Spirit Talkers

Acts 2:1-21: This scripture describes the first Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit/Wind/Breath of God blew through the gathered disciples. They began to speak in other languages, languages that made the Good News of Jesus Christ understandable to everyone who heard them, each in her/his own language. How does the Holy Spirit give us power to be Spirit Talkers today? What language is Holy Spirit language? Some would make it the language of exclusion, the language of lists that try to keep people on the outside of God's grace. But true Holy Spirit language is language that is understood by all, that includes all, that welcomes all. May the Holy Spirit/Wind/Breath of God blow through us all and make us Spirit Talkers.

Remembering

Acts 1:1-14: This is the scripture for the Ascenscion of Christ, which this year falls on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. It leads us to ask: how do we remember those who have sacrificed for us?
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, allowed himself to be crucified for us. Then God raised him from the dead to prove that death does not have the last word. But the risen Christ told his disciples not to hold on to him, that he had to ascend back to God in heaven. This was not happy news for the disciples, who wanted Jesus to stay and make everything the way it was before. But Jesus promised them the Holy Spirit, who would come and fill them with the power to be his witnesses throughout the world. And the disciples waited in Jerusalem, and "they all joined together constantly in prayer."
And so today, we, too, are called to await the coming of the Holy Spirit into our lives. We, too, are called remember all who have sacrificed for us. We, too, are called to join together constantly in prayer for the power of the Holy Spirit to come upon us and make us Christ's witnesses "to the ends of the earth." May it be so.