Romans 8:14-17
14For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ 16it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God,17and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
Last year we built a deck on our home and placed patio furniture on it, including a patio umbrella. Little did I know that in a wind storm patio umbrellas can be lifted into the air, as ours did. Luckily it didn't go to far, but it was still damaged beyond repair. The one thing that I learned was in a wind storm, the wind is going to take the umbrella wherever it wants to take it and we have no choice in the matter
As we celebrate this Sunday of Pentecost, we are introduced to a new thing and a new beginning, the Holy Spirit that sets believers free. The blessing of the Holy Spirit is in the fact that it is the intercessor for humankind and is known by God. The Holy Spirit is like a patio umbrella in the wind, in the fact that like the patio umbrella the Spirit blows where the Spirit blows and we have no control over it's destination.
Unlike the patio umbrella blowing here and there in the wind, the Holy Spirit may blow where it wants to blow, but we have the knowledge that it is at work. The only way to control what happens to a patio umbrella is to take it down prior to the storm and place it somewhere safe until the wind passes. Fortunately for us, we cannot take down the Holy Spirit because it is carried as our intercessor in good times and bad.
As we celebrate Pentecost let us acknowledge the fact that the Spirit of God rests with humanity and is not like culture that blows us in any direction. Rather the Holy Spirit guides us with its divine presence, and hears our cries when we make them known. Our saving grace is that God loves us so much he provided a Holy Spirit wind that will never destroy us or leave orphaned and destitute.
So as I protect my second patio umbrella from high winds, go in the peace and knowledge that the Holy Spirit may blow us in different directions, but it will never leave us so damaged that we can't be repaired. My prayer for us all this coming Pentecost Sunday is that we all look to this Sunday as a day of new life and a new thing that has been promised and delivered to us as a gift from the Father, through the Son.
Watch those umbrellas
Pastor Tim
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