and Oneness instead of looking for where there division that cannot be crossed and where we diverge that we cannot bridge. We find what we seek. PAUSE. Why are we always looking for our differences? PAUSE. Where are the bridges? Where are the doorways?
Perhaps Pentecost is a call to practice these fruits in our lives over all else and to all else, to all, and yes: ourselves included.
These Spirits are truths. Not truth like facts and figures and things that can be counted and controlled and measured, but Truths. Universal truths held in the wind and fire of Spirit. It’s deeper than understanding. It’s of the heart, not the head. It’s intangible, like wind and fire, and Mysterious like God (breathe…it’s okay…whatever “God” means to you).
When we spend too much time in our heads, we start looking for answers and facts and the measurable things. We count and compete and judge. There’s no holding onto and counting fire and wind and breath. It’s not physical. There’s no proofs in Spirit. It’s intangible, and yet as real as Wisdom.
Listen to it. Feel its presence. It feels like something more. It feels like Grace. It feels like….
Ruah. Ruah is one of the ancient words for wind, breath, or spirit.. Ruah. Wind/Breath/Word.
The Holy Spirit is like breath and word. It’s uncontrollable and creative. It’s like fire. It’s uncontrollable and un-ignorable. It moves us from just knowing toward service, movement, and action. The fire inspires us. The wind moves us from our complacency, from our easy comforts, from being paralyzed by our mistakes and failures, it moves us outward from our fears and stagnation. It draws us outward from our isolations. The Holy Spirit literally…
Moves Us!!
Trust it
Listen to its Call
Have faith in what comes next
We have been gifted something great…
Be Moved…
Community Church of North Orange & Tully 