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The Day of Pentecost In the Name of God the Holy Spirit. May His grace and peace be with you all. Amen! As we heard in today’s second reading; “When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.” The rush of a violent wind - the coming of the Holy Spirit. Indeed, the word for “wind” and “Spirit” in the original Hebrew and Greek languages of the Bible is one and the same...”ruach” in Hebrew and “pneuma” in Greek. Luke in his account of Pentecost in the Book of Acts uses the phenomenon of WIND to describe the Spirit, and I would like to explore some of the characteristics of wind in order to help us better understand what the Holy Spirit means for us. First, wind moves. I know that this sounds self-evident, but it is something which very important for us to understand. Wind does not stay in the same place. If the air is not moving, there is no wind. Instead, there is only a calm. In the same way, the Spirit of God is constantly moving. The Spirit does not let things remain the same. With the Spirit, there is always change going on. Where there is no change and movement, there is no Holy Spirit! Change is certainly happening here at Pella Lutheran Church! When preparing for this sermon, I began to think about many of the changes that we have had here at Pella during the not quite three and a half years that I have been with you as a pastor. We have certainly had some good changes! One of the most important “changes” was when Pastor Josh started his service as Associate Pastor here at Pella two years ago this month – and I and all of us have been blessed to have him with us! We have also begun new ministries such as our confirmation program, the “Faithweaver Friends” children’s ministry, and (starting this past week) a new Thursday evening worship service. We now also have a multimedia system and a new organ. We have received a number of new members. We have new members on our staff. And I can go on and on. We’ve had a LOT of changes here at Pella during the past three and a half years – and I feel that most of them have been good and exciting ones! Of course, changes are not always seen as being good. They can even be painful at times. We have lost members to death and to moving away. We have lost staff members due to retirement, moving away, or other circumstances. And even when changes seem to be mostly good, they are still stressful and sometimes upsetting. But may we remember that in the midst of all the many changes that we experience (even the difficult ones), God’s Spirit is always moving among us. The only thing to really fear is NO CHANGE – because that would mean that the wind of the Spirit is not with us. But the Holy Spirit IS always with us – working to create new things and give us new life and vitality in many ways. The Holy Spirit is doing this in our congregation – and he is also doing this in each of our own personal lives. The Spirit is always changing us and making us new! Thanks be to God! A second point about wind is that it moves things in a certain direction. So it is with the Holy Spirit – the Wind of God. When the Spirit blows and moves us and causes changes in our lives, it is always for a purpose. We may not understand exactly what that purpose or direction is at a given moment, but we believe - indeed, we know! - that in all things God works for good with those who love Him (Romans 8:28) We as Christians believe this during the exciting changes of our lives and of our church - and we also believe this during the hard changes that we have to endure sometimes as well. God has a purpose for us as His people! We also believe that God has a purpose for each and every one of us individually as well! Through the blowing of the Spirit, God is moving us to grow in faith, hope, love, and holiness of living in real ways and through real circumstances of living. Through the blowing of the Spirit, God is also using us to accomplish His good purposes in the lives of others in this world. A third point about wind is that it has POWER. We saw that in my children's sermon - of how wind made the pinwheels spin. Sometimes gradually, sometimes suddenly, it can dramatically affect everything it touches. People who have experienced being in the path of a tornado or who have been through a hurricane can certainly attest to the POWER of wind! So it is with the Spirit of God. The Spirit has POWER! The Spirit gives us power to believe and do things that we could never do on our own. On that first Pentecost, when the Spirit came upon the apostles and other believers who were gathered together, they experienced an inner power and joy that completely transformed them. Before, they had been timid and afraid, sad and sorrowful. But now, suddenly, these same people were transformed by and filled with a power from beyond themselves. They were filled with courage to boldly proclaim the good news of Jesus. They were filled with joy and love beyond measure! People, we need to remember this and claim the power of the Spirit for our own lives! So often, the circumstances that we face seem overwhelming. We are so aware of our own limitations and inadequacies. That is certainly true for us as individuals - and it is also true for us corporately as a church. But let us remember that we are never alone! The Spirit of God is still with us, giving us His power and strength. Whatever we may lack, He will supply to us. Like He did for the apostles and other believers at Pentecost, the Spirit will give us abilities and boldness to do His work in wonderful ways. I have certainly experienced this to be true during my ministry with you here at Pella Lutheran Church, and I believe – indeed, I KNOW that this will continue to be so in the weeks and months and years ahead! Let us claim the power of the pneuma - the Wind - the Holy Spirit of God!! Finally, I have one last observation about wind. When we yield ourselves to it and let it guide and control us, it gives a feeling of calm and peace. When we were living in Ohio, Carol and I once went on a hot air balloon ride. It was one of the most unforgettable experiences we have ever had. One thing that we will always remember was the feeling of utter stillness - even though we were being carried along by the wind at a speed between ten to fifteen miles per hour. You see, we were traveling at the exact same speed as the wind - so to us everything was totally calm and peaceful even while the landscape below was changing. Are we letting God truly be in control of our lives - and of our destinies? Have we yielded ourselves completely to His guidance and direction? If we are, then we will be like Carol and I were riding in that hot air balloon. We will know God’s PEACE within, even if everything around us is changing. When we are “in tune” with the Spirit of God, letting Him guide and move us at His own direction and pace rather than our own, we will experience a holy peace that this world can never give. When we give up trying to do things and live life our own way, and rather let God’s SPIRIT guide and empower us, THAT is when feel calm and know that ALL IS WELL. Wind is always moving. It moves things in a certain direction. It has POWER to effect great changes. And, when we are in harmony with it, it gives us peace and calm. So it is with the Holy Spirit - the holy Wind of God. The Spirit is present among us today, just as He was with the believers at that first Pentecost. The Spirit continues to move us through all of life’s changes, and transform us from within. The Spirit continues to fill us with faith and power to get through and overcome all that we may have to face in this life. And especially, when we abide in and let our lives be directed by the Holy Spirit which comes to us in the Name of Jesus Christ, we will continue to receive that peace which surpasses all understanding - even in a world filled with all kinds of sorrows and doubts and fears. God’s Holy Spirit is here and with us today. Feel the Spirit’s power. Feel his love. Feel his joy. Know his peace. In Jesus’ Name. Amen! -------------------- George R. Karres, Pella Lutheran Church 418 W. Main Street Sidney, MT 59270
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