The Pastor’s Pen
Sunday, June 8, is our Festival of Music Sunday. Please remember that there is only one worship service that day – a combined service at 9:30 a.m. that features all of the musical groups here at St. Andrew. I know it will be a most inspiring and uplifting service!
June 8 is also Pentecost Sunday, a day when we remember and celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit. The book of Acts says that on the day of Pentecost – fifty days after Easter and ten days after Jesus ascended into heaven – the disciples were all gathered in one place. Suddenly they heard a sound like the rush of a mighty wind and saw what appeared to be tongues of fire resting on each of them.
We are told that the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and that they began to speak in a variety of languages so that people from many different nations could understand what they were saying. The disciples spoke to the people about “God’s deeds of power,” sharing with them the good news that Jesus had been raised from the dead. As a result of the disciples’ witness, about three thousand people became believers and were baptized.
The events of Pentecost must have been exciting to see. The presence and power of the Holy Spirit was evident in a most dramatic way. But what is just as exciting is that the same Spirit who was present on the day of Pentecost is also present with us today. The same Spirit who came to the disciples and enabled them to share the gospel has been given to each of us who are believers in Jesus.
It is the Holy Spirit, working through the witness of other people – parents, teachers, pastors, friends – who has brought us to faith in Jesus, and who continues to nurture and strengthen our faith. And it is the Holy Spirit who now empowers us to share our faith, in word and deed, with the people around us.
We are not expected to live the Christian life on our own. We are not expected to serve and witness all by ourselves. We have been given the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus himself. And it is by the Spirit’s power that we are able to put our faith in Jesus into practice.
As St. Paul says in his letter to the Philippians, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” The Holy Spirit does indeed strengthen us. He strengthens us to live lives of faith and to face the challenges of each day. He strengthens us to do God’s work and to be witnesses for Jesus.
As we gather for our Festival of Music worship service, we can thank God for the gift of his Spirit. We can know that, each day, the Spirit is with us – guiding us, empowering us, supporting us. We are not alone in our mission. We have God’s Holy Spirit, the Spirit who was poured out on the disciples and who has also been poured out on us.
See you in worship!
Pastor Selbo
