Pentecost - The Breath of life

The Birth of a Church
Adapted from a blog by Katherine Willis Pershy

Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were

shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood

in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When He had said this, He showed

them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.So

Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And

when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

John 20 19 - 22

As humans, we are sustained by the same intimate inspiration God exhaled into Adam’s muddy lungs - breath that permeates every cell of our being, nose to toes, invigorating our bodies and minds and souls until it is ready to be released, silently, from the same nostrils through which it came. 

On Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descends upon the believers as the life God breathes into the new born Church - the new born Body of Christ.  It is a gift from God to the church on the occasion of it's birth; it is, after all, the gift that brings the church to life. And just as a baby wails in surprise at his first breath, the newborn church inhales deeply of that intoxicating spirit and lets out a resounding holler. Tongues of fire guide the people’s awestruck tongues to speak in the languages of every nation under heaven. 

The believers are no longer cloistered, set apart from the world. They are thrust into the public, equipped with the divine power to communicate the gospel with anyone and everyone who needs to hear it. We are sustained by the same intimate inspiration God exhaled into the Church: people with a mission, unified and empowered by the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Are we still praying? Are we faithfully sharing the Good News with our actions and words?  Are we still enthousiastic to speak the name of Jesus Christ.

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