Guest Proclaimer: Randy Ashcraft

Today we celebrate Pentecost, which is known by many as the birthday of the church. It all started when the disciples had gathered in a room with closed doors. They were afraid because their world had been turned upside down following the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Luckily, the Pentecost story does not end there. The birth of the church isn’t characterized by fear. Rather, the Holy Spirit burst into the room and called those fearful disciples to move beyond their fear and to create something new. This is certainly a season of fear for so many – perhaps even for us. So I wonder, could it also be a time for us to expect that same Holy Spirit might just be up to something new?

As we prepare for worship, our prayer might be that God open our hearts to the movement of the Holy Spirit in us, around us, and among us, casting out our fear and giving us a spirit of hope and courage.