I don’t know about you, but in this season of Covid-19, I’ve found myself too often “staring at the sky” wondering where Jesus is, rather than living out the kingdom. Wondering why we cannot love one another? Often feeling defeated by the continued division of red verses blue, and brokenhearted by
the violence of racism by both police and this wicked virus.
I’m in need of the Comforter this Pentecost!
I’m in need of the One who is sent to come along side us and help us!
I’m in need of the Holy Spirit to remind me that Jesus will never leave us or forsake us and he promised to be with us in the hard stuff!
I’m in need of the Holy Spirit to be my teacher, reminding me of the things Jesus said about loving my enemies and praying for those who persecute.
I sure need the wind of the Holy Spirit to blow over me and through me and refresh me with the peace of Jesus in the midst of these stressful and uncertain times.
I’m in need of the gift of peace, realizing that I cannot fix others, I can only change myself and seek to be a peacemaker and a bringer of God’s light and love wherever i go.
On Sunday, we get to celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit! We remember the day that those faithful men and women, and probably children too, received the promised Gift of the Spirit! It’s the day we celebrate the birthday of the Church with the arrival of 3000 joining in the community of the Followers of Jesus! This band of 150 who’d waited and prayed together over the past ten days were set on fire with a passion for Jesus and the world has never been the same! It was just the start of taking the light and love of Jesus to all the world!
What do you notice that you haven’t noticed before?
What is God speaking to you about TODAY as you read this passage? Take time to read it again, use different translations to hear it in fresh ways.
What questions do you have? What questions come up as you read the passage. Talk to Jesus about them.
What aspect of the Holy Spirit are you interested in learning more about during this new season? The Power Gift Giving Holy Spirit? The Comforter who comes along side us? The Teacher, who reminds us of all Jesus did and said? Talk to God about this and ask the Holy Spirit to show you!
Who are people in your life who need to hear about Jesus in their own language? Think about your various groups of friends and the coworkers you have, or the clubs and organizations you belong to…pray for ways to share the love of Jesus with these people. Text someone, call someone, or send a card or a real note to encourage them since you probably haven’t seen them in real life for a long while.
Spend some time in the Book of Acts during the coming weeks. What do you notice? What surprises you? What is the Holy Spirit inviting you to do more of, or do less of in response?
CELEBRATE AT HOME!
Watch for signs of the Holy Spirit in your Life! Where do you feel God’s presence closely? Put out some matches or a lighter as a symbol of the Holy Spirit or Light a Candle each day as you work to remind you that the Holy Spirit is here!
Wrap yourself in a Blanket! As a Symbol of the Holy Spirit as the Comforter! Allow the Holy Spirit to comfort you in love and peace in the middle of this crazy time of Covid.
Get Outside and Stand in the Wind! Allow the Holy Spirit to blow over your body. Feel God’s Presence in the wind!
Be Honest with God …like the Disciples, you may still have doubts about what’s next, or doubts, fears or baggage around the Holy Spirit. Spend some time talking to Jesus about where you are. Take time to journal about what you know or what you don’t know about the Holy Spirit and write about your fears or frustrations. Give these to Jesus and allow Him to carry these for you.
Celebrate the Birthday of the Church! Throw a party. Make a cake or cupcakes! Make hats, cards and sing happy birthday! You might even throw a zoom party or a social distancing picnic if it’s allowed. You can share cupcakes with your neighbors!
What gift would you like to give the Church at large this year? What gift would you like to give your own church community? Write it down. Share it with a friend in your community and pray about this together.
Take time to pray for the Church in the World and your own Church Community! Get out a map and use it to pray with this week. Pray for churches to stand up to racism and division and bring love and compassion to hurting neighbors.
Wear the color RED on Sunday! It’s the liturgical color for the Feast of Pentecost.
Watch for RED things along your way. Have a scavenger hunt and look for all the RED things in your house or neighborhood! Allow the RED things you see to be reminders that the Holy Spirit is everywhere!
That’s a lot of things to try! The beautiful thing about Pentecost is that it isn’t just one day. In the church calendar, we get a season of Pentecost! We get time to live out and live into the experience and the receiving of the Holy Spirit. We get time to watch for and expect and experience more of the gifts the Holy Spirit brings!
May this Season of Pentecost bring you renewed Hope and great Peace in the middle of it all. 
©lillylewin and freerangeworship.com