My brother and three sisters and our mates meet via Zoom every week. Since we live in four different states, we keep track of each other this way. We call it happy hour. It’s only 40 minutes, but we use the time to chat and catch up on each others’ lives. A few months ago, we started something different. We determined we’d start a “This is Your Life” portion of our meetings. Starting with the youngest, we each, for as long as it takes, tell our story. The people who married into our family share their stories as well. It has been fun and I’ve been surprised at what I’ve learned about each of my siblings and their spouses. The next few weeks it is my turn to talk about myself. It might sound funny, because I feel very secure when I’m with my siblings, but I was nervous to share my story with the family. I’ve had one session so far and in it, I told about my salvation experience. That is, where I believed that Jesus was my personal Savior. The part that made it difficult was that I was only four years old when I took that step and I don’t really remember the event. My parents wisely reminded me of that experience of that step of faith when I invited Jesus into my heart often because I was so young.

As I thought about sharing this important event with my siblings and in-laws, I wondered how I could share that without really remembering the actual act? As I thought about it, I realized there are many things that have happened to us that we don’t remember but it doesn’t mean they didn’t happen! The most important fact of each individual history is our birth. Do we remember being born? No! Because we don’t remember, does that mean it didn’t happen? Of course not! That prayer I prayed as a four-year-old happened and although I don’t remember the day, I know Jesus entered into my life that day.

This morning, for part of my morning connecting with God through the Bible, I read about some of the attributes of God. I read that he is sovereign–he owns everything. He is unchangeable–he doesn’t lie and he does not change. He is omnipresent–he sees all and he is with me. There were more, but reading these character traits of God did something within me. I was encouraged and comforted that God never changes and that he rules over all. There was a warmth and belief of God’s presence all around and specifically within me. I believe those emotions of praise and excitement about these traits of God came from the Holy Spirit within me.

God continues to work within me with my attitude as I interact in my neighborhood, at church, with my family and husband. He gives me love for others that I don’t have, but God within me gives.

This Sunday is an important day in the life of the Church. It is on this day–fifty days after Resurrection Sunday–Easter– that the Holy Spirit came to the disciples. The New Testament tells us that “more than three-thousand believed and received the Holy Spirit.” The day is called Pentecost. Until the time after Jesus was killed and then rose again, the disciples were fearful. They hid, fearing they would be the next to be crucified. But on Pentecost Sunday, things changed. Before the disciples could begin their work of telling others about Jesus, they needed the Holy Spirit–the third part of the Triune God to dwell in them. From that time, they weren’t afraid and in fact, even though they were told by the authorities not to preach about Jesus, they didn’t stop.

The story of Pentecost is an exciting one and I encourage you to read about it in Acts 2. Below is what one of the disciples, Peter, said:

“God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. 33 Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today” (Acts 2:32-33). 

So this Sunday, as you attend church, think about the fact that nearly 2,000 years ago, more than three-thousand believed who Jesus was and the Holy Spirit entered them and that’s the beginning of the Christian Church. The celebration of Pentecost Sunday reminds us of the reality that we all have the unifying Spirit that was poured out upon the first-century church.

Have you ever met someone for the first time and you felt a strong connection to them? Sometimes it’s because of similar heritage or interest, but sometimes, it’s because they are believers in Jesus Christ too, and there’s this connection.

Whether your church recognizes Pentecost this Sunday or not, you can celebrate it. I encourage you to read about it and thank God for the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life. Today, I read about a hymn written about the Spirit of God by George Croly (1780-1860):

“Spirit of God, descend upon my heart;

Wean it from earth; through all its pulses move;

Stoop to my weakness, mighty as Thou art,

And make me love Thee as I ought to love.”

I hope you take the time to listen to this a cappella choir sing the words. Enjoy the scenery, too.

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