The hand-dyed hard boiled eggs are long gone, having been eaten or thrown in the trash weeks ago.  You might find a stray Cadbury's Chocolate Creme Egg on a bookshelf, under the sofa, or wherever you forgot you hid it, but for the most part they have been eaten too.  The excitement of Easter Day is fading from our collective memory even as we head into the 7th Sunday of Easter. The lectionary readings seem to be distancing themselves from Easter as well, shifting their focus towards the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost.

In last week's reading from the Gospel of John, Jesus told his disciples that he was not abandoning them; he was going away but he would send the Spirit of Truth to be with them and comfort them in his absence. This week we are told, "Count it a blessing when you suffer for being a Christian. This shows that God's glorious Spirit is with you."  

What are we to do with The Advocate, the Spirit of Truth, the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, who hovered over the chaos and void in creation (Gen. 1:2-3)?  What are we to do with the Spirit of God who descends like a dove (Matt. 3:16) and then like a bird of prey drives Jesus out into the desert to be tested (Mk. 1:12-13)?  What does it mean to you that God's Holy Spirit is with you?  

Pentecost is just two weeks away on June 8th.  It is a great day to invite a friend to church so that they can experience how the Holy Spirit is at work in our church!

In the power of the Holy Spirit!