Jesus told those disciples to expect God’s power to soon be at work in them, and that great days were ahead for their witness to his love. But a couple verses later those same disciples stand staring dumbly at the sky, not sure what they were looking for. (Two men in white robes) said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? Acts 1:10a
A few days later that promised Holy Spirit would come upon the people at Pentecost, and they would discover new gifts for speech and wisdom, and though it took a while, the church would find that the same Spirit was with them to fill them with Jesus’ compassion, joy, and faith. With that faith, they found the courage and strength to act, and the mission to bring Jesus’ love to the world began to be a part of all they did. From those few bewildered disciples in Acts 1, the church has become a force that has changed lives and changed our world.
The celebration of Pentecost is always for me a time to ask, “What are we looking for?”. After all, it is the same Spirit that empowered Peter, Paul, Tabitha & Lydia who empowers our ministry today. Are we looking for someone else to step up? Are we looking for some excuse to step aside? Or are we looking for where Jesus is already at work in our church, our neighborhood, and our world? The Holy Spirit is in our midst whenever we call upon the name of Lord, and brings gifts for ministry every day. Maybe a better question is: “What are we waiting for?”
God’s Peace,
Pastor John Twiton
