05/21/2026
Reverend's Corner
Friends, this Sunday we celebrate Pentecost, one of the most sacred, powerful, and beautifully disruptive days in the life of the church. Pentecost is the day we remember that the Spirit of God cannot be contained, controlled, scheduled, or kept neatly within the boundaries we sometimes try to build. The Spirit moves like wind. The Spirit burns like fire. The Spirit flows like living water. The Spirit speaks through unexpected voices and shows up in unexpected places.
In Acts, the followers of Jesus are gathered together when the Spirit rushes in and everything changes. Suddenly, people are speaking in languages they had not known before, and others are hearing the good news in words they can understand. Some are amazed. Some are confused. Some even suggest they must be drunk before lunch. That is how surprising the Spirit can be. When God begins doing something new, not everyone understands it at first.
Pentecost reminds us that the church is not called to be a museum of what has always been. We are called to be a living, breathing, Spirit-filled community where all people can belong, grow, wrestle, ask questions, find chosen family, and be moved by the love of God. A truly welcoming church is not one where people are simply allowed to enter the room. It is one where people are invited to bring their whole selves, their stories, their doubts, their gifts, their wounds, their hopes, and their longing for God.
Jesus tells us that those who believe in him will be like streams of living water. That image matters. Water nourishes, heals, moves, carves new pathways, and brings life where things have grown dry. In a world where so many are thirsty for clean water, justice, belonging, healing, and hope, we are called to become part of that living stream.
So this Sunday, come ready to be surprised. Come ready to be challenged. Come ready to breathe deeply, dream boldly, and listen for where the Spirit might be moving now. Pentecost is not just something that happened long ago. Pentecost is still happening whenever God’s people dare to say, “Come, Holy Spirit.”
- Rev. Shane