Tuesday, June 3, 2025

Creator Lutheran Church's 2025 Pentecost Reflection - The Holy Spirit Still Speaks

Today, the winds of Pentecost blow once again, as they have for years.

On that first Pentecost, the Spirit of God arrived not in quiet or calm, but rather in fire, in wind, in wild speech and holy chaos. The disciples, huddled in fear, suddenly found themselves filled with new courage. The doors were blown open. Words they never knew they could speak came flowing from their mouths. 

And people from every corner of the known world, Parthians, Medes, Elamites, of Mesopotamia, and more, heard God’s story in their own language.

The Spirit didn’t come to homogenize or assimilate. The Spirit came to celebrate diversity. To proclaim God’s love in every tongue. Pentecost is not about conformity. Pentecost is about liberation and holy difference. It is the church’s messy, multilingual, radically inclusive birthday.

At Creator Lutheran, we see the Spirit still speaking. And Pentecost reminds us if you look for the Spirit in what is safe and controlled, you might miss Her.

Creator is a church that celebrates God’s diverse creation. From an overall affirming welcome to community partnerships, we seek to follow the Spirit’s lead. And Pentecost is a powerful reminder that this is not just something we choose to do, it is something God actively does in and through us.

Let’s not miss how startling this story of the church, and Creator's story to this point, are.

The disciples didn’t ask for the Spirit. They weren’t particularly prepared. God showed up anyway. And not in polite ways, this isn’t a gentle breeze or a quiet whisper. This is a violent wind. Tongues of fire. This is what theologian Barbara Brown Taylor calls “God breaking the rules we made for God.”

Too often, we perceive God as being manageable or predictable. Pentecost is a reminder that God’s Spirit isn't tame. The Spirit isn’t bound by denominational borders, doctrinal statements, or language barriers. Everyone hears the same good news in their own language. That’s the miracle. The message of Jesus, of love, liberation, and resurrection, is not flattened. It is expanded.

Pentecost is partly the undoing of Babel. In the Genesis story, human pride leads to disconnection, but here, the Spirit uses those very differences to bring people into deeper understanding. What once separated is now the place of connection.

This is important for us, especially in times like these.

We live in a world where polarization, division, and fear of the “other” run deep. But the Pentecost church is called to speak and listen across lines of difference. It is not a church that insists everyone speak one way, vote one way, or worship one way. It is a church that sees the image of God in every person and seeks to understand, even when it’s uncomfortable.

Let’s bring this Pentecost closer to home.

Perhaps Pentecost today resembles a congregation that speaks the language of the climate justice movement this year more boldly and joins with others to care for creation.

Perhaps Pentecost resonates with our young person questioning their faith, and instead of being shamed, they are met with open arms and honest conversation.

Perhaps the Spirit speaks in the voice of our trans siblings who dare to believe they are beloved by God, and finds that Creator Lutheran agrees and supports them.

Perhaps Pentecost burns in a community that says no to scarcity and yes to generosity. That shares its resources, as today we celebrate with the burning of our mortgage.A church that makes room for lament and joy. That keeps showing up for one another when the world feels like it's falling apart.

Because the Spirit is still speaking, calling us out of fear and into hope. In the final verses of Acts 2, Peter quotes the prophet Joel:

“I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh…
Your sons and daughters shall prophesy,
Your young shall see visions,
Your elders shall dream dreams…”

Young and old, all genders, all peopleeveryone is swept up in this vision of divine empowerment. And we are asking as we envision Creator's future, What are the Spirit-filled dreams of Creator Lutheran Church? 

Pentecost is not simply a story of the past; it is a promise for the present. The Holy Spirit is not finished with the church. Not finished with this church.  

Where we open our hearts. 

Where we open our doors. 

Where we listen for the wind and trust the fire because the Spirit is still speaking, AND where, with God’s help, we will continue to speak and act as well.


 

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