Between Sundays for the Week of May 25, 2026

Each year on Pentecost, we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit 50 days after Christ’s resurrection in Acts 2. There are other stories of God’s gift of the Holy Spirit, like in John 20:19-23. Read side by side, we notice different timings, different environments, and even different movement! (Listen to Pastor Amy’s sermon from Sunday for her description of some of these differences.)

Why so many differences? We NEED different stories to remind us that the Spirit is at work in many and various ways – not only in the pages of scripture, but in the stories of Christ’s church in every time and every place, and in the stories of our lives, as well! Sometimes the Spirit we need is the one that, in the words of a hymn “shakes us loose from lethargy” (ELW 400:3). We need God’s Spirit to move us beyond all the places where we’re locked tight and frozen by fear. And sometimes the Spirit we need is one that, in the words of another hymn heeds our pleading and fashions us all anew, breathing peace into our souls, assuring us of God’s forgiveness and grace, when what we are experiencing is turmoil and uncertainty. We need God’s Spirit reminding us that we are continually being renewed and filled with new life (ELW 401:1).

Yet at the heart of both of these stories is an image of God’s Spirit breaking us out of the circles of sameness where we are most content and sending us into a larger community and toward people who challenge us – because they speak other languages, because they know other names for God, because they have a distinctive vision of the world, because they are different.

God’s gift of the Holy Spirit is the divine source that empowers, motivates, strengthens, and when needed, propels us into community and connection! Whether by violent wind, gentle breath, or some other form, God’s Spirit has been given to us for the sake of this world that God so loves so that this world may know Christ and his love for all.

As we receive this Spirit, may its power in compelling connection and building community be known through us!

P.S. View Sunday’s worship service and listen to Pastor Amy’s sermon. (The gospel reading and sermon begins around 21:12.) Share your presence with us by completing a contact form on our website! Links to previous worship videos are available on our website.

Faith Connection at Home

This summer while Worship for Kids and JOY are on hiatus, we invite all visiting children to create their own Pew Bag to enjoy during worship. You will find directions and materials in the narthex, near the doors to the sanctuary on the right. There are 6 bins filled with a variety of toys and doodling materials. The steps are easy to follow: 1) Choose a drawstring bag. 2) Look over the choices for a few moments. Take turns with others. 3) Fill your bag with a few items to use in your pew during worship. 4) Return the materials to their bins and hang up the bag.

We hope you enjoy this small summer change and welcome suggestions to make the bags more engaging!

Ponderings

The gift of the Holy Spirit in Acts is made known through the ability of the disciples to speak in many languages and share the mighty deeds of God. This image shows us how language propelled the good news of Jesus into the world and into communities around the Mediterranean! God’s Spirit opens the world for us and propels us into community and connection. Where is God’s Spirit propelling us today?