Come Holy Spirit, come.
That’s a short, silent prayer I invoke at the beginning of worship services at church, at the beginning of confirmation classes or even during a visit to the bedside of a hospitalized parishioner.
While I know the Holy Spirit is still very active in our world, I like to think that inviting the Spirit into the moment helps me to more clearly feel the presence of God, helps to open me up to the peace and understanding that comes with the Creator’s presence.
Come Holy Spirit, come.
I wonder if that’s what Peter prayed for on the day that Pentecost occurred?
In Acts 2:2, when so many Jews from all around the ancient world had gathered for the day of Pentecost, and then they were filled with the Holy Spirit so that they had the ability to “speak in other languages, I wonder if it was Peter’s doing?
I wonder if Jesus’ appointed leader of the church, stood there looking out over the masses, wondering if they would hear his message, wondering if he had the right words to connect with them all?
I mean, he didn’t even speak all of their languages! … And so, in that moment, I wonder if he called to the Holy Spirit, asking her to come and flood the space with her presence, giving the faithful present the ability to hear and to understand each other?
After all, that is what I am praying for when I call to the Holy Spirit before worship, before interacting with our faith students, before trying to comfort someone at their bedside.
Today, I call to the Holy Spirit, asking for God to visit each of us in our homes, work spaces and places of worship.
More than ever we need another Pentecost-like day! More than ever, we need the ability to “hear” the other in their own language! If ever there was a time we need to hear from Peter standing at the front of the church, assuring us that indeed the ability to speak each other’s language is a gift from God to be used to better understand each other. The time is now!
“Awe came upon everyone because many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common …”
That was the outcome of the day of Pentecost as we learn in the Bible. Note that all who believed came together. Regardless of their native tongue; regardless of their geographical homelands; regardless of their individual religious sects. … All came together and shared a common life. … Thanks to the Holy Spirit.
This Pentecost Sunday … I pray with all my might: Come Holy Spirit! Come!
Devlyn Brooks is an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and serves Faith Lutheran Church in Wolverton, Minn. He also works for Forum Communications Co. He can be reached at devlyn.brooks@forumcomm.com for comments and story ideas.
