“We are a pilgrim people.  We are the Church of God.  A family of believers, disciples of the Lord.  United in one Spirit, ignited by the fire.  Still burning through the ages, still present in our lives.”  

Pentecost, Confirmation,  celebrations of the Holy Spirit ….. the words to this contemporary hymn call us together to be church as we bring the Easter Season to its conclusion.    

We can hear the echo of these words and music in our memory this day.   The readings for Pentecost are a good reminder that from the beginning the People of God, the Church, were called to live their faith – not just learn it or even believe it.  

The Easter/Pentecost experience we find near the original end of “The Gospel of John” has Jesus giving the Holy Spirit to the believers.  Given, first of all, for forgiveness, and in the later verses, for strengthening the faith. 

“The Acts of the Apostles” presents the coming of the Holy Spirit causing the universal preaching and understanding so needed for such a diverse gathering of peoples, cultures and languages in Jerusalem at that time.  All were included – no one missed the proclamation of the message or the opportunity to comprehend it and come to faith. 

“The First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians” takes this universality/inclusivity even further as the believers are reminded that the gifts of the Spirit were given to them for the spiritual and practical purposes of taking care of the needs in that time and in that place.   

In our time and place, believers are living out what we hear and understand in the Scriptures and sing in this blended hymn.  Our trained medical professionals never dreamed they would have to put their education and dedication to vital use in these ways that we are experiencing during this pandemic.  We never expected to live “community” at a distance (the oxymoron of today).  We show and live our love of neighbor in these unexpected circumstances by putting those “distanced” others first!  We ask God to increase and strengthen the gifts of the Holy Spirit within us for service to all.      

LET US PRAY:  Send down, O God, upon your people the flame of your Holy Spirit, and fill with the abundance of your sevenfold gift the Church you brought forth from your Son’s pierced side.  May your life-giving Spirit lend fire to our words and strength to our witness.  Send us forth to the nations of the world to proclaim with boldness your wondrous work of raising Christ to your right hand.  We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.  Amen   (ICEL,  1997,  “Opening Prayers”)