Greetings, Brothers and Sisters in Christ!
This Sunday is Pentecost, the birthday of the Christian church and it comes just a week after I celebrated both my girls’ birthdays. I have been neck deep in baking cupcakes, buying decorations, planning games, making goodie bags and wrapping presents. A birthday is not about any of these things, but these are the things that help us to celebrate such a wonderful occasion.
On Pentecost we wear red, hear the scripture and songs in different languages and utilize images that represent the Holy Spirit. None of these things are Pentecost, but they help us to celebrate and remember the day that the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, came to dwell within us and we as the church became the temple of the living God.
I invite you to wear your red proudly this Sunday and to be prepared to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in and amongst us. We will sing with joy, read with passion and celebrate God’s glory as a church family. Just remember that everything changed on Pentecost and know that God just might change you if you open your heart to receive His Spirit once again, knowing that the Holy Spirit is not a calm, inactive Spirit, but it is one that drives us to new experiences and relationships.
This Sunday we will also honor our graduates and celebrate promotions. I hope to see all our high school graduates, youth and current 5th graders at our graduation/promotion pool party this Sunday from 12pm until 3pm at the Perez house (contact Becky for more details), because I still have a spirit of celebration within me and I want to celebrate the amazing young people in our church with a big splash!
Blessings, Pastor Stacy