6.4.17 - "Pentecost: Prepare - Ask - Trust" (Acts 2:1-21 & John 7:37-39)

UMC Darlington

Acts 2:1-21 & John 7:37-39 The Holy Spirit came (like fire and wind) upon everyone in the whole house: men, women, slaves, free, old, and young. The Spirit came and everything changed. Boundaries were expanded, dialectic divisions were overcome, rituals were adjusted, people's hearts and lives were changed, and that was just the beginning. Have we really grasped the Holy Spirit? The book of Acts is a story about the expansion of the faith of Israel to all people of different cultures and practice. Acts 15 features a council of decision-making to decide what to do with people who operated outside of the normal ways and rules. Do we really grasp the Holy Spirit? Can we? Should we? The work of the Spirit begins with each of us and comes to fruition when we gather together as one. One people, many faces. One body, many parts. The Holy Spirit empowers us to be the presence of God wherever and however we are. Let's remember our story once more. Prepare for the purifying presence of the Spirit. Ask for the Spirit. Then trust what comes.