The Book of Acts tells us this story. During the Jewish Festival of Pentecost, fifty days after the Passover of Jesus’ Crucifixion and Resurrection and ten days after His Ascension, Jesus’ disciples were just sitting around in a house together. The extraordinary lows and highs they had experienced together in those seven weeks must have created a deep, lasting bond among them. Now they didn’t know quite what to do next. You can almost get the sense they didn’t even know they should do something next.

Then a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, filling the house. Tongues of fire rested on each of them and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. In the fire and wind of that communal vision the Holy Spirit drove them out of the house and into the streets where they began to speak of Jesus to all the people, each in their own language, which was followed by mass baptisms and the beginning of ministries to the new people of this expanding community. Some story.

At that first Pentecost they had already experienced the Risen Lord by just being together. Now the Spirit gave them a Vision that lead to Mission which blossomed into Ministry.

This year’s Pentecost, on May 15th, arrives as we have reached an important, early milestone in the Natural Church Development process. Here at St. Thomas our great spiritual strength has always been the strong presence of Christ that can be experienced in our faithful worship and loving relationships. Our greatest ongoing challenge continues to be how can we move beyond just sitting together by ourselves in that experiences warmth and goodness when often we do not know what to do next, when often we don’t even recognize that anything more needs to happen next.

Now, through the Natural Church Development process, the Spirit’s wind and fire has given us statements for Vision, Mission, and Key Ministries. They are signs to lead us to the “what next” that Christ is calling us to become.

So on May 15th, we will gather together as one body in a single Worship Service at 9:00 am and give thanks for these Pentecost gifts of the Spirit. After the Eucharist there will be some gatherings to begin to organize our work for the important next steps in the process.

So please join us as we celebrate these new signs in our life together and begin to move into the future they point us to make our own


Bryan

Please join us in worshiping our Lord and doing His good works.