"Come, Holy Spirit, Come" | By Rev. Liz Miller
 
Pentecost is Greek for fiftieth and represents Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks, the Jewish harvest festival. It is celebrated 50 days after Passover to commemorate the giving of the Ten Commandments; the birth of Judaism. For us, Pentecost marks the birth of God's Universal Church and the dawn of a new era. Until the events described in today's scripture began to unfold, God had bestowed His Spirit on only a few favored individuals. However, this Pentecost marked the beginning of a new age in which God began to pour out the Spirit on all humanity.
 
Pentecost was a feast of pilgrimage, so there were as many as 180,000 Jews and converts to Judaism in Jerusalem. It was the perfect time for God to intervene, to give the Spirit to the believing community.
 
After Jesus' crucifixion, the apostles had gone into hiding. They had failed in many ways. They had sinned. They had doubted, and they were weak. Jesus’ resurrection brought them new hope and purpose, but they waited quietly after his ascension for the Spirit to come. Jesus had told them, "...stay in the city, until you are clothed with the power from on high." (Luke 24:49) Now the time had come. The heavens roared, with a sound like a rushing, mighty wind, and then tongues like fire appeared on each person. The apostles went from living in fear to proclaiming the gospel without regard for the consequences. Jesus responded to their weaknesses by sending the Holy Spirit to give them hope and strength. The Spirit that filled the apostles is the same Spirit that descended upon Jesus at his baptism. Jesus began his ministry Spirit-filled, and now the fledgling church would start in the same way.
 
When the sound was heard, the multitude came together and were bewildered because everyone was listening to the apostles speaking in their language. People were amazed because they regarded Galileans as unsophisticated and different. Remember the calling of Nathanael? When Philip told him of Jesus, it was Nathanael who said, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" (John 1:46). Most Jews did not expect much from Galileans, indeed not mastery of a foreign language. Yet, they were preaching, and everyone there, regardless of their nation or language, understood what they were saying.
 
Peter was the preacher on this momentous occasion—the same Peter who only seven weeks earlier had denied Christ three times. The Spirit was the power behind his sermon. The Spirit was responsible for the crowds' overwhelming response. As Peter preaches, he is still addressing the Jews, and his vision is not as broad as his words suggest. Soon the Holy Spirit will inspire him to throw open the church doors to all humanity, Jew and Gentile, slave and free, men and women alike.
 
When Peter preached, it was not a gentle sermon. Peter told the crowd that they had killed the Messiah. Luke tells us the people were cut to the heart. They wanted to know what they could do. Peter told them to repent and be baptized…three thousand were baptized that very day. They received the Holy Spirit and became new people. This did not make life any easier, but it aligned them with God’s plan and sheltered them in God's grace. These three thousand people returned to their homes and shared the good news about Jesus with others. The church began to grow and spread throughout the known world. Pentecost marked the birth of the Universal Church, the salvation of the world was at hand, and those who were present played an essential role in spreading the Good News.
 
It is no different for us today. When we become Christians and the Holy Spirit lives within us, our decision to follow Jesus does not guarantee an easier life. We too become apostles and are sent out. God breathes the Spirit into our souls so we may live in the light of his life and love. God ignites the fire of the Spirit within our hearts and encourages us to seek God in all things. The Holy Spirit lives within us, frees us from sin and death, makes us sons and daughters of God, helps us in our weakness, and intercedes for us with God. Only through the power of the Spirit can we believe in the unbelievable, find hope in our darkest hour, and see the glory that waits beyond the grave, all because of God's grace that is freely given, and the filling of our hearts with a love beyond comprehension.
 
Today, we are sent into the world to be witnesses to the truth, and we enter a world filled with temptations and a society blinded by greed and self-satisfaction. We are asked to share peace and joy that only Jesus can give. We are asked to show kindness in the face of selfishness and evil, goodness in the face of anguish and pain, and gentleness in the face of suffering and death. Jesus' faith becomes our faith, and the Spirit extends its reach to the world through us.
 
This is the same Spirit who filled the first Christians on our very first Pentecost. God's promise is this: "I will pour out my Spirit on all people" (Acts 2:17 NAB). The Spirit comes to everyone and draws our attention to what is valuable and trustworthy. With the fire of the Spirit within us, we will be transformed, and we will help to transform our world. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle them in the fire of your love.