Several weeks ago, I was talking to Chari Sowers who does all of the wonderful banners for the web page and the ones I use on these e-mails.  I was telling her what I was going to do for a sermon series this month because of the theme for Heritage Sunday on June 6.  I told her I hadn't thought of a name for sermon series yet and didn't really know what I might call it, honestly.  After a couple of moments Chari simply said, "How about ages and stages?"  As you might have noticed the past few weeks, that has been the name of the series we are currently in for worship.  Without the conversation, I would never have received a great suggestion like Chari's.

 

When any of us is in a pinch, whether it is for an idea, a shoulder to lean on or for a project we want to get going, you build momentum working with others rather than in isolation.  It is wiser to at least gain counsel and feedback from others when in pursuit of a goal.  It doesn't matter what you do, whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, whether you love small groups or large groups, we are dependent on others to make things work.

 

Pentecost Sunday is about this principle.  In the miraculous work of God through Jesus Christ, the Christian movement was started.  In the reality of Christ's life, death and resurrection, the disciples moved from followers to becoming the pillars of the apostolic movement of the early church.  Christ's ascension meant that the Holy Spirit would continue with the apostles.  As the scripture from Acts 2 tells us, while the apostles were all together in one place the Holy Spirit fell upon them.  The Spirit moved from them to many people in Jerusulem that day.  The momentum of the Christian movement was awakened in an international marketplace where many languages were spoken.  So, as a result, the gospel would be carried away from that moment to new nations and new places and new people.  On that day, the church moved from a small localized movement to the begins of an international movement of God's love.

 

The momentum of the Christian movement could not have happened without the gift of the Holy Spirit blessing those people that day.  It also couldn't have happened without the presence of people being congregated and people working together as a community.  The gift of working together as a family of faith is what brings about momentum.  When we work and serve together in the power of the Holy Spirit, we create a momentum that changes lives and changes the world for Jesus Christ.  Our Pentecost is Sunday as we once again provide a place for the community to come together to break bread, have fun, enjoy some music and get to know one another a little bit better.  The Spirit is upon us!  The momentum is upon us!